#within the story it's not really something he holds against luffy but it is something that at least motivates him

[bluegalaxygirl]

New Bounties (Law X Reader)

Plot: After Wano you and the heart pirates get their new bounties some are higher than others but your shocked, you've never had a wanted poster before and now suddenly you have one.

Warning: Spoilers for Wano, bad language and Fluff.

Law X reader, established relationship, Reader is Female. Thank you to @being-worthy for the idea.

Even though you've been a member of the heart pirates for years you've never had a wanted poster but it never really bothered you, the jobs you were picked for where always behind the scenes mainly because you were good at it. Sneaking around and blending in was something that you could easily do, you need to pretend to be someone? Just give a photo, their personality and job description. You need to break into a military base? You'll be in and out within an hour depending on the size. So it wasn't hard for you to go unnoticed by the world government but Wano was a different story, you managed to blend it pretty well until the big battle started then you got found out quite quickly. Luckily your main job was over and done with so you helped Law and Kid take down big Mom, it was the hardest battle you have ever fought and you almost lost an arm to the giant woman but with your boyfriends skills your arm was almost back to normal. Parting with the straw hats was hard for everyone well except Law, the crew have grown quite close to the straw hats and now the alliance is over most of you hope you'll never see them again just so your not forced to fight them. Your strong but you know there's no way you would win against the other crew. Kids crew however, most of the crew where more than happy to get away form the hot headed captain but you became quite close with Killer who seemed more down to earth than Kid.

Some of the crew where still kinda mad at their captain after yesterday, instead of taking the route Law chose and sticking to the plan, Kid teased your Captain and Luffy to a breaking point making the three ships go down one of the worse routes and down a waterfall. You weren't the type to yell but after almost getting flung off the ship you gave Law a piece of your mind, the poor man had no idea what to do as you stood in front of him and the crew yelling at him for the first time, your face red with anger and heart pounding in your ears. The crew were kinda scared of you afterwards mainly because of Law's shocked face and head bowed in defeat after you finished yelling at him and walked away with a enraged aura. You stayed in Bepo's room last night deciding to give your boyfriend the cold shoulder for the night but now you were on the sofa drinking some hot tea with Lemon and honey for your now sore throat. All the yelling really hurt your throat but at least you could still talk normally "Y/n" Bepo calls out running into the sitting room while holding a piece of paper in his hands soon followed by most of the crew some cheering with big smiles while others sighed in defeat flopping onto the sofa next to you. The two that really caught your attention was Penguin and Shachi linking arms and dancing around with wanted posters in their hands "Oh! You guys got new bounties" With a smile you place a book mark in your book and set it on the table before standing up and being hugged by the fluffy white bear.

You pull your face out of his fur so you don't suffocate as the bear holds you tight while swaying with joy "My bounty went up" Bepo calls out letting you go, so he can hand you his wanted poster, looking it over your eyes soften at the new picture showing a fighting but very cute Bepo but you gasp slightly at the bounty seeing it went up form 500 to 2,500 berries "Wow Bepo, this is amazing" You jump a little as the bear joins you "If you like that your gonna love this, look how cool i am" Penguin runs over putting an arm around your shoulders shoving his wanted poster in your face. Handing Bepo's wanted poster back to the bear you pull Penguins poster away from your face so you can actually see it "Oh please mine is on fire" Shachi sing songs as he goes to your other side putting his arm over his friends that's still around your shoulder holding his wanted poster out to you "Please man your hat is covering your face" Penguin shoots back earning a glare for Shachi "Yea well at least my bounty is higher than yours, plus i think your picture is blurry" As the two playfully banter you take the two wanted posters and look them over, their bounties went up a lot close to going into the millions "Well done boys, i'm very proud of you" You smile at the two managing to stop their bickering as you hand the papers back to them, the two smile at you while finally letting you go "Which one do you like better?" The two yell at the same time before glaring at each other.

Deciding to tease them you pat Bepo on the head, the bear staying close to you since he doesn't really like the two men arguing with you in the middle. Bepo is very sweet, but he can get aggressive, luckily he only steps in if you try and fail to stop the two, he knows you can handle them though. "I like Bepo's" You giggle rubbing the white soft fur on the bears head making the bear smile wide "What? Not fair" The two yell behind you making some of the crew laugh at their shocked faces "I'm sorry" Bepo bows making the two yells more "What are you sorry for?" They both glare at the bear who jumps slightly but you reassure him and turn to the two boys "That's enough now" you sigh pushing them away from Bepo "I'm proud of all of you so don't fight" Your words make the two sigh and nod "yes ma'ma" Shachi sighs walking off to get a drink soon followed by Penguin. "You ok?" You ask Bepo who still has his head down, he nods though and holds his wanted poster close to his chest as you place a hand on his shoulder "You did an amazing job, go celebrate" You gesture over to some of the crew now in the kitchen having drinks and making popcorn. Bepo nods with a smile and heads off to join the crew while you turn back to the sofa seeing Ikkaku sulking. With a sad smile you place hand on her shoulder and kneel down i front of her "You did a great job even though your bounty didn't go up" You try and reassure her but her eyes don't look up from her lap "I think mine's now the lowest" She sighs, you know its hard for her being the only woman besides you on the crew.

Some times it feels like you have to prove yourself just to stay a part of it even though the crew and your captain have never made you feel that way. "Hopefully it will next time, for now i'm just glad you got a new picture" You say looking down at the dangling paper in her hand, your comment makes the girl crack a smile while bringing the paper up, so she can look it over "They got my good side at least" She laughs and you stand up and place a hand on her shoulder letting out a small laugh a long with her "Every side is your good side" You comment making her jump slightly as she looks up at you, her brows furrow trying to tell if you joking with her or not but when she realizes your being serious Ikkaku jumps up and hugs you tight "Thank you" She whispers as you hug her back with a small smile. You hold her for a while rubbing her back hoping she'll feel better soon but you break the hug when someone clears their throat behind you. Turning your head while holding Ikkaku's arms you look to see Jean Bart who has a surprisingly big smile on his face. You smile at him before turning back to Ikkaku who gives you a small smile before sitting back down now looking much happier "Thanks again Y/N" The girl relaxes into the sofa as you nod at her and walk over to the large pirate seeing him with several papers in his large hands. "Did yours go up too?" You ask stopping in front of the man but having to lift your head up in order to look at his face "Yea but i think you'll like this more" The giant man holds out two pieces of paper.

Taking them you lightly smile seeing Law's new wanted poster. You still can't get over how handsome he is but you were very surprised at the bounty, it now being 3 billion, you knew it would go up but this was insane. You shake your head trying not to get too overwhelmed by the amount of zero's as you pull out the paper form under it and gasp in surprise gripping the paper unable to believe what your seeing. Somehow Jean Bart knew exactly how you would react to this news managing to take the time you gave him while looking over Law's wanted poster to move everyone out of your direct line to the door. Some crew were confused, but they didn't argue with the the man and stayed out of the way. It took you a second but your legs moved before you could tell them to do so, running out of the room with the wanted papers in your grip you sprinted done the hall jumping over the lip of the doors connecting hallways. The crew watched you run off but Bart stopped them form following you some concerned as to why you would react like that, "Is she ok?" Bepo asks walking over to the large man but keeping his eyes on the door you ran out of but Bart smiles wide at the bear "They got their first bounty" Bepo jumped in excrement with a big smile as others laugh and cheer starting to get more drinks out to throw a party for themselves.

Running down the metal hallways of the sub you soon make it to Law's office, you didn't bother knocking just barraged in to see your captain sitting at his desk reading a book "Y/N?" Law asks about to get up when you slam the wanted posters on the desk before turning to him with a big smile. The poor captain had no idea what was going on, you've never walked into his office without knocking first, he thought maybe it was an emergency but your smile and bouncing feet told him different. "Your bounty went up, it's now 3 billion and look" You bounce on your tip toes unable to control your excitement as you grab your first ever wanted poster and show it to him "My first wanted poster" You laugh with slight tears of joy threatening to roll down your checks. You haven't spoken or even looked at Law all day, he hated the silent treatment you gave him but seeing you smile so beautifully at him and rush in to show him something made his heart melt slightly, a small smile appears on his face as he takes his eyes off you to look at your wanted poster. The picture in his opinion didn't do you justice but what really caught his eye was the bounty, his small smile drops and his eyes go wide making your heart sink. You stop bouncing and your smile fades along with your tears of joy, you didn't know what was wrong, maybe he's still upset over you being mad at him or yelling at him. "Law... I'm not mad anymore, i'm sorry" You go to put the wanted poster down but your captain grabs it staring with his breath hitched in his throat.

Law tried to form words but it was hard, he's never seen a first bounty this high before, yes you helped take down big mom but for a first bounty this was insane "I-I know, thats not it" The captain finally managed to say prying his eyes away from your poster to look at your sad face, he didn't mean to upset you but he couldn't help the reaction he had. "Then what? Don't you like it?" You hated the pit in your stomach, you didn't think to look at your bounty, you didn't care how low it was, you were just happy to have your name and face on a wanted poster. Law quickly stands and pulls you into a hug with a slight chuckle finally getting over his shock "I love it sweetheart, i'm sorry, i'm just shocked at such a high bounty" You sigh in relief at his words while hugging back, to be honestly the silent treatment you were giving him was torture for you since you love spending time with him, even if its just sitting in the same room as each other and not talking. "It can't be that high, i mean Bepo's is now at 2,500, mine can't be much higher" You laugh only to for Law's eyes to widen slightly and pull you away to see if your being serious, looking up at him in confusion it suddenly hits you that your bounty must be much higher than Bepo's "You didn't look?" The captain asks grabbing your wanted poster while keeping a hand on your hip as you shake your head. "No i ran straight here... i didn't think it would be much" You blush a little, its funny how your first thought when getting your wanted poster was to show Law.

The captain lets a small smile show while handing you the poster letting you look it over, your eyes scan the page until you get to the price on your head, as you count the amount of zero's your eyes widen in shock as your hand starts to shake. Law's quick to notice taking your hand to hold it still while rubbing your hip "1.5 billion?" you ask looking up at the man who nods getting closer to your face "How? Why?" You could hardly comprehend what was written on the piece of paper but Law snapped you out of your thoughts by placing a light kiss on your lips "You did great" He whispers against your lips making your heart flutter a little as a smile appears back on your face "I'm sorry for yelling" You whisper back placing the paper back on the desk so you can run your hands over his shoulder and to the back of his neck keeping him close to you "I deserved it, shouldn't have let that asshole get to me.... I-I'm proud of you y/n" Leaning in the captain lightly kisses your lips feeling you lean in while running a hand up and through his hair. He goes to pull away but you bring him back in for more placing light kisses on his lips before locking them fully and lightly biting his bottom lip. Law chuckles slightly wrapping his arms around your waist to press you closer to him as his mouth opens letting your tongues meet and lips move together. You can't help but moan slightly into it as the captain lifts you up and makes you sit on the desk pulling your legs, so they wrap around his waist, the two of you pull away for air both panting slightly from the heated make out.

Law looks down at the desk spotting his wanted poster and running his hand over it "Your so handsome" You whisper hugging the man close while kissing his neck, Law leans into you a bit before pulling over your wanted poster to get another look at it "you're beautiful" The captain whispers back making you pull away from his neck, so he can kiss you again, its light a first but soon gets heated again this time Law taking the lead and licking your lower lip getting you to open your mouth for him. The make out was long one or both of you having to pull away for air only to go back in for more, you swear his lips are addictive, he may not always show it but moment like this tell you how much he loves you and you want to give that same love back. "Sweetheart" Law stops the make out placing his hand on your neck to stop you form going back in for more, he knew if you did keep kissing him he would just cave in and let you, as much as he would love to continue the captain not only had work to do, but he also had to talk to the crew. "I'm only going to say it to you ok.... I'm sorry for how i acted yesterday, forgive me?" Law asks seeing you smile and nod with loving eyes "Forgiven, just don't do it again" You pull his hand away form your neck giving him a light kiss before getting off the desk "The others are probably throwing a party, you wanna join?" you ask fixing Law's hat and shirt that you've messed up while the captain runs a hand through your hair to fix the mess he made "Only for a little while."

[alexa-yukiyu]

hey so i really liked your revenge and teasings story and wanted to ask if you could do a part 2 on that. Like when enel finally gets his karma etc

Revenge and policing ( ASL x sister!reader)

A/N Yall this is not a cook, I don’t like it but I had to answer I would delete it within the hour but Lee would have my head if I put a timer on a fic ever again, Im sorry yall, I will do better for you guys

Part 1 y’all listen I COOKED in part one so go check it out

Dividers by @/saradika

The Brothers had wasted no time planning a way to bring Enel his come-upping, as they now found themselves in the park going over the plan once again

Reader Leans against Ace as he tries his best to put a microphoned belt on her from the awkward position

Ace is struggling to put the belt on her, trying his best to get her to stop leaning on him

“You’re making this so much harder,” he grunts

“Im scared,” she mutters

"I know you are, but this is important, okay?" Sabo whispers giving her a quick kiss on the Temple

"Once the belt is on, you just have to make sure Enel confessed to what he did," Zoro, a friend of Luffy from the police force, explained

“That should be easy; he always gloats about it.”

Ace nods in agreement; they were sure to get the confession

"All we have to do is stay calm," he whispers to her

Ace finally manages to secure the belt to her hip and pulls her into his body, rubbing her back to reassure her that everything will turn out fine.

“That applies to you guys. Please don’t jump on the guy, even after we get him. I will not have you guys thrown in jail because of that bastard.”

Luffy and Ace exchange a look as Ace replies,

"No promises."

"Don't worry, we won't; we just want to make him confess his crimes in a normal manner first," Sabo adds

She sighs, knowing that was as close as she would get to a comprise

“Okay, it’s almost two… I think it’s time you guys head out; he should be here any minute.”

“We’ll be in the car, okay? If something happens, we are but a few minutes away,” Sabo says, gently holding her hand as he tells her

She nods, smiling at him as they walk away

Reader waits by the tree near the entrance to the park, waiting for Enel to arrive, the cold wind of winter was already making her shiver a little

Her shivers increase as the man of the hour slowly approaches her

She feels her heartbeat rise as he neared her, doing her best to avoid his gaze and stand as strong and straight as possible to prevent him from picking out how truly nervous she actually was.

“Finally showed your face? you ran away yesterday you damn bitch; you dare run away from your me?”

“I -I’m sorry you told me you didn’t want me there…”

He just laughed at her excuse

“Don’t you dare tell me bullshit like that. I expect you to stay beside me like a good little follower.”

He continues walking towards her

“Besides, I wasn’t done talking to you yet before you cowardly left.”

“You hit me…again”

He just smirks as he reaches her

“And I will do it again; maybe this time I won’t stop until I break every bone in your pathetic little body,” he said, smirking and raising his hand to hit her

She closes her eyes, waiting for the hit, only for her to hear a scream of pain coming from Enel instead and a familiar warmth on her face

She opens her eyes seeing a wall of fire in front of her, quickly recognizing the wall of fire from Ace’s and Sabo’s Mera-Mera fruit

Enel is stunned; Ace is standing in front of her, with Sabo being right behind him with a cold smile on his face.

“Do not touch a single strand of her hair again,” Ace says sternly

“Or what he growls, you can’t touch a hair on me, lest you want that school of yours to pay the price; you think they will believe a bunch of nobodies over me?”

“Are you okay, Reader?” Luffy asks, glancing at her slightly behind his brothers

“Im okay,” she said, taking off her belt

“Hey Enel”

Enel eyes narrow as he tries to calm his raging fury

“What?… What the hell do you want now?”

“Maybe they won’t believe some ‘nobodies,’ but maybe they will believe you,” she said, showing him the hidden mic with a grin

“you fucking bitch… he mutters, his electricity sparking” only to pause at the feel of something touching his head

“Enel, you are under arrest for battery and domestic abuse,” Zoro growls

Once he heard what Zoro said, he burst into laughter

“You have no evidence!”

“I witnessed everything, including you trying to hit her, and she has audio proof of your abuse,” Zoro snaps back, cuffing the self-proclaimed God

“You little who-

His words are quickly interrupted as the oldest of the brothers delivers a swift punch to his face

“Shut up, you’re done for, asshole,” Ace growls

“Hey, he just assaulted me. Are you not going to do anything?! I want to press charges,” Enel screams, glaring at Zoro

“I didn’t see anything,” he says with a smirk, pulling him along to the police car and saying his goodbyes to Luffy on the way

“It’s over…” Reader mutters, letting out a sigh of relief as she throws herself on one of the park’s benches

“you guys actually pulled it off.”

"Yeah, we did," Luffy replies happily with a proud grin

"Enel won't be causing trouble for you anymore, not when he's in jail," Ace adds with a smirk

"Are you sure you're alright?" Sabo asks, concerned, as he joins them

"You're shivering.”

She sniffles, tears flowing down her cheeks

“hah?? Reader?!” Sabo fusses confused

“ I love you guys so much,” she says, pulling them into a hug

“We love you too, baby sis,” Ace replies, hugging back tightly

“You’re family; we’ll do anything for you,” Sabo comments as he joins in the hug with Ace

“We’re happy we were able to help; we only wish we could have done it sooner,” comments Luffy

“No..you were just in time.”

Im sorry y’all, but look forward to more Rayleigh and shakky action, got a request for them, anyone has any suggestions in what the fic could be about?

[charkyzombicorn]

About the Marine dad au, what about Roger adopting Luffy?

Like, he never got sick and met some random kid who reminded Roger of himself and decided that Luffy was his now.

OHOHOHOKAY

Roger never gets sick, so he saw the Man Made Horrors Beyond Comprehension when the marines got a whiff of Roger having a child and they killed all those people. He ends up separating from the majority of his crew to go to the east blue with Rouge and try raising Ace where it's quiet and he can learn to walk before he has to run (he maybe takes Buggy and Shanks with him since they won't be noted missing by enemies, and hops over to Somewhere Else every few months so there are still Pirate King Sightings.)

Ace is about five when Luffy is born because he was born within reason, and Luffy spends his first year in [REDACTED] so no one finds him. Roger sees an RD banner in the east blue and since Garp's Boy has only recently come to the Espionage game, he tried pulling a prank by breaking into the ship to steal something Dragon would want back.Because Roger is a goblin At Best.

He finds the Absolute Best thing for this - Luffy, left in a bassinet in an unguarded room by himself (really was this revolutionary brat new?) just minding his own business gumming on a blanket. Roger takes the baby with the plan of returning him as quickly as Dragon can find a pirate king not actively hiding from him. Rouge thinks it's hilarious, Ace just wants to hold the baby, Buggy thinks it's kind of cruel and Shanks isn't sure what's going on.

Except. Roger is just chilling for a while, holding the baby in broad daylight, waiting for some angry emo Garp to swoop in with all the magician skills he learned to spite Garp (Garp HATES magicians - long story) to challenge the pirate king to a fight - or maybe even try to steal the baby from him. But the sun starts to set and he wanders back to the dock because maybe Dragon just wants familiar ground and some allies with him to attack - a smart move, if risky in the unamusing way. And the boat is gone.

He could swear it was right there but it was Gone and there was a baby snoozing against his chest and his father just dipped without a word. He snorts to himself, marching over to the Oro Jackson, and calling up to his dear sweet partner, who just put Ace to bed.

"My love!" He calls, and she pokes her head down to look at him from the large ship. "I think I've scavenged my most interesting treasure yet!"

She accepts it easily, just lowering a ladder. "I found out how to carry Ace up a ladder, your turn." and the second Roger's boots touched the deck of his ship (after many, many minutes of trying to maneuver up a rope ladder with one hand and only partial use of one of his legs while the love of his life laughed at him) Luffy was his son, Rouge's boy, Ace's, Shanks' and Buggy's baby brother all at once.

[vannahfanfics]

Good tidings to you! I'd like to request a fluff alphabet for Zoro, if you please!

Of course, hun! Thank you so much for your Ko-Fi donation; it was mighty kind of you! I hope you enjoy this fluff alphabet~!

Fluff Alphabet: Zoro

A-   Activities: How do they spend their time with their s/o?

We all know how much Zoro loves to snooze, so you can bet that he loves taking naps with his s/o! There’s nothing better to him than finding a nice spot on the deck or within the ship to snuggle up with his beloved and catch some good Z’s. A lot of times he will actually try to stay awake instead of falling asleep right away, though, because he wants to enjoy his cuddle time! Plus, he thinks his partner is so cute when they’re dozing. When they are awake, Zoro also loves to train with his partner! It doesn’t matter how intense his partner is athletically; even if they are just in the same space honing their respective crafts, it really makes him happy. And getting to see his s/o all sweaty and breathless after a workout? That’s hot to him, LOL. 

B- Body: What does this character appreciate about their s/o? What part of their body are they most proud of, and in reverse, what body part are they ashamed of and how do they respond to their s/o gushing over it?

Zoro is an ass man; sorry, I don’t make the rules. He is gonna grab his s/o’s booty at every available opportunity. He just can’t help himself; I mean, it’s right there, just ripe for the taking, and the man has got to cop a feel! He’s also fond of his partner’s tummy, though; he loves to lay his head there when he’s dozing-- bonus points if his s/o gives him head scritches. That is a one-way ticket to a happy Zoro. 

As for himself, Zoro is very proud of his scars, ironically. They’re proof that he’s survived and overcome obstacles as a swordsman. He loves when his s/o traces his scars, or, when things are getting a little steamy, kisses along the patterns criss-crossing his body. He’s proud of his muscles, too, and loves when his s/o compliments them. He definitely flexes for his partner; he loves to get them all hot and bothered, LOL. 

C- Cuddles: Is this character a cuddler? What is their favorite way to cuddle?

Zoro loves to cuddle, mostly because he loves to nap. There is no better sleep to him than when his s/o is snuggled up against him. He likes to spoon his partner (this man is not the little spoon, no way, no how), but he also likes to sleep on his partner’s lap or tummy while they play with his hair and massage/scratch his head. 

D- Dreams: How do they picture their future with their s/o?

Zoro pretty much doesn’t think about much besides becoming the world’s greatest swordsman and helping Luffy achieve the title of Pirate King before his s/o comes along. After that, however, he begins to consider what happens next. After sailing for a while, he’ll entertain the idea of settling down and starting a dojo like his master, or maybe even returning to the old man and asking to take over one day. It’s not something he thinks about a whole lot, but he does, on occasion. Really, he just wants his partner to be happy, and will go along with their plans for their future. 

E- Equivalence: Is this character the dominant force in the relationship, are they passive, or is the relationship more or less even?

Zoro’s a pretty stubborn guy, but in a relationship, he’s actually kind of chill. He doesn’t mind not making decisions and will go along with his s/o’s flow. He just doesn’t see the point in trying to control of dominate aspects of his s/o’s life; they’re a person with their own free will, after all. As long as he can get his cuddles, he’s honestly good! 

F- Fights: How does this character respond to arguments with their s/o? What would they fight about, and who would cave and apologize first?

We all know most of the Straw Hat Crew share a single brain cell and most of the time, bless his heart, Zoro does not have it. He will get so confused when his partner is mad at him. He will have no idea what set them off, and that will frustrate him, so he’ll lash out in retaliation. Before the fight can escalate too much, he’ll stomp off to go nurse his feelings with some sake. It bothers him, though, knowing that his s/o’s feelings are hurt and probably because he did something stupid... so he’ll go to Nami or Robin for advice. Once they finally get his brain to click, he’ll go back to his s/o to apologize and talk things out. So, even though fights may occur often, normally they work out well when he finally puts two and two together. 

G- Gratitude: How does this character show their s/o that they are grateful?

Zoro is pretty low-key with his affection. To show his gratitude, he normally snuggles up to his partner and lavishes them in physical affection. It’s his main way to express his feelings, and he isn’t smart when it comes to gift-giving, nor is he eloquent with his words. His partner will have to recognize that this is how he is trying to express how he feels!

H- Honeymoon: If this character had a honeymoon with their s/o, where would they go?

Again, Zoro has no real preference with these things. In fact, he probably doesn’t even know what a honeymoon is. After his s/o explains it, however, and he realizes how important it is to them, Zoro is on board. He will probably let his partner choose the destination and activities; he righteously doesn’t care where they go. He just wants to spend time with them and make sure that they are having a good time. 

I- Insecurity: What is this character insecure about? How do they deal with their insecurities with their s/o?

Zoro is very much still haunted by Kuina’s death. It frustrates him that he was never able to best her, and he still carries a sense of guilt for her death, though it was a tragic accident. It’s not something he’ll bring up to his s/o very easily, because it’s not something he wants to talk about, but eventually after his s/o catches him brooding on it enough times, he’ll divulge the full story. He’ll probably tear up a bit, so his s/o will need to comfort him. 

J- Jealousy: Is this character the jealous type? How do they deal with being jealous?

Zoro is 100% confident in himself as a man and so he does not get jealous, lmao. Again, he doesn’t really have much desire to have his s/o on a leash. In fact, watching his s/o flirt and play coy with others is amusing to him, because it makes him oh so satisfied knowing that they are still going home with him that night. If he realizes his s/o is actively trying to get him jealous to have some fun, he’ll play along, but never for a moment does he actually doubt his s/o or their intentions. It’s honestly sweet, how much trust he has in them. 

K- Kiss: What does the character want their first kiss to be like with their s/o? How does it end up happening?

Again, this man? No brain cells. He’s just cruising, having a good time, and doesn’t even think about a kiss. His s/o will actually have to be the one to plant one on him the first time, because this poor guy is just like, “This is going well. Nice. Look at me go. I bet the Ero-Cook is so jealous.” Bless his heart, the poor, stupid thing. After the first time, though, he picks up on it and will take care to initiate PDA so his s/o doesn’t feel unwanted or undesirable. 

L- Love Confession: How does this character first profess their love to their s/o?

Once again, this man is as dense as a brick wall. He will not even realize that he caught feelings for someone; he just vibes, thinking that it’s just an aspect of their friendship. His s/o is going to have to be the one to confess, and then it will finally click in his head that the things he feels go beyond friendship, and then he will be like, “Oh. Yeah, I like you too, let’s go out.” It’s almost infuriating, because it can lead to a drawn-out mutual pining situation except Zoro doesn’t realize that he’s pining. Nami, please, give him the brain cell. 

M- Marriage: How does this character view marriage? What is their ideal wedding like?

Zoro doesn’t think much about marriage, just like his thoughts on his future with his s/o-- but when they bring it up, he isn’t opposed. Rather than a fancy proposal, it will probably be a mutual decision between himself and his partner. They will go with him to pick out the ring and there won’t be a big affair, just “Hey! We’re gonna get married!” If his s/o really wants the whole shabang, though, he’ll have Nami and Usopp help him put something together. Again, he doesn’t care, but if his s/o does, he want’s them to be happy. 

As for the wedding, again, he leaves all of that up to his s/o. The furthest his mind goes is imagining them in their wedding attire, and that makes him a little excited, the idea that they’ll be joined forever in love. 

N- Nicknames: What does this character like to call their s/o?

Zoro’s not really that into pet names. One might hear an occasional “babe” or a demeaning “sweetheart” or “sweetcheeks,” but he thinks it’s more intimate to call his s/o by their name. 

O- On Cloud Nine: What is this character like when they’re in love? Is it obvious to others, or are they good at hiding it?

Like I said, this fool is oblivious himself that he’s in love. Others might notice if they are astute because he spends a lot of time with the object of his affections, does things for them without complaining, and is protective over them. Other than that, it really isn’t that obvious.

P- PDA: Does this character like PDA? If so, what kinds of things do they do in public to show off their s/o?

Zoro does like PDA, especially if his partner is easily flusterable, because he thinks it’s cute. Throwing his arm around their shoulders or waist or sitting them on his lap are his personal favorites (and the aforementioned ass grabs). But if his s/o is also a fan of PDA, he’ll return any kisses, hugs, or hand-holds they initiate too, because he ain’t gonna say no to an excuse to touch his s./o! 

Q- Quirks: What random traits or quirks does this character have that positively affect the relationship?

Zoro has a habit of picking up random things he thinks his s/o will like. “Hey, I saw this flower and thought you might like it, here you go.” He totally doesn’t think anything of it, he just acted on a whim, but he does enjoy how happy his s/o gets about it-- so sometimes he goes out looking for stuff on purpose. He usually gets lost, of course, and someone has to go find him. 

R- Romance: Is this character a hopeless romantic, or a bit on the low-key side? Are they cliché when it comes to romantic gestures, or can they get a little bit creative?

As I’ve alluded, Zoro’s pretty lowkey in relationships. He’s not really prone to grand gestures, and just acts on whims rather than putting a lot of thought into his gestures. Occasionally, he will seek Nami and Robin out for advice to make sure he isn’t getting too boring or repetitive for his s/o, but mostly, he just does whatever comes to his mind. 

S- Secrets: Are there any secrets they hide from their s/o? If so, how do they deal with it when those secrets finally come out?

Besides his past with Kuina, Zoro doesn’t really have anything to hide from his s/o. He believes in honesty in relationships and just in general, so he won’t have any secrets. 

T- Thrill: Does this character prefer routine in their relationship, or do they like to shake things up every once in a while?

Zoro doesn’t even really think about it! Again, he just does whatever comes to mind. Sometimes there are spells of doing basically the same things every day, and then all of a sudden he’ll up and surprise his s/o with a random compliment or gift to keep it a little exciting. 

U- Understanding: Is this character level-headed and empathetic toward their partner, or do they sometimes have trouble figuring them out, which leads to some butting heads?

Zoro, bless his heart, will take a long time to learn how his partner really ticks. It’s just a little hard for him to learn how they think, so they will butt heads sometimes and have disagreements. He does try to be empathetic, it just doesn’t work out like he wants it to sometimes. 

V- Value: How does this character value their relationship with their s/o? How does it hold in comparison to their goals, ambitions, etc.?

Zoro does hold his relationship in pretty high regard, but his ultimate goals are making Luffy Pirate King and becoming a master swordsman. If his s/o does not support those goals, or if he has to choose between them, he’ll probably choose his goals. That isn’t to say he won’t make an effort to have both, though. 

W- Wild Card: Any random fluff headcanon that does not fall within the other categories!

Zoro talks in his sleep and it’s adorable. Sometimes his true feelings come out in his sleep, so he’ll babble on and on about how much he adores his s/o. It’s so cute, but he will deny it until he’s blue in the face despite the fact that everybody has heard him do it. 

X- XOXO: How does this character show affection?

As I’ve mentioned, Zoro’s primary love language is “physical affection.” He’s not great with words or gifts, so he primarily speaks through his actions. “Acts of service” is also in his repertoire, though; he doesn’t mind doing things for his s/o, and will often initiate without them even asking. 

Y- Yearning: How does this character deal with time apart with their s/o?

Oh, boy. He gets so pouty and grumpy. He doesn’t sleep as well when his s/o isn’t there, so he gets tired and oh-so-irritated. He is absolutely miserable to be around, and he and Sanji get into so many fights because he’s being a dick. He drinks a lot more, too, and is mad about the fact his alcohol tolerance is too high to drink himself into a stupor. As soon as his s/o returns, he is dragging them off for a much-needed nap. 

Z- Zeal: Is this character willing to great lengths for their relationship? If so, how far, and how long does it take to get to this point?

Although I said Zoro is more likely to choose his goals over his s/o, he still will go to great lengths for his s/o. He has faith in their capabilities, but if he gets even an inkling that they may need help, he goes charging off. It doesn’t really take Zoro that long to reach this point, either, as he becomes somewhat dependent on their presence quite soon. 

[opbackgrounds]

Oooh can you do a post on the tenryubito?

So I feel like this is going to be an unpopular opinion, but I pity the Celestial Dragons. 

That isn’t to say that they aren’t all (mostly) abhorrently evil megalomaniacs with  an institutionally enforced god complex who treat the torture of human(oids) with the same blasé disregard as a kid pulling the wings off of a fly, but there’s a part of me that just finds them pathetic. The Celesital Dragons are a group of people who have the world as their silver platter, yet are so small-minded and infantile they literally trap themselves in a tiny bubbles because they’re too scared to breathe the same air as the so-called lesser races.

There was a time when I didn’t think much of the Celestial Dragons because I thought that Oda’s exaggerated storytelling had gone one step too far. They were too cartoonishly evil to be believable—nothing but a bunch of mustache-twirling villains too ridiculous to be taken seriously—and though I found Luffy punching one in the face very cathartic I wasn’t terribly invested in the World Nobility as a worldbuilding element. 

But if there’s something I’ve realized as I’ve gotten older, it’s that there is a depressingly-large number of cartoonishly evil people who through no merit of their own find themselves wielding enormous amounts of power, and the Celestial Dragons are more realistic than I ever thought possible. 

The Dragons are One Piece’s exploration of the idea that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Eight hundred years is a ridiculously long time to be in control of a single territory, let alone an organization as massive as the World Government. To put it in perspective a little, eight hundred years ago was when the Magna Carta was signed. Even real-world dynasties tend to have major fluctuations in power over the course of generations, but It seems that the World Government—and by extension the Celestial Dragons—have for eight centuries kept an iron hold over what they consider theirs. 

Which just happens to be everything. 

The actual origins of the CD tie into series lore and will probably play a big part in Robin learning about the True History, but I fall in the camp that believes that they originated on the moon because 1) they’re the Celestial Dragons 2) there’s gotta be some significance to Enel’s cover story, and 3) Oda clearly modeled their hairstyles and clothing off of the King and Queen of the Moon from the movie The Adventures of Baron Muchausen

Which, if true, makes them a foreign imperialistic force that used military might and a totalitarian regime that specializes in censorship and terror in order to turn the One Piece world into a giant colony while presenting itself as an egalitarian, unifying coalition where no single ruler is fit to sit on the Empty Throne. 

And to think, there are some people who don’t think One Piece is political.

What’s really fascinating is that most of the rank and file Celestial Dragons don’t seem to realize their own history. Their traditional enemy has become a bedtime story used to scare children, and they’re too preoccupied in their petty games and pleasures to even notice that they’re not really the most powerful people in the world. It’s like their freedom to commit atrocities is the world’s worst example of bread and circuses, because as long as their attention is held by the shiny new slave or fixated on bringing in another tribute then they can’t use their immense power to actually do anything, and for the most part they’re too stupid to realize they’re being used. 

Granted, I’m doing a lot of guesswork here, but we don’t really know where Im and his giant pointy crown fits into all this, or how aware the average Celestial Dragon is of his existence. Is he a world noble? Are the Elder Stars? I personally don’t think the latter are, but is it possible that there’s an even more secret and exclusive group within one of the most secretive and exclusive groups on the planet? And what in the world does the straw hat locked in a freezer have to do with any of it? Was that the treasure Doflamingo used to blackmail the Celestial Dragons into submission, and if so, who did he parlay with during his negotiations? Because I can’t see idiots like Saint Charlos or Mysogard before his character development giving two shits about any of it. Was it CP0, and if so, how much do they understand about the man who sits on the Empty Throne?

What I’m trying to say here, is that there’s a whole lot we don’t know. 

What isn’t guesswork is how little the Celestial Dragons understand about the real world, and this is where I go back to feeling sorry for them. Even the best-intentioned noble we’ve seen so far (Homing) has no idea of what it is to be “human”. 

This mansion is just...comfortable. It’s a downgrade. It’s how Homing thinks normal people live, and he thinks he can just plop his family out in the real world and live a quiet, normal life without blowback from a population that has suffered terribly at the Celestial Dragons hands. His ignorance and naivety, while well-intentioned, is staggering.

Because remember, slavery is technically illegal within the World Government.  Only criminals and people from nations not affiliated can be taken to auction. What initially seems like a kindness turns out to be sending pigs to the slaughter, because what nation wouldn’t react the way this one did once they found out the truth?

Because what the WG (and by extension the CD) have done is punish nations who don’t kowtow to their power in order to fulfill the demand for slaves. Even the bit about criminals is terrifying when this is a world where for some it’s a crime to even be born, to say nothing about the Celestial Dragon’s refusal to obey their own laws if it means they can get what they want, when they want it. 

The whole Homing situation puts a different spin on Doflamingo’s speech during the Marineford War. People who have only known peace can’t understand those who have only known war, and that lack of understanding is what ultimately led to his undoing. 

That’s not to say that the Celestial Dragons are incapable of change on an individual level. One Piece is, ultimately, a very optimistic series, so while I was initially surprised that Saint Mysogard returned during the Reverie chapters as a good guy, upon later reflection it made sense with the points Oda was trying to make during the Fishman Island arc—that if different groups can try to understand one another, they can get along. 

But it took an extraordinary event in almost being killed by his own former slaves and an extraordinary diplomat in Queen Otohime to change the mind of one (1) Celestial Dragon, and it doesn’t look like Saint Mysogard has been able to bring anyone else around to his point of view in the 10 years since he realized he was, in fact, human. And when feel like you’re due everything because you’re a god, why would you want to lower yourself to the position of a lessor being?

 The Celestial Dragons are trained from birth to think of other human(oid) beings as less than animals, where sadism and torture aren’t only encouraged, but celebrated. The system has corrupted to the point where there’s no incentive to change and no oversight to prevent the abuse of power, and with the ability to call the admirals on anyone who pisses them off the average person has no hope of fighting back. It’s difficult to guess how noble the progenitors of the current Celestial Dragons were, but judging by what we know of the Void Century we can guess not very. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine them starting out as the mustache-twirling villains as we see in the current day. The only difference between the Nefertitis and the other kings was one man’s choice to stay with his people. In an alternate universe Vivi could have been a Celestial Dragon.

Now there’s an AU idea.

At the end of the day, the Celestial Dragons play an important role within the One Piece universe, but they are not, by themselves, important to Luffy. He hates their guts and enjoys punching them in the face, but he’s a pirate, not a Revolutionary. The future for One Piece is delightfully opaque, and it’s hard for me to see how the Natural Enemy of God ends up tearing the system to the ground. Will the Straw Hats end up going to space? I don’t know, but there are a lot of people who think it’s at least a possibility.

I personally find them at their most interesting when they’re playing the part of the outside influencer. The Celestial Dragons have only been the direct opponents to the Straw Hats a handful of times, but they’ve played a direct role in the lives of so many other characters—both heroic and villainous—that without them the series could not exist as it currently does. 

And that’s the power of good worldbuilding. I don’t need Luffy to face off against Im to be satisfied with the series. In fact, he was brought in so late that I’ll be a little disappointed if he ends up as the final boss fight. I’m okay with the Revolutionary Army storming Mariejois off-screen, because while those are important players and major chess pieces, that’s never been where Luffy’s focus has been. He’s the man who’s going to become the Pirate King, and until the Celestial Dragons somehow get in the way of that dream he’s not going to bother with them. This lack of focus allows the inherent darkness of the Celestial Dragons not to overshadow the more lighthearted, whimsical aspects of the series. They explore certain themes that are important to One Piece, but the story doesn’t dwell in the mire, and I think it’s all the stronger for it. . 

[yukipri]

On the Baratie, Part 2 - a One Piece Mermaid AU Text Story

Tonight I bring another humble offering of a text story, this time a continuation of the Baratie story that y’all voted to see more of!

This was posted in advance on my Patreon several weeks ago ^ ^

Continues off of Part 1, but can be enhanced by reading the Prologue as well!

Links to previous parts:

👒🐟On the Baratie, Part 1

👒🐟On the Baratie, Prologue

~~

Sanji and Gin jolt when they notice the mermaid draped over the rail above them, her tail gripping the wood like an anaconda.

"Glad you got food!" she says to Gin, who is too busy staring to hear her words. "And you!" now directed at Sanji, "You're cool! Join my crew!"

Sanji can't really judge Gin, because he's staring too. It's hard to tear his gaze away from the stunning goddess who has seemingly materialized out of thin air to be within touching distance, but he manages, and--it appears she's alone. The pirates are nowhere in sight.

"Are you alright?" his words leave in a soft whoosh, in case the pirates can hear, and Gin finally snaps out of it to look at Sanji with concern.

"Me? I'm great! The food here's awesome! I'd be more awesome if you joined my crew!" She grins, and her mouth is full of gleaming pearls, and Sanji struggles not to swoon.

"Your...crew?" Sanji's impressed he managed to catch that, he's so entranced by her voice. It's lower than he expected, but rich, and bright, and boyish in a way that matches her wind-tousled hair.

"Yeah, I'm a pirate!" She announces proudly, slapping her flukes against the wood in emphasis.

"A...pirate," Sanji repeats. "Those people who came in with you..."

"They're my crew! They're awesome!" The pearls flash again.

Sanji's inclined not believe her; he has no clue what the pirates have forced her to say, and even if that's not the case, she has this innocent air to her that suggests she may have been tricked into believing herself a willing member of the crew--but he stops.

There's something about her, the way her big, wide eyes sparkle and her smile shines down on Sanji warmer than the sun, that convinces him that she's telling the truth.

The mermaid really is a pirate. Which means she doesn't need to be rescued.

"I see," he manages to say, and slowly forces the tension from his shoulders. He'd be lying if he said there wasn't a small part of him that's disappointed that he won't be able to act as her shining knight. But a much larger part of him is relieved, relieved because he honestly wasn't sure how he'd get rid of the pirates without the shitty old man and the Baratie suffering, and relieved because it means his princess isn't in distress. As much as he'd love to be her hero, Sanji doesn't think he could bear to see her in tears.

They talk some more, and Sanji's once again impressed with his ability to maintain a normal conversation with the mermaid, whose name is Luffy. Gin blanches at her announcement that they're going to the Grand Line, but he'd seen the members of her crew too, and reluctantly nods.

"Just be careful out there, monsters live on the Grand Line," Gin warns as he prepares to set off.

"It's okay, we have monsters too!" Luffy grins, carefree as can be. Gin and Sanji believe her, though neither at the time suspect that she includes herself among her crew's "monsters."

Zeff comes out as Gin's leaving, and Sanji cheerfully destroys the evidence of having fed the starving pirate before the restaurant owner's eyes. Luffy blinks at the exchange, before something seems to click.

"Oh, you're the Zeff dude!"

Zeff's eyebrows climb into his impossibly tall hat. "Oh? And you must be our first ever mermaid customer. The cooks were in quite an uproar over you." His eyes flick to Sanji knowingly, well aware that Sanji had shoved the other cooks aside in order to claim the honor of cooking for their party personally.

Luffy seems weirdly pleased. "Hey, Zeff dude, I found you! Thatch wanted to talk to you. So you should go talk to him!"

She's clearly very satisfied at having relayed her message, and Zeff harrumphs. "Thatch, eh? Well that's a name I've heard before...let's go see the brat."

Zeff disappears back inside, leaving Luffy alone with Sanji. He feels his heart pounding weirdly again, now that they're by themselves.

"You should really join our crew," Luffy says, and her persistence is endearing. She's picking her nose now, and with anyone else, Sanji would complain about how unsanitary it is, but anything done by her is charming. Sanji notes that her nostril seems bizarrely stretchy. How absolutely adorable.

"Is your crew in search of a cook, milady?" Sanji allows himself to briefly imagine what it would be like, to travel the world with such a lovely companion. The rest of her pre-existing crew fades to the background, until it's just her and Sanji, leaning against the rail of a beautiful white ship, seagulls soaring through brilliant clear skies as he pulls back the veil to kiss the bride--

"Oh, nope! We already have a cook!" she says cheerfully, shattering the fleeting vision of their wedding. "But, that doesn't mean we can't have two! And your food looks great! You should be our cook too!"

Ah, they already have a cook...Sanji suddenly remembers seeing the pompadour man, the one that had tickled his memory. He frowns, because that niggling sensation won't leave, and something tells him it's important that he remembers where he knows the man from.

"I should get back now, or Ace will be mad," Luffy announces, and shimmies up the rail back towards the door that Zeff had left from. She glances back at Sanji expectantly, and Sanji follows, unable to deny his princess's summons.

~~

The rest of Luffy's crew is still lounging in the back VIP section, surrounding the most lavish table in the entire restaurant and given a degree of privacy from outside with the help of thick curtains. Sanji had assigned them to the table in case they need a nasty confrontation, but it seems like that won't be necessary.

Sanji jolts when he realizes that the pompadour man has risen from his seat to stand in front of Zeff, and the two are talking animatedly. Sanji doesn't remember the last time Zeff looked so pleased to speak with an outsider.

"So yer now the Head Chef of that old man's fleet, eh," Zeff is saying, and the pompadour man looks weirdly bashful. "You woulda been a fine addition to our crew though, kid."

"Possibly," Pompadour agrees, "though my place is with Pops."

"And what about now? You change your mind about that, or taking a vacation all the way out here?" Zeff snorts, and Sanji acknowledges the affirmation that yes, these really are Grand Line pirates.

"Something like a vacation, and to spend some time traveling with my dearest--Luffy!" he exclaims.

"Thatch! I caught a Zeff!" Luffy announces, smacking her tail hard on the ground to bound up onto pompadour man's vacated seat.

All of the food at the table has been consumed, and Luffy looks sadly at the empty plate as though she had been expecting something to still be there. Sanji wants to immediately return to the kitchen to refill it, but then he notices that Luffy is now licking the plate. Her manners are absolutely beyond atrocious. It suits her though, and Sanji wouldn't want it any other way, because he hasn't ever seen such blatant appreciation for food that he'd cooked, and it's making his entire body buzz with barely contained bliss.

Before Sanji can make his offer to bring more, the pompadour man, Thatch, interrupts. "Lil Seastar, you don't need to do that, I'll make you seconds back on the ship," he says, fluffing Luffy's soft hair and Sanji seethes in jealousy.

"It was really good, you were right about the Zeff dude cooks," Luffy says mournfully at Thatch's plate. "Though Thatch's still the best!" She butts her head into Thatch's large palm.

Zeff laughs at her words. "High praise, to be compared to you, Whitebeard's lil cook, if you've grown as much as you claim. This meal was prepared by my Sous-chef. Come here Sanji," he says and Sanji jolts at suddenly being addressed.

Sanji's distracted by Thatch's hand on Luffy's head, but forces himself to look up at the tall pirate, who's now scrutinizing Sanji intently. There's something about the man that's really bothering Sanji, like he should really, really know him. Sanji thinks Zeff just said Whitebeard, and if that's the case--those are BIG pirates. Like, the Biggest actually, which is kind of insane. But, Sanji doesn't actually recall being familiar with any officers, other than having heard about Whitebeard himself, so it really doesn't solve the mystery of familiarity.

"So you're Zeff's best, hm?" Thatch says, and even though Sanji can only sense genuine friendliness from his smile, he still feels oddly awkward, unsure how to react. It's not often that Zeff holds another chef in such high regard, and one so much younger than him too. Sanji feels like he ought to be polite, at the very least.

He once again doesn't need to speak, because Luffy beats him to it. "Yeah! He's a good guy! And if he made our food, then he's good at food-making too! I pick him, I've decided. He's gonna join our crew!"

Sanji feels his cheeks burn at the praise, but being invited in private is a bit different from having it made into an announcement to an audience Sanji doesn't personally know. "Luffy, darling, please wait--"

"Lu, what'd we say about inviting people without consulting me? We're both captains here, we need to agree," a voice says lazily from Luffy's other side, and Sanji's gaze jolts to the man who unfolds himself from the shadows like a lethal big cat.

He'd somehow forgotten the others except Thatch, but this is the man who'd carried Luffy in, the dangerous one. He gives a careless nod in Sanji's direction, giving him a cursory sweep with dark, sleepy eyes even as he opens his arm. Luffy, pouting, slides onto the man's lap, and the arm settles again to wrap around her waist.

The move looks intentionally provocative, Sanji thinks, struggling to keep his scowl inside. It's hard to watch them pressed together, the man's bare, rippling torso to Luffy's revealing top and the soft flesh bulging from within. Luffy wraps her lovely coral gemstone tail around the man so it loops behind his chair, making their contact look very mutual. Throughout it all, the man doesn't break eye contact with Sanji.

The man's sending a message, and Sanji gets it loud and clear: Hands off.

Sanji decides he doesn't like the man.

"But Ace, he's a Good Guy, we want him on our crew," Luffy says, staring up at the man with enormous eyes and a wobbly lip that has Sanji clutching his chest.

The man, Ace--why does that sound vaguely familiar too?--has the nerve to look bored, even when exposed to the full blast of the gorgeous mermaid's luscious pout, and at this point Sanji has to conclude that the man isn't human, because what mortal could possibly resist her?

"Mm, a Good Guy, huh," Ace says, he gives Sanji a slow, knowing smirk that forces him to hold himself rigid to avoid stepping back. "I dunno Luffy, he's looking at you like you're meat."

His gaze gets colder then, and Sanji's indignation dies on his lips.

"Meat..."

The moment's over when Luffy looks down at herself contemplatively, and her stomach growls. 

"I take that back," Ace says hastily. "You're not meat, you're fish, and made of rubber at that. Bad idea, Lu."

"How about I get you something, and I can let Zeff see for himself if I've improved while I'm at it?" Thatch slides in. "That is, if you don't mind me borrowing your kitchen, Zeff?"

"Outsiders don't play in my kitchen, boy," Zeff snorts, and Sanji's relieved at the sudden return to normalcy, but it's short lived. "But for you, I'll make an exception. Let's see it."

~~

~~

Tbc in Part 3...?

And so I write longer and longer Mermaid AU stories ^ ^;;;;

Thank you so much for reading!! If you liked it, I’d love to hear any comments or thoughts ;A;

❀ ❀ Send YukiPri an Ask! ❀ ❀

Read the next part: On the Baratie, Part 3

~This ask has been added to the Mermaid AU Text Headcanons Compilation post~

[purplehairedwonder]

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 8

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 3629 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Monkey D. Luffy, Nico Robin, Usopp, Sanji, Vergo Note: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he's 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law finds a strange connection to Monkey D. Luffy, which offers a glimpse of something he's repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

Robin watched as Luffy came out of the infirmary, a smile on his face as he shut the door behind him. She’d left an ear on the desk, disguised by her book, and she had to admit she was surprised by the conversation—especially that Luffy had gotten their guest (prisoner, despite what Luffy wanted) to volunteer his name. During her time with the Revolutionary Army, she’d known of many attempts by the Revolutionaries and others to learn Corazon’s real name. She filed the name Trafalgar Law away to look into later while once more marveling at her captain’s ability to read—and reach—people.

She rose from her seat and walked over to Luffy, who’d been intercepted by Usopp just outside the door.

“So, what happened?” Usopp was asking, glancing between Luffy and the closed door.

“We talked,” Luffy said, entwining his fingers behind his head. “Torao’s a good guy!”

Usopp frowned. “Torao?”

“Shishishi,” Luffy chuckled. “His name!”

Bemused, Usopp glanced at Robin, who smiled. “I believe our captain convinced Corazon to reveal his real name.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because I asked,” Luffy replied as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. Perhaps it was to him. Usopp sputtered, and Robin patted his shoulder.

“Usopp’s right, though.” They looked up to see Sanji emerge from the kitchen. He was still moving carefully, but he looked much better than when they’d first arrived outside the lab. “Names have power, and that guy’s been going by an alias for years. Why share something so dangerous with his enemies?”

There were a number of potential answers to that question, but Robin had a feeling it was the Luffy Effect in action.

“We’re not enemies,” Luffy said, crossing his arms and frowning.

“He tried to kill us!” Usopp protested.

“He electrocuted me,” Sanji added, lighting a cigarette.

“And we have him locked up in Seastone,” Robin felt obliged to point out.

But Luffy shook his head. “Jimbei made it sound like he took a big risk helping us at Marineford. He said that Mingo guy would be angry, but he did it anyway.”

Robin knew the rumors about Doflamingo’s abilities, his crew, and his underground operations. His cruelty and brutality. Doflamingo saw his crew as a family, with his executives being his most trusted. And he did not stand for disloyalty in his Family. She could only imagine how he might have reacted to his second-in-command helping rival pirates.

“Luffy,” she said gently, waiting for her captain’s eyes to find her, “Corazon was already infamous when we met him on Sabaody. But over the last two years, his reputation has only gotten darker. They call him the Surgeon of Death.”

She had a feeling this wouldn’t dissuade him—little tended to once Luffy had made his mind up about something or someone—but she wanted to make sure he knew anyway.

As expected, Luffy shook his head again while Usopp spluttered in the background. “He saved me.”

There had been endless speculation over the last two years about why Corazon had saved Luffy and Jimbei, ranging from an attempted coup within the Family to a secret love affair (Robin had laughed aloud when this had been floated).

As she’d sat in the infirmary waiting for Corazon to regain consciousness, she found herself watching him. From what she could work out about him, he was a few years younger than her yet had risen to the rank of second in command of the Donquixote Pirates more than half a decade earlier; how young had he been when he had joined such an infamous pirate group to rise so high at such a young age? She knew a thing or two about joining criminal organizations and the way they took advantage of children.

Corazon’s defensiveness upon waking up had been unsurprising, and she again found herself wondering why he had saved Luffy—but then she’d seen the way he’d frozen when Luffy had entered the room, the breath catching in his throat and something in his expression. And he’d given Luffy his real name.

“Luffy,” Usopp said, pulling Robin from her thoughts, “the guy he works for owns this lab where they are experimenting on kids. He’s trying to protect that.”

Luffy huffed. “I don’t know how to explain it. I can just feel it,” he said, a hand going to his chest where the scar—from Corazon’s life-saving operation—was hidden under his winter coat. “I can feel that he’s a good person. He helped me, and I think maybe I’m supposed to help him.”

Robin exchanged glances with Sanji and Usopp. They all knew Luffy’s senses when it came to people were beyond rational explanation but somehow right. Robin in particular knew the power of Luffy’s intuition, having been saved from her own darkness because he wouldn’t let her go. If that intuition was telling him that Corazon—Trafalgar Law—was similarly important and worth helping, then there wasn’t much more to argue.

That was the Luffy Effect.

“Okay,” Robin said.

Sanji and Usopp took a moment longer but also nodded grudgingly. They might not understand it, but they’d trust their captain. (But, if need be, they’d protect him, too.)

-----

Once the door shut behind Straw Hat, Law dropped his head back against the wall and shut his eyes, suddenly exhausted. His head throbbed from the hit from Zoro’s blade, and he considered getting up to look for some painkillers in the infirmary supplies but decided it wasn’t worth the trouble. Outside the door, he could hear the Straw Hats talking, though he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

As he sat there, he couldn’t stop Straw Hat’s words from playing over and over in his mind.

“Jimbei said that you’d be in trouble with that Mingo guy for helping us, and I was worried. Were you? In trouble?”

“I fail to see how that matters.”

“But you helped me anyway. And I’m grateful! So, you’re a good guy. No matter what anyone says.”

“No, I’m really not. You should listen to Nico-ya.”

“Nope, I can feel it. Right here.”

Law had no illusions about what kind of person he was. He’d joined the Donquixote Pirates as a terminally ill ten-year-old, determined to do as much damage as he could before he died, and in many ways, he’d never outgrown that broken boy with bombs on his chest. He was the second in command to one of the biggest names in the slave trade, among other morally reprehensible operations. And though he was a doctor, he’d killed more than he’d saved, the letters tattooed on his fingers a promise as much as a warning.

Perhaps worst of all, though, he’d stopped feeling anything when he killed.

He shuddered to think what Cora-san would think of the man he’d become.

And yet, Straw Hat looked at him and—impossibly—saw something worthwhile. Felt that Law was something worthwhile. Felt it in the same place Law had felt the tug that pulled him to Marineford two years earlier.

What did it mean?

What did Law do with that?

The Seastone cuffs weighed heavily on his wrists, clanking as he opened his eyes and rubbed his face through his hands. He stared up at the ceiling, the words of his nakama from before his departure ringing through his head in the wake of Straw Hat’s declaration:

“I know you spooked when I lost my arm. But it’s not your fault.”

“You’re not this person you’ve let yourself become. They might think of you as Corazon, but to us, you’re Captain.”

Two years of pushing his crew away to protect them, of doing nothing to earn their trust or affection, yet they refused to give up on him. Like Straw Hat, they looked at him and saw something worthwhile. But how could Law accept that from them after what he’d cost them?

Despite what Violet said, Law knew he was, inside and out, Doflamingo’s creature. He knew what he saw when he looked in the mirror, the marks of claiming left on his skin and the emptiness in his eyes. After what he’d lost, Law was too tired to fight it any longer.

So why did people keep looking at him like he was anything but Doflamingo’s broken doll?

Law was startled from his reverie by a loud thud from the deck of the ship. He straightened as he heard the tone of the Straw Hats’ voices change in response to whatever had happened. Punk Hazard was unfriendly territory for them and full of more hazards than they could have known about when they anchored on the island. And most things unfriendly to the Straw Hats should be friendly to Law as Joker’s second.

Law rose and made his way to the door in an attempt to hear more clearly. He was wondering at the odds of using this distraction to search for the key to his cuffs when a familiar voice responded to the Straw Hats’ demands of who he was. Law’s stomach dropped.

“—ase commander of G-5,” Vergo was saying as Law pulled open the infirmary door.

The Straw Hats looked back at him, surprised, but Law ignored them, his eyes focused on Vergo. Vergo inclined his head when Law appeared, which was not a good sign.

“Torao, you should—”

“What are you doing here, Vergo?” Law demanded over Straw Hat.

“You two know each other?” Long Nose asked, glancing between them nervously.

“Your ally?” Black Leg asked, stance turning defensive. “But he’s a Marine.”

There was no way Vergo was here to help Law. But why had he come? Doffy hadn’t wanted him to blow his cover; that the entire reason for sending Law to Punk Hazard in the first place.

“It seems Joker was right to send me to check on your allegiance, Corazon,” Vergo said, lips twisting mockingly around the title he’d once worn himself. “I’ve been warning him for years that you were disloyal, and now I find you defecting.”

Law’s eyes narrowed, and he raised his shackled wrists. “Does this look like defecting, Vergo?” he hissed. Not that it would make a difference; Law was certain Vergo didn’t actually think he had defected. “I’m a prisoner.”

Vergo smirked. “No matter. All Joker needs to know is that I found his favorite plaything standing with the very crew whose captain he betrayed Joker to save two years ago.” His expression darkened. “And don’t forget the -san, boy.”

Law flinched at being called a plaything.

“What’s going on?” Straw Hat asked, frowning between the two. Law ignored him.

“What do you think Joker will do to your crew when he hears you betrayed him again?” Vergo went on.

Law felt the color drain from his face. “You son of a bitch.”

Straw Hat turned to look directly at Law, his expression turning concerned when he saw that Law had gone pale. “Torao—”

Turning his back on Vergo was a mistake. Law’s eyes widened as Vergo drew his bamboo stick, and, as he surged forward, coated it with haki. He swung at Straw Hat’s exposed back. Straw Hat sensed him coming, but Vergo’s speed took him off-guard; Vergo swung his bamboo, and Straw Hat tried to dodge but took enough of a blow to his side that it knocked him off-balance. He yelped in surprise as Vergo swung again, sending him over the ship’s railing into the water below.

Law inhaled sharply as Long Nose and Black Leg both cursed. Long Nose turned to Black Leg.

“Stay with Robin,” he said before taking a running leap and jumping overboard after his sinking captain.

Without missing a beat, Black Leg and Nico Robin took defensive postures in front of Law. Law looked at their backs in disbelief. Why? Why would they help him?

“I have no quarrel with you,” Vergo said to them. “Step aside. This is Family business.”

Black Leg snorted in disbelief, and Nico Robin smiled in that knowing way of hers. “Donquixote Doflamingo wouldn’t want it known he has a spy so high up in the Marines. You won’t let us go.”

Vergo straightened his glasses. “You caught me. But if you step aside, I’ll make your deaths quick.”

“I don’t think so,” Black Leg replied.

Vergo frowned, clearly as confused as Law himself. “Why would you protect him? He tried to kill you.”

So Vergo saw the fight. He must have followed Law from Dressrosa, leaving right behind him. That bastard was just looking for an excuse to cut Law down and finish what he’d started on Minion Island. Had Doffy told him to come, or was Vergo acting on his own?

“Our idiot captain seems to like him,” Black Leg replied with a shrug.

Law started as Nico Robin gave him a small smile before turning back to Vergo. “And Luffy is a very good judge of character. Even if we don’t understand his reasons at first.”

Law’s breath caught in his throat.

Vergo hefted his bamboo. “So be it.”

He charged once more, swinging his bamboo at Nico Robin. Black Leg intercepted the blow with his leg. Vergo fell back and Black Leg charged in a flurry of kicks. Vergo met him blow for blow until the two stopped in the middle of the deck, legs locked. Law winced at the sound of cracking bone. Black Leg slumped, and Law momentarily regretted hitting him with Counter Shock earlier.

“Sanji-kun!” Nico Robin called, worried.

“Where’s the key to these cuffs?” Law demanded urgently as Vergo turned back toward them. He did not want to be defenseless again with Vergo bearing down on him. And he was not going to let Vergo kill Nico Robin for protecting him. Too many people had been hurt or killed protecting Law, and he didn’t deserve any of it.

“Usopp has it,” she said, glancing toward the railing.

“Great,” Law muttered.

As Vergo approached, Nico Robin summoned giant hands, creating a wall between them and Vergo. Law knew it wouldn’t hold against Vergo’s Demon Bamboo. She winced as Vergo slammed against it, the structure shaking under his strength.

“Take Black Leg-ya and get out of here,” Law told her. Hopefully, Long Nose had rescued Straw Hat by now, and they could recover on shore. Vergo would let her go, at least temporarily; he was here because of Law, after all.

She looked at him, startled. “And leave you? You’re powerless.”

“You have no reason to protect me, Nico-ya. I tried to kill your friends. I wouldn’t have stopped, either.” She winced again as the wall trembled against Vergo’s onslaught. “We may both work for Doflamingo, but Vergo wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if given the chance. And now he has the chance.” He shook his head. “Get out of here and regroup with your crew. This is Family business.”

Nico Robin opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by bamboo tearing through her wall. She cried out as the wall collapsed. Vergo met Law’s eye and smirked. Law gasped in pain and surprise as, in a flash, bamboo met his side and sent him flying into the ship’s railing. Slowly, he pushed himself upright and blinked against his spinning vision in time to see Vergo grab Nico Robin by the neck.

“Demon Child Nico Robin,” he said. “I should kill you, but I have a feeling Joker could make good use of you.”

“No thanks,” she choked out between gasps. “I have a crew.”

Vergo simply laughed—a sound that made Law’s skin crawl—and flung her across the deck. She slammed into Black Leg, who was struggling to balance with a fractured leg, and the pair were knocked into the far wall.

Law pushed himself to his feet. Vergo turned to look at him, the malice radiating from him palpable on the winter air. If Law had access to his powers, he would have no problem taking Vergo on. But with the Seastone shackles blocking him from his Fruit and draining his strength, he was as helpless in the face of Vergo’s rage now as he had been as a sick child—and they both knew it.

Vergo moved and suddenly Law’s back slammed into the wall, a haki-clad hand around his throat. Law’s feet dangled off the ground as he struggled to breathe. He grasped at Vergo’s wrist, struggling vainly to loosen the grip stealing his air.

“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, Law.”

“Beating a terminally-ill child nearly to death wasn’t enough for you?” Law wheezed. It somehow seemed fitting that Vergo would finish the job he’d started on a winter island on the winter side of Punk Hazard. There was a feeling of things coming full circle as the snow fell around them.

“Once a traitor, always a traitor,” Vergo growled. “You’ve never been good enough for Doffy. Yet he brings you back and elevates you to his right hand.”

As darkness encroached on the edges of Law’s vision, it hit him that Vergo wasn’t simply holding a grudge about Cora-san’s betrayal. Since Law’s return to the Family nearly a decade earlier, Doffy had kept Law close, giving him no opportunities for betrayal. Holding Law’s crew hostage, he’d groomed Law—teaching him, training him, even fucking him. He did everything to make sure his ownership of Law was complete. Law had hated every moment of it—the only freedom he’d found was leaving Dressrosa on the Polar Tang with his crew on missions—but Vergo was jealous.

Law croaked out a disbelieving laugh at the realization.

Vergo frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“I didn’t take you for the jealous type, Vergo.”

Vergo snarled wordlessly and tightened his grip. Law gasped, feeling what little strength he had leaving him. His lungs screamed, he was light-headed, and his eyes started to close.

Would it really be so bad if Vergo killed him now? It would end nearly a decade of hell, the daily physical and emotional torture that had beaten him down to the point of pushing his nakama away…

Law’s eyes flew open at the thought of his nakama. He couldn’t die and leave them alone to face Doffy’s retribution. He couldn’t die without them knowing how much they meant to him, that even if he’d been a poor excuse for a captain, there was no greater honor than leading them.

A sudden fire burning in his chest, Law’s gaze sharpened, and he dropped his hands from Vergo’s wrist. Vergo looked at him in confusion—clearly, he’d thought Law had been about to succumb—and Law took his moment of distraction to loop the Seastone shackles over Vergo’s neck and cross his arms to tighten them with his waning strength. Vergo didn’t have a Devil Fruit so the Seastone wouldn’t affect him, but he would feel the bite of metal into his skin.

In his current position, Law didn’t have enough strength to truly strangle Vergo, but the move was enough to startle Vergo and cause pain. Reflexively, he loosened his grip, and Law gulped in the delicious, frigid air. Letting go of Law’s neck, Vergo grabbed Law’s arms.

“Let go,” he growled.

“You can’t kill me, Vergo,” Law rasped.

Vergo regarded him through those sunglasses. “Why not?” He only had to strain a bit to speak against Law’s attempted strangulation.

“Doffy has plans for my death, and we both know it.”

The surprise was evident on Vergo’s features. “How did you know—”

Law scoffed. “You don’t think I know why they call the Ope Ope no Mi the ultimate Devil Fruit? Kill me now and Doffy will have to look for the Fruit all over again if he wants that operation.”

Law never intended to go through with the operation, but it was leverage Vergo couldn’t ignore.

“Doffy always says you’re too clever for your own good,” Vergo said, lips curling in distaste. But Law knew he had the other man; Vergo was completely devoted to Doffy, and he wouldn’t do anything to risk his master’s chance of receiving immortality.

In one sudden motion, Vergo let go of Law’s arms and grabbed the chain wrapped around his neck. He pulled it free and held the chain above his head, leaving Law dangling in midair by the wrists. Law hissed in surprise.

“Now what, Vergo-san?” Law asked, sneering the oft-demanded honorific.

“I take you back to Dressrosa, a fallen traitor,” Vergo taunted. “Doffy will finally see you for what you are—nothing better than his miserable excuse for a brother. You can watch Doffy slowly destroy your crew one by one. Maybe he’ll even make you kill some of them.” He sounded amused at the prospect. “And then he’ll make you beg to perform the Perennial Youth operation—and only then will you die, doing one useful thing in your miserable life.”

Chest clenching, Law thought of his crew. Of kind Bepo. Of goofy Shachi. Of brave Penguin. Penguin’s words came back then, sharp and pointed.

“You want to pull that, maybe you should start acting like a captain again.”

No. I won’t let that happen. He was done failing them as their captain.

His eyes flew open as Vergo’s haki-coated fist connected with his stomach. The breath left his lungs—again—and he would have curled in on himself if he wasn’t hanging in midair. Vergo let go of the chain and Law dropped to the grass of the Thousand Sunny’s deck. He looked up in time to see Vergo’s bamboo coming right for his head.

“Torao!” he heard in the distance.

Then nothing.

Next chapter

[danwhobrowses]

Why Tashigi Deserves More Respect

I really gotta remember these other things I plan on writing XD Often I get reminded though by people around me criticizing something I realise ‘that’s a little misunderstood’ and then get compelled to write about it. For today we’re looking at the female Marine of One Piece, Tashigi. Now before we start, I want to make a point that Tashigi is still an underused character brimming with potential that Oda seems to shy a lot from. Oda can still sincerely do a lot more with her and I for one have been disappointed by her lack of use in Stampede and lack of appearance in Wano. However, I get a lot of people who feel that Tashigi is ‘useless’, and I’m going to say that this isn’t really the case.

Argument 1: Her Battles

Of course, a lot of strength regarding a character comes with their ability to come out victorious. It can harm any character in a show to constantly be on the losing side of a fight and it does hurt Tashigi (and Smoker) a lot that they do end up that way. While I would love Tashigi to have her first clean win since those guys in Loguetown I’d like to remind you that Tashigi’s fights do have a bit of defense to them, let’s look at all of Tashigi’s named opponents

Zoro (Loguetown) - We always knew that Zoro was winning this, while she was bested by Zoro the purpose of the story wasn’t ever going to be Tashigi being stronger, instead this was Zoro having to confront her similarities with Kuina in personality rather than skill.

Nico Robin/Miss All Sunday (Alabasta) - While Tashigi was unable to even strike Robin back in Alabasta, Robin’s devil fruit allowed her to be perfect for such a situation. A trained and deadly assassin, Tashigi’s physical confrontation was never going to succeed, but what was key to this battle was Tashigi’s realization in regards to the failure of Justice. In the end she had to rely on Luffy to defeat the Pirates the WG had assigned to maintain the balance.

Luffy (Marineford/Punk Hazard) - Luffy and Tashigi briefly crossed paths in Marineford, Luffy swiftly dodged her but again, Tashigi was never going to defeat Luffy and was merely a doorway to put Smoker and Luffy into a fight. It’s also worth reminding that Tashigi must’ve been capable enough to hold her own against Whitebeard’s lesser forces, since she was uninjured from Marineford. They also crossed at Punk Hazard, but then they were both weakened by being in unfamiliar bodies, something which Luffy even acknowledges.

Trafalgar Law (Punk Hazard) - as pictured above, Tashigi’s defeat to Law was another gateway for Smoker to enter the fight, but this one had more purpose in showing Tashigi’s willpower, which we will get to. As you can tell, there’s a theme: Tashigi would never have beaten Law in terms of the narrative, why do we hold it against Tashigi that she lost to the guy who later did this?

Ceasar Clown (Punk Hazard) - while listed as a fight, she fell the same way as Robin and Franky due to his DF being unrevealed, again this being a gateway to sell that Ceasar had a danger to him, I wouldn’t actually count it as a fight.

Vergo (Punk Hazard) - the Donquixote spy is one of Doflamingo’s deadliest subordinates. The original Corazon, Tashigi’s conflict with Vergo brought Sanji into the fight and once again highlighted to Tashigi the corruption within the Marines themselves. Like Law (and the next), we can’t be too harsh on Tashigi losing to Vergo, the guy easily fended off Sanji to the point of almost breaking Sanji’s leg, he also was able to beat Smoker

Monet (Punk Hazard) - Monet is a mixed one, because Zoro quickly defeats her she was quickly overshadowed by the fact that she struggled to even get on the offensive, broadening the gap between them. But, I’d like to remind everyone that Monet was able to force Luffy into fleeing their battle and was handling Robin, Nami and Chopper at once. Tashigi hadn’t completely lost either, I would bet that she’d fight without an arm, maybe not successfully but she would, and she got the finishing blow on Monet - her second offensive attack against Monet put her away and while technically this doesn’t count as a W for Tashigi she did not technically lose in this fight either

As you can see, while it’s easy to say that ‘Tashigi never wins her fights, so she’s weak’ it really undermines the opposition she willingly puts herself against. Narratively there’d be no reason for Tashigi to win these fights, doing so would lead to confusion and disbelief (for instance, would you have seen Luffy beating Kaido solo back in Bakura Town? No, obviously). Tashigi is still strong, she’s able to survive the Grand Line, easily deflect cannon fire with her sword and use Haki, the latter cannot be said for Main Characters like Nami, Chopper, Franky, Carrot and somehow Robin (like girl you spent 2 years with the Revolutionaries, where’s your Haki?). While we would love a win to validate this, Oda always puts her against an opponent that would be difficult for her to win against, and we thus mistake her inability to win as weakness. So that leads to another argument. Argument 2: Tashigi always punches above her weight While this is very much true, One Piece has often told us that being the strongest doesn’t always mean that you will win. Consider 90% of Nami and Usopp’s wins, Luffy’s wins over Crocodile, Enel, Lucci, Magellan, Cracker and Katakuri, the weak may not be able to choose how they die but that doesn’t mean that the strong can either.  I’d also like to argue that Tashigi’s motive on fighting strong opponents is not because she feels that she is stronger, she fights them because they are the enemy that needs to be stopped, her motives are pure in her pursuit of justice just as the Straw Hats fight stronger opponents because it fulfills a just cause such as saving Alabasta, their crewmates, people who had their shadows stolen, Camie, Fishman Island, the Punk Hazard children, Dressrosa, Zou or Wano. Tashigi really gets criticized for it because it doesn’t yield the results it does for major characters, often needing help to get the victory. In that I wanna point out a harsh truth as well; Goku - the people many anime fans will compare power scales against - almost never beats the main villain on his own in DBZ or DBS. Freeza - required damage from Krillin, Gohan, Vegeta and Piccolo before the win, and he didn’t finish him off, Cell - tags out to Gohan, who also needs Vegeta’s help to win, Buu - needs Vegeta’s help via fusion and a full power recharge by the Dragon Balls, Beerus - he lost, Golden Freeza - he got jumped by Sorbet and needed Whis’ rewind, Hit - he gave up, Fused Zamasu - lost, and needed Zeno to wipe him out, Jiren - needed Freeza and 17′s help and Vegeta’s energy and finally Broly - needed fusion. So maybe, if even Son Goku cannot win on his own, we can cut Tashigi a little bit of slack given that she’s not even a main character.

Argument 3: ‘She does nothing’ I don’t really like this insinuation. Often Smoker and Tashigi are the ones that pick up the mess after all the enemies are defeated, but for some reason that equates to ‘doing nothing’. I think because people see Tashigi as interchangeable with any other character she is thus useless because she is not mandatory. However, Tashigi’s role is much more complex than that.

Even if she’s not strong enough to fight the biggest fishes in the pond, she still manages to grow and prove her worth. If Tashigi was replaced with any generic marine captain a lot of what happened would be different. It was Tashigi who identified Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu for Zoro, Tashigi who (albeit reluctantly) directed Luffy to Crocodile, Tashigi who kept the Straw Hats safe from arrest in Alabasta, Tashigi who convinced Smoker that he needed to swallow his pride and side with Law and Luffy to stop Ceasar and it was Tashigi who convinced Nami to entrust the Punk Hazard children to them. Through her experiences she also cultivates her own unique sense of Justice. While she follows Smoker’s doctrine of ‘A Pirate will always be a Pirate’ and that the Shichibukai system and the World Government as a whole is flawed, she has also learned for herself that there are times that pride must be set aside, in a way Tashigi’s sense of Justice has become a combination of Smoker’s and Fujitora’s: in order to rebuild justice, the navy itself must become strong enough to not depend on pirates, but pride cannot supersede the greater good. In addition, implying she does nothing also implies that she doesn’t practice her own sense of justice either. She stepped in on Zoro twice to protect her men from harm, before even arriving at Punk Hazard we learned that she had a good relationship with the parents who had their children kidnapped as they asked specifically for her which in turn led her to personally strive to reunite the children with their parents and she even protected the truth of Vergo from G-5 so that they didn’t feel betrayed and demoralized. Of the things Tashigi does, nothing is not one of them, she displays compassion, fairness and determination in definitive moments. Argument 3: She’s too hung up on her Feminism

So, one of the major dynamics of Tashigi and Zoro is her misconception that Zoro wouldn’t cut her because she was a woman, a belief that women have to prove themselves more to be seen as strong against men being one of the beliefs she shares with Zoro’s childhood rival Kuina. While it can be a tad irksome that she’d hang onto this with Zoro, until Monet Zoro never actually demonstrated the contrary to her. This is mainly a complaint by hindsight, we only dislike the opinion because we’ve seen Zoro more than Tashigi has, and she’s not 100% wrong, Zoro himself has been a bit of a traditionalist, in Skypeia he angrily chastised Enel for attacking Robin since she was a woman, and he only does step in on Monet to save Tashigi - not even finishing her off despite being very capable of doing so. Outside of Zoro, Tashigi’s feelings that she gets treated differently due to her gender is proven and reflected in how G-5 treat her with little authority, only really listening to her because she’s pretty. You can’t be too hard on Tashigi given that she is constantly faced with this truth on a daily basis, and her desire to be seen for her strength and skills are still an amicable one, it’s worth noting that even Law recognized that her mentality and warrior’s spirit was far greater than he swordsmanship, but he only thought this internally. In Tashigi’s case it would help her confidence to be given validation, and not in the condescending way Zoro usually talks to people.  While it can be annoying that she immediately thinks that she’s being treated differently because she’s a woman, this also shows that she wants to be treated as an equal; if she is defeated in combat she wants to be cut to preserve her honour, it is the mentality all Great Samurai have, including Zoro. Oda does something with Tashigi he rarely does with any woman in One Piece in making her less sexualised and body-confident to reflect her goal of being recognized by her spirit and actions rather than her appearance, but he also makes that complex for the character which in a way this is most important for.

Argument 4: She’s not a good Rival for Zoro

I think one of the biggest misconceptions about Tashigi’s character is that she is meant to be Zoro’s rival, in a similar manner to how Smoker and Luffy are embroiled in a Garp/Roger-esque cat and mouse chase. Because of this, people expect Tashigi to advance at a similar scale to Zoro to keep him on his toes, to make sure that he doesn’t end up complacent in his strive to become the World’s Greatest Swordsman. Her former likeness to Kuina also adds to this misconception, since because Kuina was Zoro’s rival with the same goal and always stronger than Zoro himself, Tashigi must be similar.

But this is not why Tashigi and Zoro are always put together. Tashigi is not Zoro’s rival, no other character we’ve met has the same goal as Zoro, and this keeps his story free to develop with different challenges. Tashigi’s pursuit of strength is not for the same reasons as Zoro, she doesn’t want to be the World’s Greatest Swordsperson, she only wants to protect the sanctity of the Meito and keep them out of unworthy hands. Her pursuit of Zoro was both because he dishonoured her in their fight and so she could claim Wado Ichimonji. In the New World however we don’t see that as much from Tashigi, even when she sees Shusui she doesn’t make a point to declare taking it from him because he’s unworthy (like Kin’emon would later do), this is because she does acknowledge his strength and worthiness of using these Meito, her personal conflict now though is to be seen as worthy to him as a swordsperson rather than a pirate to a marine.  In reality, Tashigi is instead Zoro’s and Kuina’s foil. She is similar in looks and perspective to Kuina but different in everything else from clumsiness, skill and ambition, the fact that Zoro struggles to handle this leads to the two becoming entwined in their respective journeys. No person gets under Zoro’s skin like Tashigi does, even to a point where he was reluctant to even be in eyeshot of her - how many people have you seen Roronoa Zoro hide from? They are each other’s foil because they are both stubborn people out to prove something but put on two different sides that conflict. That is the true purpose of their dynamic, their confrontations expose one another and show places where they can still grow and I still feel that we haven’t scratched the surface of this relationship.

Argument 5: She’s not Important

A combination of the earlier arguments, Tashigi gets a lot of flack because people think she’s not important enough as a character to have the screentime she gets. While it’s not hard to see why people feel that, it usually comes with people giving up on the idea that there’s a greater plan for her. It may just be me, but I am reluctant to believe that Tashigi appears in several forms of merchandise including calendars, games (as NPCs, Bosses, Supports or playable characters) and even figurines and not have a purpose in the greater scope of the story, do we really expect that from Oda? I doubt that very much! Granted, Wano would’ve been a perfect placement for her to push herself given the views on women in the country and it being the homeland of famous Meito. And yes, she could’ve had a much greater role in Stampede given how well they managed Smoker in it. We are allowed to be disappointed by this, but the fact that Tashigi has remained as consistent in presence as she has been in the show does hint at a bigger role, even if it’s being that wave of revolutionizing the Marines with Coby and Fujitora, her own origins or finally proving herself to the audience and to Zoro, Tashigi is not done and thus she is still important. “Just because they say a bird cannot fly, doesn’t mean that it never will” - Oda SBS 17 on Tashigi and Kuina’s names being named after flightless birds So, Why does Tashigi deserve more Respect? Tashigi as a character is one of Oda’s more subtle progressions. In contrast to Zoro who we see grow, we don’t see how Tashigi gets from A to B, we can also contrast to Coby whose rise becomes as magnificent as his puberty that Tashigi’s growth is much less abrupt and more steady, we see her struggles more than we do Coby where his successes are only heard in passing. Tashigi can also act as the ‘normal person’ in the marines, we compare her to Zoro in strength because she uses a sword but we never give her the benefit of the doubt that Roronoa Zoro is a bloody superhuman, plus not everyone has the great luxury of being trained by Dracule Mihawk for 2 years...furthermore, her challenges against Devil Fruit users are always filled with good intentions and strong willpower, but still self-doubt and shame, if anything Tashigi is one of the most human characters of One Piece for this reason; she learns, she suffers, she grows and she does it all without the luxury of Shonen perks such as superhuman power or endurance. Also she is a good person, she has a strong sense of morality and will, an altruistic desire and even in the situation she gets put in she makes a step that leads to the plot going in a positive direction. And for a character that has been in as many arcs as she has, there is still so much potential left to be untapped that fans are still after 2 decades eager to see from her.

Tashigi is a strong, valiant and just person, who is still really powerful if people stop trying to compare her to the likes of Luffy, Law and Zoro. Even when she fails she picks herself up and can still come out with a small victory from protecting innocents, arresting criminals and escorting children to get help. She is a lot stronger than people give her credit for and it’s for that she deserves respect.

[firebird-inkheart]

A Child’s Understanding Final

(previous)

Sabo led them to the well in the middle of the town, deciding it was more practical to wait there instead of lurking in front of the Yew. While Honyo collapsed and became a lump on the side of the well the boys worked on drawing up some water. The cicadas’ symphony rose with the tidal wave of silence. A gentle breeze wafted by, breaking the almost stagnating heat pouring from overhead.

It was almost a perfect summer day.

Honyo sniffled, dragging the back of her hand across her face over and over again. It was useless though. No matter how many times she did it there were always more tears that would appear to replace the other ones. The anger smoldering within was cooling, but in the wake of its absence was a queasy feeling that hurt just as much as the throbbing in her head did. The cut on her head had swelled into a sizable, tender lump now.

She glanced back at the Yew. It was a good thing poppop had showed up. Those shitty adults hadn’t been taking her seriously even though she had shown them she could understand the things they said. Hopefully poppop would succeed where she had failed and get those assholes to take back the things they said.

The bucket hit the lip of the well with a dull thud as it was hauled up. Sabo pulled out a spare kerchief and dunked it inside. He wrung it out and crouched, gently tilting her head, and began dabbing at the cut. Ace sat beside her when she winced, slipping his hand into hers.

She thought, again, of how much she liked his hands. They were rough from years of hard work and training combined, covered in scars and scabs. His knuckles were scraped, red, from where he had bludgeoned the man with the oversized bow tie. They weren’t strangers to a fight and were capable of great feats of strength. But even for as rough and powerful as his hands were, they were also incredibly gentle things. How anyone could hate them― how anyone could hate the boy that they belonged to ―she just didn’t understand.

“What were you thinking?”

Honyo blinked, pulling her face from Sabo’s grasp to look at Ace, her good eye growing large. Ace was scowling. 

“Why did you start a fight with them? And by yourself! I know you’re strong, but even you couldn’t hold out against all of them. And they hurt you because of m―” He choked. “Because you―”

His face twisted something awful then. The corners of his mouth twitched as he fought to keep a wobbly frown from fully taking over, settling on a grimace, teeth clenched in frustration. Thick brows bunched together. Dark eyes shined, pained.

A lump formed in her throat the same time warm, fresh tears blurred her vision again.

“It’s not fair!” Honyo exclaimed. Her lower lip trembled. “Adults always think they know better so that means they can say whatever they want and not deal with the consequences. They said such awful things that hurt you and yet you’re just supposed to accept it? We’re all supposed to just accept it? That’s not fair at all!”

“You’re right. He shouldn’t have to just accept it. No one should.” Sabo agreed solemnly. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “But you heard what they were saying about Roger. About his family. Ace has to hear stuff like that all the time and keep moving forward anyway, or else the world will know about him and they won’t let him be until he’s gone. It shouldn’t be like that at all! But unless someone changes how things are run then we’re all stuck dealing with this shit called the justice system.”

“They’re wrong though! They’re wrong be-because Ace is good and kind and― and is so warm, l-like the sun! And the sun isn’t bad because it brings life!” She was sobbing now, wringing the boy’s hand with both of hers. Thoughts continued to tumble out rapidly as she repeated herself with desperation. “You deserve to live! You deserve it, you deserve it, you deserve it! And I’m glad you’re alive!”

Ace shook. He was being twisted and pulled in all sorts of directions, the heart beating within him, the heart so many claimed belonged to a demon, growing warmer and warmer as Honyo laid her own heart out. It was impossible to see clearly anymore.

He reached out, wrapping his arms around small shaking shoulders, and touched his forehead against hers.

Hot droplets pattered against her lap. And then a sniffle reached her ears. A shudder ran through Ace.

‘Oh…’ Ace was crying.

Her arms wound around him, grabbing fistfuls of his shirt, tightly hugging him back.

“Thank you,” came a very wet whisper. “Thank you.”

Behind them Sabo smiled, scrubbing his eyes before throwing himself onto the sobbing pile. They all went tumbling with a shriek―

That went on much longer than any of the children actually screamed for. A crash resounded from the bar and seconds later the balding man with the bowler hat scrambled outside, throwing the doors open with so much force they bounced off the walls more than once. Bowler hat guy managed to trip his way down the steps before the rest of his group came stumbling after like newborn colts. They ran over each other in their haste to get away from the man calmly strolling out after them.

“Have a nice day gentlemen,” Shin called, waving and smiling pleasantly. “And do consider never coming back.”

The children stared at him, two in utter disbelief and the other with stars in her teary eyes.

“Honyo?” Sabo slowly detached himself from the pile.

“Yeah?”

“Remind me to never get on your dad’s bad side.”

Ace nodded in agreement, helping her sit up. “Seconded.”

Shin turned towards them, his cold smile warming up instantly. He continued walking in his easy going manner until he reached them. “All settled!” he cheered. “You kids won’t have anything to worry about from them ever again.”

He crouched, cupping his daughter’s face once more to examine the cut. Satisfied that it didn’t appear too grievous― she’d be smarting for a while for sure, and he wouldn’t take his eyes off her anytime soon just to be safe ―he pinched her cheek with a small sigh. 

“Bean, I know you meant well, but please, be more careful next time you decide to start a brawl in a bar.”

Honyo nodded and swiped at her tears with the back of her hand again.

“That being said, I’m proud of you.” A large grin lit up his face. He ruffled her hair while casually looking over the boys. “That goes for all of you. You kids really know how to put the fear of god into a bunch of grown men!”

Shin laughed, the sound loud and comforting, as he scooped all three of them into his arms. They yelped and giggled at suddenly being squished together and for a moment the air was filled with nothing but glee. When the laughter began dying down Shin pressed his forehead against Ace’s crown, merely humming in response when he looked up in an unspoken question.

“Now, let’s get you guys home,” Shin stood, swinging the kids around once before setting them down again. “So we can tell everyone about Bean’s first bar fight!”

“Yeah!” they cheered.

Warm fingers tangled with her own. Honyo glanced down at the hand that was only just a little bigger holding onto hers, then up at a very freckled face. That smile was bright, like looking into the sun. Her chest fluttered, losing her heart, in a heartbeat. She quickly looked back down and pretended to not notice the fire consuming her face. 

He squeezed her and she couldn’t help but grin.

Yeah. She really liked his hands best of all.

++++

Bonus:

“You got into a bar fight? And I missed it?!” Zoro’s spoon clattered into his bowl with a heavy plop, sending soup splashing in every direction.

Beside him Luffy pulled at his hair with a despairing wail. “I was fixing the turnips when I coulda watched Honyo trash a buncha geezers! Turnips!”

Chante placed a bowl in front of him and gave him an unimpressed look. “I wouldn’t call eating half the row ‘fixing’ it niño. And tomorrow you’re gonna fix the carrots. Teach you to slingshot yourself near the garden again, huh.”

She glanced at the three troublemakers wolfing down their food, running a worried eye over Honyo’s bruised face and Ace’s red rimmed eyes. Her gaze drifted towards Shin, who absently wiped at Luffy’s face― seriously, she just gave the kid food, how was he so messy already? ―and let out a short, quiet sigh. The kids only gave her a very slimmed down version of the story, enough so that she at least got the gist of what happened, but she was going to have to press Shin for more details later.

“What even was the fight about?” Adri asked around a mouthful of spoon.

Sabo and Ace traded looks before shrugging. Honyo frowned at her soup.

“Some worthless adults said some worthless things,” Sabo answered, nonchalant.

“I still didn’t get that guy to take back what he said,” Honyo muttered.

“Didn’t need to hear him say it.” She tilted her head, looking up at Ace. His hand landed on her head and mussed it playfully. “There were better things to be heard from better people afterwards anyway.”

And with that a large grin split across his face.

[flamingo-writes]

Would you sleep next to me? — Luffy x Reader

Summary: A simple act of kindness was what made Luffy ask you to join his crew. It was the comfort he felt in your embrace. A gentle warmth that helped soothe the wound left by Ace's death. 

Author’s Note: I’m procrastinating my homework bwahahaha I thought about this imagine last night when all of a sudden I had this rush of appreciation for Luffy. He’s one of the biggest Cinnamon Rolls out there ok. Female!Reader Implied

Word Count: 2.4K words.

Warnings: maybe a little bit of angst? But don’t worry, there’s lots of fluff afterwards. 

Not long after leaving Fishman Island, the Strawhats reached a small island. A quiet peaceful island. The very first island without any sort of conflict going on. As awed as they were, they took this chance to rest, get to explore the dense forest and get enough supplies for their trip deeper into the New World.

"Two days" answered an elder lady after Nami asked her how long would take the log pose to charge.

Two days was the perfect time for a decent rest.

It was fate what pulled you towards the newcomers. And soon you found yourself telling the pirates about the island. And being the warm welcoming people the Strawhats were, they invited you to the small campfire they were having that night at the beach close to the Thousand Sunny.

Moved by their friendly ways, you agreed. A few townspeople were there too, all of them chatting with the Strawhwats, hearing to their endless marvelous adventures and stories. And as the moon made its way across the nightsky, people left little by little, back to their homes for a good night sleep.

Except for you. You were so immersed into your conversation with the captain and the first mate, the two of them being a considerably weird dynamic duo. Until eventually, you fell asleep just like the crew. The remnants of what was once a blazing fire were still warm enough to keep the surroundings warm. Cooing you just perfectly.

The kind of deep sleep you were having was the kind of sleep that made you feel far beyond refreshed by the morning, waking up with the energy to sail around the world without a single drop of sweat. However, something woke you up. Among the soft snores of the pirates, there was yet another sound that woke you up. A gentle almost audible whimper.  You followed the whimper until you reached Strawhat Luffy, and noticed the tears falling from his closed eyes.

For the last two years, every now and then Luffy would have nightmares, reliving over and over Ace's death. And the pain of having lost both his brothers made him feel lonely at times. However, no one in the crew knew about this, no one knew about how most nights their captain had a terrible night. Luffy never told anyone about his nightmares. No one was aware of it until now.

"Luffy" you whispered kneeling next to him and shaking him lightly, however, there was no response “Luffy”

After calling his name a few times, he finally snapped his eyes open and looked confused at the night sky.

"(Name)" he whispered cleaning his tears right away.

"Are you alright? You were having a nightmare" you murmured worried.

"Y-yeah..." he lied sitting up. "I-I'm fine. It was just a dream" as much as he smiled, you could still see the pain clinging to him.

"You don't seem very convinced, are you sure you’re alright?" You added and sat on the sand into a more comfortable position as Luffy simply remained quiet "Here" you opened your arms, to which Luffy quickly responded to and hugged you.

After you wrapped your arms around him, he understood this was all he needed. Who’d say how a couple of arms holding you tightly could soothe just a piercing pain right away? Feeling your arms wrapped around him made him feel some sort of comfort he hadn't felt in a while. And the sudden realization overwhelmed him and he started sobbing once again. His face hidden your shoulders, he clung to your embrace as he sobbed quietly.

"It's okay" you whispered hugging him even tighter. "Its okay. Everything will be fine" you purred, your voice gently caressing the open wound Ace left behind, encouraging him to sob slightly louder.

He didn’t take long before he fell asleep in your arms. His breathing had now slowed down and got deeper. He no longer was shaking from the sobbing, and his body was relaxed against yours. You called his name, in an attempt to know whether he was asleep or not. And after no receiving any sign or answer, you assumed he was asleep.

Thinking of the not so comfortable position the two of you were, you decided to put him back on the ground. Gently, you put him on the sand next to his iconic straw hat. Such a wide smile, and yet, he’s haunted at night by something horrible, you thought, what could be causing him so much pain?

You stared at him for a couple of seconds and before you were able to stand up, you felt something tugging your shirt. You turned around to find Luffy his eyes still closed.

"(Name)?" He purred. "Would you sleep next to me?" He opened his eyes a little. A tiny trace of fear showing up within them, as you understood he was afraid of having nightmares again.

With a painful heart squeeze, you nodded and lied next to him. No words were needed in that moment. He snuggled next to you like a scared kitten as you protectively cuddled him, stroking his hair. He mumbled something with his face buried underneath your jaw, something you interpreted as a ‘thank you’. Your fingers ran through his hair, massaging his scalp, as the most peculiar warmth ran through your body. A sudden urge to protect him from any danger within the world fueled, as you thought how one of the most wanted criminals by the World Government snuggled vulnerable next to you.

"It's alright. I got you" you murmured, feeling him nod, his face buried on your neck.

The next morning, all of the Strawhats felt rather confused when they found the two of you cuddling. Luffy wasn't a flirty guy, and last night you didn't seem to flirt to anyone in the crew. And seeing the two of you cuddled up in a messy limb tangle surprised all of them. Not that they really cared, but they’d never seen this sort of behaviour from his spontaneous captain.

After waking up, Luffy was once again his usual self. However, he remained close to you throughout the day. As you kept talking to them, you got to know a little bit better the infamous Strawhat Pirates and feeling quite charmed by each and everyone of them. As the Strawhats got to better appreciate your gentle and open personality, understanding why would Luffy feel so drawn to you.

That night, Sanji made dinner in the Sunny, and invited you to tag along. The usual cheerful and yet chaotic atmosphere filled the kitchen. Everyone was laughing and talking, making you wonder why would the Marines consider them such a threat. They all seemed pretty funny and chill in their own unique way.

After everyone had finished eating, Luffy grabbed your hand and pulled you with him outside the kitchen. With his usual warm smile, he showed you around, all the wonders the Thousand Sunny had to offer, only to fuel your curiosity for the crew and how it was like to travel with them. Eventually, you sat with the captain on the deck, as your hands played with the grass.

"(Name)" you met Luffy's eyes as his smile was now shining brighter than any star in the sky. "I want you to join my crew!" He cheered.

You blinked several times, processing what he'd just told you.

"B-but, I'm not a pirate...I-I..." Were the only words your brain got to come up with and the excitement now fueling your heart urged you to say yes.

"You're kind! And everyone likes you! Besides, you're a hunter right? You know how to use knives and use a bow and arrow"

"I mean yes...I don't know if I'm strong enough, though. You guys have quite a reputation..."

"You can always train with Zoro if you want to get stronger! Ussop is our sniper, you can train with him too!"

A sudden urge for adventure, and Luffy’s wide smile seemed to make your head spin, and hypnotize you. Except for a tiny voice at the back of your head telling you to really think about it instead of just going with your first instinct. After all, Piracy was far more complicated than just sailing the seas.

"Think about it! We'll be leaving tomorrow" Luffy said bumping his forehead with yours. “I’d really like to have you in the crew!”

You closed your eyes, sighing deeply. His close proximity only made your heart beat faster, as the tiny voice seemed to get louder. "Alright” You began “I will think about it, though...I'll tell you my answer tomorrow, alright?" As you spoke, Luffy sat back, his huge eyes on yours with a hopeful spark behind them.

"Shishishishi" Luffy giggled. "You're gonna say yes!"

~

The amount of time Luffy clung to you like a koala only seemed to increase with the days. Not that you complained about it. As a matter of fact, his constant presence was beginning to feel like a drug. Ever since you’d joined the Strawhat crew, Luffy seemed to always want you by his side.

Up to this point, everyone knew you liked each other, the constant knowing looks made you blush constantly, and having Luffy close to you most of the time only made it worse. Your feelings for him were so obvious to everyone except for Luffy himself, who wasn't even aware of his own feelings for you.

In luffy's eyes, you were his closest friend, and he loved hugging you, and was constantly with his arms wrapped around you. He eventually realised that he wouldn't have nightmares when he slept with you, which only encouraged him to spend almost every night with you. Whether of it was you falling asleep next to him in the guys quarters, or him in the girl's room.

And over time, it was not only hugs. Forehead and cheek kisses eventually became a thing. And soon, Luffy found this constant urge to kiss your cheek whenever he was hugging you. On the other hand, you’d always kiss his forehead or the top of his head whenever he snuggled next to you. The crew found unbearingly adorable, and at the same time they couldn’t believe Luffy was still not aware of his feelings for you, and everyone wanted to slap some sense into the captain Even with that, everyone already considered you a couple.

It was until one day, you got out of the shower into the girls room, already changed, and found Luffy on your bed contemplating the ceiling.

"Hey there" you broke the silence as Luffy looked at you and smiled widely sitting up.

"I discovered something" He cheered. “And I have to tell you about it!”

"What is it?" You asked curious walking to your bed, as Luffy jumped to the ground and grabbing your hand at once.

"Let's go outside first. It's nice and sunny out there!" He guided you to the Sunny’s head.

Not only Luffy’s spot, but whenever he just wanted to spend a bit of quiet time with you away from the rest of the crew he’d take you there and cuddle you for a couple of hours. Just the two of you, in silence, looking at the ocean.

"Robin said I should tell you about my feelings for you" He started so casually as your heart stopped for a brief second, amazed at his straight forwardness.

"She did?" You chuckled awkwardly, thinking how maybe she did that on purpose.

"While you were training with Zoro...she asked me if I had feelings for you” He began “and I didn't know what she meant by that. She started explaining me what it's like to have feelings for someone, and everything she said is exactly what I feel when I'm with you. She then told me that if I had feelings for you, I should tell you" As much as you tried to fight your blushing, it wasn’t until he said the last part that indeed, Robin had said that on purpose.

You stared at him feeling how your heart squeezed painfully from how adorable and oblivious Luffy was. He was talking about his feelings for you so casually, while you were struggling to even bring yourself to open your mouth. You felt yourself blush as not a single sound made it out of your mouth and you leaned forward and pecked his lips gently.

"Luffy, I-" you stuttered as you met his eyes, feeling your face turn hotter and hotter "I have feelings for you too"

Luffy’s smile grew wider across his face as he pulled you in, wrapping his arms around you, burying his face on your neck and breathing in the scent he adored so much.

"Does that make you my girlfriend?" He said breaking the hug.

"Do you want me to be your girlfriend?" You giggled.

Luffy chuckled and stole a gentle kiss from your lips, just like you’ve done before. He didn't know much about relationships but he knew people kissed their significant other on the lips. Conecting the two dots wasn’t hard for him, making him want to dance and sing filled with happiness.

"I want you to be my girlfriend" He said cupping your face in his hands and giving you the smile that always melted your heart.

"Then I will" you murmured, this time it was you burying your face on his neck as Luffy hummed in approval.

Luffy kissed your head before wrapping his arms around you once more and squeezing you. He thought about what Robin told him earlier, and thought it had been a good idea to tell you about his feelings. It surprised him that you felt the same for him. A warm feeling ran through his body making him feel genuinely happy.

From the deck, all the strawhats gathered close to the helm, all of them silent, hearing your conversation with Luffy, appreciating the scene. All of them with smiles on their faces, warmed by the sweet moment you two were having. Franky and Chopper sobbing, as Brook was murmuring something about composing a nice tune for the two of you, to which Sanji agreed and mentioned something about having a small feast to celebrate.

In the meantime, you were cuddling with Luffy on the Sunny’s head just like you’d always do. Smiles drawn on both of your faces. Luffy was always a very touchy person, and loved hugging those he cared for. Your hugs however, felt the warmest, the sweetest of all. He felt genuinely happy that he’d asked you to join his crew.

[laceymorganwrites]

I envy her

Word Count: 1,579

Pairing: Zoro x reader

Warnings: swearing, mentions of sex, mentions of injury

A/N: SLIGHT WANO SPOILERS!!! Nothing Major, I tried to Keep it spoiler free but I had to Mention one character from Wano

When somebody would´ve told you ten years ago that you would join a scrawny looking rubber kid and a nap loving, socially awkward swordsman on their journey to make the rubber kid pirate king, you would´ve been seriously concerned about the person´s mental stability.

But if the same person would´ve told you you would fall in love head over heels with said swordsman and find love within him as well as happiness?

Well, the hypothetical person would honestly deserve a gold medal for predicting the future so accurately.

You were a pirate yourself before you joined their crew, meeting them after a battle in the new world you just barely escaped.

Never in a million years would you have believed you´d actually survive the new world and end up in the east blue.

Your ship was about to sink when Luffy and Zoro took you in, saving you from drowning.

Luffy wanted to hear everything about your adventures, so you told them all there was to them. They told you about how they first met and Luffy´s dream.

It was nice sailing with them in safe waters, but eventually you had to stop at an island to get some food.

As you walked around town you started to really look at Zoro, he was handsome with his defined muscles, the way he seemed so cool. And yet, he was the most awkward person you ever met.

Whenever you gave him a compliment about his physique he blushed bright red and started stuttering in embarrassment.

This always made you laugh and think about how cute he was.

It wasn´t long before you started glancing over to him once in a while.

More people joined the crew, you two talked more and more, spent more time together.

And it came as it had to: you fell head over heels in love with him.

After all this time you still couldn´t grasp why, it just happened out of the blue and over time there were simply so many reasons you lost count.

Yes of course your first kiss was awkward, he was too embarrassed to hold your hand in public, not to mention the disaster of your first time. But all of that was normal, and it was Zoro.

He was worth everything, he was worth the waiting, the fights, the jealousy, all of it.

Nobody said it would be easy.

Yet, when he didn´t let go of your waist when you were out, your heart fluttered and you felt safe.

It was the way he looked and smiled at you that made you sure this was true love.

And it was the way he got jealous of any male eyeing you that made you know this would last.

You never knew it was possible to love someone as much as you loved Zoro, yet here you were.

You also never thought you´d be with someone this long, you always were afraid of falling out of love, but with Zoro you just kept falling in love, with every day you loved him more.

And then you arrived in Wano.

Nothing, literally nothing went like planned.

You ran into Luffy and met some residents of the country, after some very chaotic happenings the two of you ended up tagging along the most famous courtesan of Wano.

Well, she was tagging along you and your boyfriend, third-wheeling even, you´d say.

Of course you were mad, you had lost your captain and you doubted you´d find him again so soon, then a whole bunch of other avoidable things happened that led to your presence being known throughout the entire country.

But the woman who was known to give the best head in the country apparently only joined when you and Zoro were in trouble.

All you remembered was running, trying to drag Zoro with you.

How did you get into this situation? Why were you running from a bloodthirsty murderer? Well, Zoro managed to slay the wrong people and now the whole country was after him and with you being with him all the time, they were also after you.

Not having his Shusui made it harder for him to fight and he even got injured by the murderer.

As it turned out you weren´t the ones being chased by the man, it was in fact the priciest courtesan of Wano.

It was the first time you saw her and goddamn was she beautiful, you could never compete with that.

She asked Zoro for help and Zoro being Zoro in his weakened state agreed to fight the murderer.

After the rather unsuccessful fight she invited you for food.

She then proceeded to bandage his wounds, at this point you were fuming.

How could this stranger make your boyfriend undress like that? You didn´t like the way she eyed his toned body like that, you didn´t like the way she touched him the least bit.

But the worst thing was that he didn´t mind it at all.

“You´re overreacting, she just treated my wounds” he tried to calm you down, making you out to be the angry, crazy jealous girlfriend.

The more time you spent with her, you felt yourself drifting apart from Zoro more and more.

You felt as if you were the problem suddenly and kept to yourself in the next days.

Maybe Zoro was right and there was nothing to worry about, maybe you were just overreacting.

But then again, whenever Zoro was jealous, it was a different story. He was jealous way more often than you and very protective over you. Jealousy only ensured in something beautiful with him, but now that you were jealous the first time, it was like you were suddenly the fury from the legends.

It was unfair.

You were about to confront him about this, saying it was silly being jealous and apologizing, but when you entered the shed you stayed in you found Komurasaki snuggled up against Zoro the way you´d normally do it.

Perplexed you stood in the doorway, Zoro was still asleep like a baby, it didn´t even bother him.

“Did you like sleeping with me?” she cheekily asked him and glanced up to you with an innocent smile.

That. Fucking. Bitch.

Saying you were angry would be true at first, but then you saw how calm Zoro was when he was sleeping in her presence. You´ve never seen him so peaceful before.

And it broke your heart, it hurt seeing him like this, with her, knowing she was better than you in every way.

She was the most beautiful creature that ever blessed the earth with walking on it, she had an effect on Zoro in just the few days she knew him you couldn´t compete with.

Hell, she was everything Zoro ever wanted. She needed to be protected and Zoro loved protecting people. You could protect yourself.

Maybe it was you all along who pushed him to her, you were his first partner, showing him everything and now that he knew all that, he could find his true love.

And Komurasaki seemed to be just that.

The more you thought about it the more it all made sense.

When was the last time he said he loved you? You knew he was sick of you, especially now.

You decided you couldn´t stay with them and sought out Komurasaki.

“What´s the fastest way to the flower capital from here?” you asked her.

“Did something happen? Is it not safe here anymore?” she grabbed your arms and looked deeply in your eyes, she was scared, you could sense it.

Sighing you pushed her away softly. “You´re perfectly fine here, besides, shouldn´t you be happy    I´m finally gone? Nothing´s in your way anymore… I´m sorry for being so rude to you before, I should´ve let you have him all along.” you apologized sincerely, but your heart weighed heavy in your chest and your lungs squeezed together.

“But...you´re not in my way, what are you talking about?” she tilted her head.

You didn´t know why now but the lump in your throat wasn´t going away, it only grew the more you thought about how your unreasonable jealousy just screwed up your relationship.

“I´m sorry…” were the last words you were able to squeeze out before the first tears started falling.

Komurasaki was sightly overwhelmed with the situation and rushed out of the room to get Zoro.

You weren´t able to hold her back unfortunately, you didn´t want Zoro to see you cry, he never had, you didn´t want him to see you weak like that.

When Zoro heard crying he immediately ran to the room you were in, when he didn´t see any danger he came closer to you in confusion.

Something must´ve happened to make you cry like that, you never cried, not even with a knife buried inside your belly.

“Oi, what happened? Did you hurt her? Don´t upset my partner” he growled at Komurasaki.

She held her hands up defensively and explained the situation.

Zoro´s expression clearly softened after he listened to her.

“I told you there´s no need to be worried, babe. You´re the only one for me” he embraced you in a warm hug, holding you tight and nuzzling his face in your neck, cradling your back and taking in your scent.

He wasn´t good at words or romance or comforting people but he hated seeing you cry and there was one thing he knew: he would never let you go.

[doctorgerth]

Prompt Winner #7

Winner: @vervada-stormrider

Prompt: “This is your daughter.”

Description: Sabo comes home after a long mission of defeating Celestial Dragons to his wife who surprises him with their newborn child.

Rating: a lil bit of angst, but mostly fluff

Warnings: mild cursing

Notes: Winner’s OC (Grace) is s/o; written in Sabo’s POV; AU where Ace is alive and well (the best); I also impulsively added Dragon fluff in there and I have no idea where it came from lol Hope you enjoy! x

Little Dragon (Sabo)

Prompt Story

(Word Count: 2049)

"Dragon, sir, please. I want to go home." I pleaded to my boss. The mission was completed, and I was purely exhausted in the aftermath, "I need to see my wife."

Dragon's eyes laid heavy, almost unreadable while looking back at me. What more could he want from me? We successfully took down the Celestial Dragons, why would he need me here any second longer?

A small rip in the heart as I studied his sad features, I knew well why he was so hesitant to send us away. The Revolutionary Army was the only family he had, the only home he's known for quite some time. With our main quest fulfilled, what was he to do now?

"Very well, Sabo. Stay in touch. Our duties are far from over." He hoarsely muttered, breaking eye contact to mark his pen onto unknown papers.

"I'll never forget what you've done for me, sir. Thank you for everything." I responded with a genuine smile and salute. I turned on my heels, almost running out the door to avoid an emotional goodbye. Words weren't necessary to express our gratitude and familial bond to each other. Dragon was like a father to me, but it was time to return home to my wife.

Leaving Grace while she was sick was one of the hardest things I've ever had to experience. I wanted nothing more than to stay home and care for her, find out just what was making her so ill, but duty called and we both knew I had important matters to take care of. It was always hard leaving her, harder than any mission or training I've had to endure. But now, we would have each other to ourselves for the first time in months, and I didn't plan on abandoning her again any time soon.

I grew a bit concerned when her letters stopped sending, but there was no way to read them anyhow since they were sent to the base and I was away at Mariejois. Upon returning from the mission, I was a bit disheartened to see no letters awaited for me at all. There were times when my mind trailed off to depressing thoughts, but I had to quickly shut them down and push forward. It's what Grace would want, no matter what.

So, I did just that, pushed my way forward as I rushed back home to her. Grace was strong, the strongest woman I knew, there was no way a petty illness would claim her. And surely no other man could have taken her from me, right?

When our house came into view, I was suddenly struck with an intense nervousness. It's been so long since we've last seen each other; going into this reminded me of the anxiety I felt on our first date. I was giddy as hell, but I couldn't calm my erratic heart beat and shaky fingers.

The house looked the same, not too shabby, just something temporary on the new homing base. She didn't mind it when we first moved, I hope it didn't feel too empty to her while I was away. My legs carried me at a leisurely pace as I attempted to normalize my breathing. When I approached the door, strange sounds were emitting from inside the house. I placed my ear against the door and heard an odd voice that almost seemed recognizable.

"That's my baby girl." A voice, obviously male, cooed, "You're such a good girl."

My brows furrowed at the suggestive words, "What the hell?"

"What a cute lil tushy you have~"

Was that man talking to my wife like that? What the hell was going on?!

"Alright, that's it!" I bellowed before busting down the door, pipe in hand and dragon claws out, "Get away from her!"

My anger clouded my judgement as I wrestled with the strange male in my house, choking him in a headlock.

"Woah, woah, woah! Sabo! Stop, it's me!" The voice cried out in exasperation. As if a switch, my anger receded as I realized it was my own brother whom I had in my grasp.

"Ace? What are you doing here?" I shouldn't be surprised since he was my wife's cousin after all, but still, it was odd to see him. And why was he talking about Grace's tushy?

My eyes averted towards the living room where a beautiful, white-haired woman stood; my gorgeous wife. I released Ace and rose to my feet in one swift motion, my eyes never leaving her figure. Her shaking hands were folded along her mouth as tears streamed down her face; the utter joy in her eyes making her all the more charming.

"Sabo..." She whispered and I wanted to hear her say my name over and over again. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed her alluring call of my name.

"Grace." I replied, feeling stinging tears pooling at my own eyes; she was still the Grace I knew and loved.

She ran over to my figure, pulling my body into hers in desperate embraces as if she didn't fully believe it was me. Her graceful fingers ghosted over my skin, my clothes, my hair, and I relaxed into her every touch. This was it, I was finally home.

I pulled her chin up to place a loving kiss against her quivering lips. My fingers rubbed circles into her cheeks, wiping away every tear that flowed down. I couldn't possibly be any happier now that I had the love of my life with me again. However, a soft gurgling noise broke my consciousness as my eyes opened in between our passionate reunion. Grace seemed to notice as she pulled away a little awkwardly.

My eyes trailed over to the little baby that was nestled into a wooden crib. I flickered between Grace and the baby all the while a small smile fell upon her lips. She walked over to the baby, lifting it up into her arms, before returning to her spot before me.

"This is your daughter." She whispered as her smile grew, "Isn't she beautiful?"

My throat clenched at her statement. My daughter? I had a child? She outstretched her arms towards me, handing over the small child. I was hesitant at first, but I took her gently into my arms. The way her small frame fit so easily into my hold, and those big blue eyes that looked at me so curiously, I couldn't prevent the dam from breaking. I probably looked a mess as tears flowed freely down my face and I was struggling to maintain my composure. Grace cried happily beside me, grabbing at her tiny hands.

"Her name's Kaida." I looked over to my wife who was happily choking out her words. My lips parted in surprise at such a beautiful name, "It means little dragon."

The tears flowed harder as I whispered that name over and over; what a fitting name, "She's so lovely..."

Kaida cooed up at me as if she knew what I had said, and I chuckled lightly to myself before placing a light kiss along her smooth forehead. Her curious fingers went to grab playfully at my nose and I smiled down at her; her incredibly adorable giggle filled my ears. My heart nearly burst at the notion.

She was the perfect mixture between Grace and me. Her tiny head had little pufts of my blonde, and her eyes were big and blue like mine. But she had her mother's nose and lips, along with subtle signs of arising freckles that were sure to litter her cheeks much like on her mother's face. Aside from Grace, she was the most captivating thing I had ever laid my eyes on. And she was mine; she was our child.

"Was she the illness?" I looked over to Grace who nodded reassuringly. Perhaps that's why she stopped writing me. She knew I would have easily left my duties to be with her throughout the pregnancy.

"Little dragon sure was a tough one. Very picky eater and lots of morning sickness." Grace stretched her arms above her in a big yawn, "But the moment I had her, I just instantly loved her so much. Way more than I could ever have imagined. She helped remind me of you while you were away. She helped me cope."

I frowned a little at her heart-breaking confession, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you."

Her hand gripped at my forearm, "Sabo, it's okay. You know I understand. Besides, this idiot decided to keep me company for most of it, so I was hardly alone." A scowl formed on her face as she motioned over towards Ace.

"Hey, I helped you!" Ace retorted, "And Kaida loves me! I'm the favorite uncle!"

Grace rolled her eyes in amusement, "I suppose you are better than Uncle Luffy who almost dropped her within seconds of first holding her...but showing her off to quite literally the whole town and putting her in dangerous situations doesn't really redeem you, now does it?"

"I was just being a proud uncle showing off my adorable niece!" He attempted to defend himself, but denied any regret for his actions. It was evident that he truly loved Kaida.

I couldn't deny the disappointment I felt at the idea of my brothers seeing and spending time with my baby before I ever could, but I was thankful for their care and protection nevertheless. I walked over to Ace, holding Kaida tightly in my arms, "Thank you, Ace. For taking care of Grace and for loving Kaida while I was away."

Ace smiled proudly, "You're truly lucky Sabo. I'm glad you're back, man." His hand reached down to touch Kaida, but I snatched her away before he had the chance. My eyes grew dark as I snarled, "Don't you ever talk about her tushy again. And if you ever put her in another dangerous situation again, I will end you. Clear?"

Ace's lips zipped automatically and he began sweating nervously, "Uh, I'm gonna go get more food. The fridge is empty. Baby needs food. I need food..." With that, he zoomed out of the house towards town.

I looked over to my wife who sat along the couch, eyes beginning to droop all the while an amused smile remained on her lips. I placed myself beside her gently, keeping Kaida safe in my arms while I settled into the couch. Grace nuzzled into my side with another big yawn as she rubbed at Kaida's head.

"Rest, my dear. You need it." I couldn't even begin to imagine how tired she was after the pregnancy, having a baby, and dealing with the dumbass duo. She smiled contently at my words and closed her eyes.

"Won't have to tell me twice."

I chuckled as Kaida returned the notion with a little yawn of her own, and I had to suppress the giddy aww I wanted to scream as a reaction. Her eyes fluttered shut as her mouth opened to release soft baby snores.

"I'm so happy you're back, honey. I'm so glad you're safe." Grace whispered following up with her own light snoring. Soon enough, both of my girls were sleeping away in the comfort of my arms. My face was aching from smiling so much, but there was no way possible to contain the pure joy I felt at having my wife snug by my side, and my daughter sleeping lightly in my arms.

I didn't know what I did to deserve such a beautiful family. I had done so much wrong throughout my years, did I truly deserve such loving, precious angels? I looked down at my family, and felt an intense surge of protection. Silently, I vowed to love and protect them for the rest of my life, no matter how undeserving I truly was. No one would ever be able to take my family away from me.

It was strange, but I thought about Dragon as I looked down at my precious Kaida. He had been a father figure to me all these years, and now it was my turn to be a father to my little dragon. Thanks to him, I actually felt like I could do it. I was going to be the best husband and father ever, not only for the sake of my family, but in order to honor the man who treated me like family when I had no one. I had my own family now, and I would never take advantage of that.

[whirlybirdwhat]

the accomplice of human restlessness

Ao3 - Follow up to Compass Left Behind! Find it in my writing tag whirlywrites ! Zoro & Luffy, Gen, first meeting, reincarnation/modern au, see ao3 for warnings!

- 

"The sea has never been friendly to man. At most it has been the accomplice of human restlessness." ― Joseph Conrad

-

Zoro knows Luffy for six and a half days before he agrees to run off (and search) with him.

Or, in a more accurate wording, it takes six and half seconds for Zoro to know he would follow Luffy to the ends of the universe if he wanted to venture there (because the Earth was way too small for the thing. that they shared.)

It all starts like this -

(And it never, ever ends.)

-

Zoro is walking home from school (which he skipped, half way through the day, because he could not take Mr. Morgan’s bullshit for one more goddamn second-) when he sees him.

He’s slight and thin, with far too many bruises covered tanned skin, and suspiciously young to be sitting in the driver’s seat of a custom Camaro (which is sitting crookedly on the side of the road) like that. But when he looks up at Zoro, red hoodie falling off his head and revealing his face and the scar sloping under his eye, Zoro’s breath is taken away.

This boy (his captain, his king) is not weak in any sense of the word.

And the smile that he gives him, full of sunshine and without any of the weary dread that shines in his in his eyes, is all that it takes for Zoro to fall.

Zoro slings his bag off his shoulder and throws it in the backseat of the car, sliding into the passenger seat.

“Where to?” He asks, all too trusting, all too insane.

The boy next to him places a straw hat that was previously resting on the dashboard onto his head. “Nowhere yet.” He says with a laugh, starting the car.  Zoro nods, and off they go, to the abandoned parking lot on the edge of town, where they eat cheap shakes that they didn’t really pay for and don’t talk at all (they don’t need too) until Zoro has to wander home.

Before he does he asks the boy his name, the second words they shared that day.

“Monkey D. Luffy,” He says, smiling, the setting sun casting shadows onto his face. “Ah! But don’t tell anyone okay? I’m just Luffy.”

“Aye, aye Captain,” Zoro says, for no reason at all other than it feels all to wrongnot to say it. “The names Zoro. I’ll see you around?”

Luffy doesn’t answer as Zoro walks off, but that’s okay.

Zoro already knows what he means.

-

Koushirou asks him only once about what makes Zoro so happy on the first day that this miracle happens and Zoro tells him, trying to convey what makes Luffy so Luffy, what makes him finally find direction and fill that aching. inside.He doesn’t know if he succeeds, but that’s okay. Koushirou never needed to know anyway.

(This time around, Koushirou is the man who adopted the rising kendo star in order to train him further. This time around, Koushirou stops training him when his real child (Kuina-) dies. This time around, there is no promise to be the greatest because swordsmanship is only a competition now, not a way of life, of death. This time around there is only loss and the ache of a compass spinning wildly around with no direction.)

The day after, Zoro doesn’t even bother going to school. Instead, he wanders over to the abandoned parking lot and through the open window of the car (did he have no self-preservation?) shakes Luffy, who was sleeping in the backseat, curled up into a little ball with his red hoodie acting as a weak blanket, awake.

“Wanna spar?” He asks to bleary eyes, heart jumping at the sudden light in them when Luffy agrees.

Zoro brings out his practice bamboo swords and Luffy brings out his fists. They fight for two hours, two hours of sweat and some blood and the absolute freedomthat comes with finding someone who won’t hold back against you, whounderstands-

Eventually, the human need to eat interrupts their conversation of fighting, and together they dine and dash at the local chain restaurant, laughing all the while. Zoro doesn’t comment on the nostalgic, sorrowful look in Luffy’s eyes and Luffy doesn’t comment on the understanding and elation in Zoro’s.

It’s a good thing.

A great thing.

They don’t spar again after that, at least on this day. Instead, they talk.

“Where’ you from?”

“Fuusha City. Its far away from here. Why’s your hair green?”

“’Cause it looks cool. Where’d you learn to fight?”

“…Around. How old are you?”

“Sixteen. You?”

“Fourteen.”

“And you’re driving the car? Damn, how’d you not get caught?”

“Shishishi- I don’t know. Maybe I’m just lucky? Why do you use only two swords?”

“Because-” And any answer no matter how sensible suddenly sounds wrong.“Huh.”

Luffy nods and that’s that.

-

Zoro spends all the money he had saved up for a motorcycle and picks up a third sword on the way home, saying nothing to the woman who runs the store as she worries over the supposed cursed sword (She looks so much like Kuina it hurts but the ex-marines shop is the only one with good swords around here.)

In the mirror at home, ignoring Koushirou’s critical looks (though he never mentions it he doesn’t like it when Zoro skips school) he practices his swords, changing the style drilled into him by Koushirou and placing a practice sword in his mouth.

Its new and shaky but sword fighting has never felt so right.

-

The third day is raining, and while Zoro has a flashing concern for the boy with only a car for a home, he goes to school.

He has few friends there – most are either scared of him or hate him – but its tolerable. Koby, pink haired and a Marine-hopeful, is scared of him but hangs out with him anyway. Zoro doesn’t claim to understand it, doesn’t even care, but there’s not a lot to do in Shells Town and it’s better to have someone to do it with.

“Where’d you go yesterday?” Koby asks, used to him skipping but, for some reason Zoro can’t understand, is always worried that he’ll skip on accident because he got lost. (Lies, Zoro claims, the streets move and you people give horrible directions, but can’t refute the fact that he once ended up the next town over on the fifteen-minute walk to school)

Zoro shrugs and bites into his sandwich. “Around. Met a guy.”

“Yeah?”

“Mmhmm.”  Zoro doesn’t offer any more than that and Koby, while wary, doesn’t push it. Instead, he looks him up and down and smiles. “What?” Zoro asks suspicious.

“You seem happier. More… something.” He says, and immediately flinches when Zoro casts him a look that says it all. The heck?

(Inside, there’s a whisper within Zoro that says Of course I’m happier with him. He’s my captain, my king. But he doesn’t hear it.

Even if in this life it’s still true.)

-

Later that night, amidst the pouring rain, Zoro attempts to go to sleep.

In the end, its futile, as his chest and ankles and eye ache as they always have, in a way unexplainable even to the best doctors, keeping him awake.

And…

There’s somewhere he needs to go.

So he goes, swords and a warm blanket in a bag on his back, slipping out the second story window and onto the tree next to it as rain crashes down on his shoulders. It’s a 25-minute bike ride, which takes longer in the pouring rain, but eventually he makes it to the abandoned lot on the outskirts of the town between the mountains, where the only car is an old flame detailed Camaro sitting alone in the lot.

Zoro knocks on the window in a session of quick motions. Inside, Luffy is almost how he found him yesterday morning, curled into a ball with his hoodie as a blanket. The only difference is this time, he’s awake, eyes wide and trembling, and sitting up with his arms wrapped around his legs.

When he meets Zoro’s eyes there is a dull recognition before he is scrambling over to unlock the door and haul Zoro in.

“Hey,” Zoro says softly, feeling as if he spoke too loudly the world would shatter around him.

“Hey,” Luffy says back just quiet, huddling into Zoro’s side, not even noticing the damp clothes.

It’s funny, Zoro notes, that if anyone else had touched him so casually he would have shoved them away in a heartbeat.

Zoro has a feeling (a knowledge) that Luffy doesn’t care much for rules of any kind.

Allowing Luffy to lean into him, he reaches down to where he slung his bag and takes out the blanket within, thankfully still dry. He takes a moment to wrap it around them both, and then, to the rumbling music of thunder and rain, talks.

-

What Zoro tells Luffy is this.

He’s an orphan, a foster child, tossed around and forgotten about for the majority of his childhood – he can’t even remember the place where he began now. There were good homes (Zoro you want to play with us? Oh – that’s a swordfighting contest, you want to watch it?) and bad homes (Zoro you aren’t allowed to eat – waste of space – sit out in the yard til I call you in)but none of them permanent - until he landed himself in a kendo competition near his Sensei’s home. There, his Sensei adopted him in order to further his skills after seeing his talent.

His Sensei had a daughter who he ignored, even though her talent was even greater than Zoro’s, all because she was a girl.

Zoro had trained with his Sensei, with Koushirou, hoping he could find whatever was missing from him when he picked up a sword. He never found it because two years after Zoro’s adoption, Kuina slips and falls and dies on some stairs right in front of Zoro, and Koushirou, although he does not blame Zoro, stops training him in his depression.

It’s been a year since then, and Zoro has kept it up but felt that his swordsmanship never felt as liberating as it should.

“Until,” Zoro finishes his story softly, “I met you.”

And in that sentence and meeting of eyes is a complete emotion of I understand, me too, it’s okay, you are not lost anymore, come with me – all things that could never be said otherwise.

Then it is Luffy’s turn to talk and Zoro hurts but does not pity because Luffy would never want that.

(Later, he’ll wonder if he’s the only one Luffy’s told the entirety of his past too. If he’s the only one who knows that Luffy used to have two brothers (one lost to a horrific car crash and another to a gun fight), had a bar for a home and a gang for a family, a jungle for a playground, a terrorist for a father and a piece of shit for a grandfather. He’ll wonder if he’s the only one who will ever know the secrets that bled onto a kitchen floor, the secrets of a familiar scar beneath an eye, wonder if this will be a story told only in the rain in a Camaro filled with aching wounds.

He’ll wonder.)

They fall asleep to the dwindling pitter patter of the rain, soft smiles on their faces as Luffy buries his head into Zoro’s shoulder and Zoro snoozes into a face full of black hair.

-

The fourth day of their meeting starts in a lethargic haze – the kind that comes with a great burden being eased suddenly and the exhausted triumph of its over with.

This haze also disappears when half way through the day, after another spar, a nap, and a dine and dash, Luffy asks Zoro thequestion.

A question, Zoro knows he should have the answer too, but can’t bear to say it all the same.

He doesn’t sleep in the car with Luffy that night, and instead goes back to the house where he and Koushirou stay.

(He can’t seem to call it home anymore, and really doesn’t that answer Luffy’s question more than anything else?)

-

Zoro’s earliest memory is of shining blue waters and a painted sail hanging over head. The voices around him are muted but there is something soft, almost like grass, beneath him and a warm sunshine on his face.

It’s a nice memory, but one Zoro cannot pinpoint, because according to the records, Zoro showed up one day, two years old, on an old woman’s doorstep, wearing clothes that reeked of hay and farm life.

Certainly not a life at sea.

Zoro has never even seen the sea, except in that memory, a memory that has felt more whole than he has ever been in his entire life.

He’s an orphan, people call him a loner, a lone wolf, his Sensei calls him antisocial and his few friends speak for themselves.

But – Zoro doesn’t see it that way. He thinks he would be a loner, content to get lost in the wilderness and find his own path, if not for the fact that he was incredibly certain something was waiting for him.

Looking at Monkey D. Luffy’s smile, he thinks he found it.

-

After Luffy asks the question, Zoro disappears back into his old routine for one day. He goes home, trains, eats dinner with Sensei (which is always a quiet affair) and then goes to sleep. The fifth day, he wakes up and heads to school, Johnny and Yosaku running into him along the way and picking him up (You were heading in the wrong direction big bro! It’s funny – they’re two years older than him and traveling instead of going to school but he’s still their big bro Zoro) He sits through classes and naps in the ones he doesn’t like or simply can’t understand, and eats lunch with Koby in the back of the cafeteria. He sends one last glare to the bully who used to always pick on Koby, and goes home to train and eat dinner with Koushirou.

Then – he falls asleep to the thought of it was nice to see them all one last time.

-

He wakes up on the sixth day and immediately packs his bags with the necessities – katanas, cleaning kit, clothes, phone, one blanket, and all the cash he has.

(He thinks about taking the photo of him, Sensei, and Kuina, on the day of his first championship win, but decides against it.

Like before– the past should not bind them.)

He pulls the tracking chip Koushirou had put in his phone out, and uses his debit card to get even more cash before tossing it away. Then, duffle bag over his shoulder and half a day wasted, he heads over to the abandoned lot, where Luffy is still sitting on the hood of his car, looking out to the endless horizon of gravel and sun and sky, straw hat firmly on his head.  

He’s waiting for an answer.

The bag dumped in the backseat and the maniacal grin is answer enough, and the straw hat placed firmly on a green haired head is just confirmation of the fact.

Yet, Luffy asks as he’s sliding into the driver’s seat. “Ready to go Zoro?”

-

A question, asked under the hot sun and in an open lot, just like before. Phrased differently, but the essence of the original question still echoes in his voice

“Hey Zoro. Come with me?”

-

“Aye aye, Captain.”

Six and a half days after Zoro meets Luffy, they set out roaring down the streets and leaving the small valley town of Shells Town that Zoro’s been trapped in half his life behind without a second thought or not explaining where he is.

There are no promises, no dreams, no oaths sworn or battles won. There is just the fixing of an internal compass, finally directed to what truly matters (them all together again at last) and the slow filling in of an aching heart.

(People say he’s always been lost, but maybe it was just he wasn’t meant for where he was – was meant for his side, his captain’s, his king’s side instead)

It’s a good life as any, and - riding in a beat-up Camaro with the windows down, music blasting, and a license-less kid driving them - Zoro’s more content than he’s been in a long, long time.

[warlordgab]

What makes a Potent Pairing stand out? (LuNa Edition)

"Love is Friendship caught fire; it is quiet, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times." 

"It’s the day-in and day-out chronicle of irritations, problems, compromises, small disappointments, big victories, and working toward common goals."

- Laura Hendricks 

When it comes to potent relationships featured in literary works, several people often look for something that resonates with their perspective of what they would like in a relationship with a significant other. 

Sometimes, that creates highly subjective views on what the story presents for characters and their connections with others. So, it's fair to ask: what makes a relationship stand out from the rest? 

Logically, it has to stay true to both story and characters, while displaying some factors already explained in a previous analysis: meaningful behaviors, significant gestures, emotional support, all within multiple major and minor moments. 

Also, as stated by the concept of Potent Bonding, the story gradually and consistently stresses on their relationship.

These are minimum requirements for a well-written relationship as any premise lacking actual development and build-up falls within the realm of bad/lazy writing forcing half-baked connections.

Now that we cleared that up, what does LuNa offer that other premises don't? What makes such relationship stand out from the rest? 

One element would be a remarkably solid chemistry. Something that started with these characters both actively and passively challenging each other's perspectives; a conflict that reached its peak at Arlong Park when Nami after losing all hope chooses to rely on Luffy who personally provides her with the strength and emotional comfort she needed so badly in a very impactful scene...

...this is something that Luffy had to personally resolve with Nami to earn her trust and loyalty. Notice how the scene didn't need much dialogue, in fact, most of that emotional narrative is told through actions and meaningful gestures instead of exaggerated and corny lines.

What adds more to LuNa would be the fact that Luffy not only actively tried to reach out to Nami, he did it without knowing anything about her background nor the reason behind her despair, he did it without having any real reason to put faith in her. All he knew were two things: he wanted her in his crew, and someone made her cry... that was the only motivation he needed, even though her life wasn't in danger, to personally become the emotional crutch of a girl who tried to push him away.

This came to a point that even when Nami’s father figure made him promise not to take away Nami’s smile, Luffy’s final response was this...

...he took Nami’s happiness as his responsibility, and he did it with a smile. This adds a sense of compromise to their relationship.

But it doesn't end there. Using this as the foundation of their bond, the story stressed their relationship at several points and arcs.

By the time of the Drum Island arc, Nami started to return that faith/trust put in her by placing her life in Luffy's hands as he decides to climb a mountain to get Nami medical attention.

At this point, we should remember that when writing chemistry between characters it should never be implied that one owns the other a relationship because of favors done. Saving someone is not enough to establish a solid chemistry, so it's not about the fact that Luffy helped to save Nami, instead, it's more about the mutual confidence between them and how that affects the characters.

This is something that makes LuNa different from other premises, as shippers often like to rely on the argument of "he saved her, so they should be together." Instead of that, we get a strong bond that consistently grows through the loyalty and virtues of a deep companionship without the need for overly mushy stuff.

Moving on to Skypiea, we find out Luffy's struggle to earn Nami's faith/trust was not over yet. When going through a crisis (most of the crew getting easily stomped by Enel), Nami ended up giving into fear and the uncertainty of their situation filled her with doubts even when Luffy was fighting the big bad of the arc. What was Luffy's response?

He reminded Nami that as a the companion of the future Pirate King she didn't need to fret so much. Through a meaningful gesture, he managed to quell Nami's anxiety and provide her with the courage to face Enel by herself. While this is a moment that had been considered several times in the past its importance in the context of the Luffy/Nami relationship stands out in future showings.

The first result is obvious, Luffy solidifies his role as Nami's emotional anchor. Something that doesn't need much explanation at this point and doesn’t rely on scenes or words taken out of context.

But the aftermath of this moment is felt much later in Oda's works. She opens herself to Luffy at Water 7 while revealing Robin's true motives, and during the movie Oda wrote (Strong World), we saw how her first reaction when dazed or anxious is to look for Luffy.

And it's easy to notice that after the timeskip this hasn't really changed, as Nami continues to rely on Luffy the most to the point she was completely confident on him being the one that would beat Yeti Cool Bros. to rescue her. Not to mention the way she received him at Zou is quite consistent with their moment at the Aqua Laguna in Water 7, while she's happy to see them Nami runs to Luffy's arms seeking for hope and comfort

Notice that while other premises rely on gags, jokes, or claims of sexual tension, this relationship offers strength and emotional support when most needed, along with mutual faith/trust without being overly corny/clichéd or putting a heavy load on the story.

The effect this connection has on Nami even subverts the expectations of many readers. When she saw a Sweet Commander sending Luffy flying through several trees, several readers expected her to leave Luffy fighting alone and proceed with their mission by her own.

But, what did she do?

She stood by Luffy's side and helped him to fight in the ways she could at the moment. Her loyalty and bravery shine through this arc.

When people saw a wounded and exhausted Luffy was about to fight the Enraged Army, several readers expected Nami to run away, let Luffy fight on his own, and find a better chance to continue their mission.

But, what did she do?

Once again, she stood by Luffy's side. Nami tried to convince him to hide, but when Luffy refused because he was determined to wait for Sanji there, she supported Luffy and fought alongside him against overwhelming odds. A stark contrast to Skypiea; here Luffy didn't need to provide her with courage. In this case, Nami displayed a remarkable bravery and faithfully supported Luffy even when facing these dreadful circumstances.

On the other hand, when it comes to Luffy, he is defined by Oda himself as someone very "straightforward about what he wants to be and how he feels," and this is reflected in the way he bonds with other characters. He's like an open book that doesn't hide his feelings; he easily expresses his excitement about the wonders he gets to see, and at times he shows his mettle during serious situations.

After Nami made an impression on him during the Buggy arc, Luffy knew that he wanted her in his crew to the point he wasn't willing to let her go. We know he never doubted Nami or gave up on her even when given enough reasons to do so. And when given the chance to learn why Nami was refusing to join him, he didn't care; Luffy just wanted Nami as his navigator and acted on his feelings.

One example that shows how their chemistry stands out is the way Oda wrote Luffy's character in Strong World...

We previously saw how Luffy did his best to strengthen the trust and faith between him and Nami. So, how does he react to the prospect of Nami doubting him and not relying on him anymore...

If you want more information about why would a man react this way, feel free to check this detailed analysis on Strong World and LuNa

Now, Luffy demands absolute trust and loyalty from Nami, and as the story shows, he's willing to fight to earn them. Something that holds a greater meaning than exaggerated flirting or physical appeal.

This relationship also offers him far more than other premises do...

We can find an example of this in an interesting detail about their emotional chemistry. A friend of mine pointed out a contrast provided by this scene...

...when the crew read about Luffy's great loss during the Marineford War, they tried their best to reach the place where they were going to reunite. When we get Nami's response to this matter she has a flashback about Luffy's concern for Ace despite his choice of letting him be. So, she wanted to be there for him because she knew what Luffy needed the most at that moment was emotional support, something he gave to her several times in the past.

While a smitten woman was simply offering food to Luffy while fantasizing about him, Nami was going to offer what Luffy truly needed: support, relief, and comfort. Granted, the entire crew was trying to go back to Luffy as soon as they read the news, but that doesn't change the fact Nami wanted to give Luffy something far more meaningful and thoughtful in the context of an actually healthy and strong relationship. Partly based on what she knew and remembered of him along with everything they went through until that point.

It's true that Nami has a fiery temper, but despite this fact, Luffy is still willing to keep bonding with her. This is another aspect that helps them to stand out, not for the bickering, but rather how Nami tries to put a rein on Luffy due to how much of a reckless daredevil he is.

In this regard, they complement each other in the way she later explained in Weatheria; she's like the compass that keeps Luffy from losing his way allowing him to venture into the sea. And going by the story and the flashbacks that reveal how she felt throughout her speech, to her Luffy is like the rock that gives a firm hold of her emotional turmoil in times of distress.

The fact they complement each other is not a coincidence either. Most of the companions Luffy got on his journey have skills or personalities shaped around his needs, and this is somewhat highlighted by Luffy himself during Arlong Park.

To put it in other terms, he's not very bright and he's left to go on his own in the sea he won't go far. That's why he needs someone that can, as other people already explained, navigate him through his decision-making; someone that could challenge a poor course of action and provide with a brain for his brawls all while being willing to go on adventures and crossing the seas.

This is consistent with Luffy's character. In contrast, by relying on filler, hype, or pandering several shippers promote premises that go against Luffy's straightforward nature, but LuNa offers something that fits into his characters and leaves enough room to grow stronger without hindering the story nor reducing the quality of its writing.

All things considered, what we've seen in Oda's works is the indication of a deep "love" binding them together, poetry that writes itself. While it's not something explicitly romantic in the traditional sense of the word, it's still strong enough for their bond to stand out from the rest as a Potent Relationship.

NaLu Edition here: http://warlordgab.tumblr.com/post/174632047146/what-makes-a-potent-pairing-stand-out-nalu

[imagine-fight-write]

Random - Writing Inspiration 1 - Songs

Edit: Reposting, because I’m adding another video example.

ALSO note, this series is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ve got plenty others to share.

This will be a 3 part series on writing inspiration.

For my anime fans, yeah, I’ll be using a lot of AMVs.

1st, I’ll give some examples of song lyrics which have given me ideas.

2nd, some examples of videos which inspire me.

3rd, some videos and music put together, which give me ideas.

Hope you enjoy some good videos & get creative!

Thanks Literary Architect, for inspiring me to write this.

Now that I think of it, songs often inspire me. Specifically, song lyrics.

Here are 3 examples:

Right now, “Break In to Break Out” is preying on my mind. 

Specifically the line, “Thieves in the palace, full of tales and lies.”

The basic idea of breaking into a place in order to find freedom is intriguing enough (in some ways, it reminds me of Luffy breaking into Impel Down in One Piece.)

However, my basic idea is thieves breaking into a fairy tale castle, or a castle filled with fairy tales, in order to, I don’t know, break a spell?”

“Castle” by Halsey gives me similar ideas. I mean, what does it mean to “lock up a kingdom”?

Could fairy tale thieves steal a kingdom? Or break into a palace to steal the kingdom back?

“Break In to Break Out” is (looks up info) performed by Lyn and composed by Shoji Meguro, with lyrics by Benjamin Franklin.

The 2nd song I want to share is Moonlight Shadow by: Groove Coverage. 

As the video shows, it's easy enough to change guns to arrows and set this in a fantasy or sci-fi setting if you’re so inclined.

After all, the opening line is, “ The last that ever she saw him, carried away by a moonlight shadow.”

Carries away by a moonlight shadow sounds like magic to me.

This also reminds me of a series, Shinobi Life (which has time-traveling ninjas & a good romance.) There is a beautifully drawn scene in the manga in which a character is swarmed by thousands of black butterflies and disappears. You, the reader, find out he gets carried off by his nemesis, but the butterflies are never explained.

A great 1st example is “Time Forgotten One” by: Kaito / Vocaloid

(see below)

The picture used in the video is lovely, but it’s really the lyrics which tell the story. See here: https://vocaloidlyrics.fandom.com/wiki/%E6%99%82%E5%BF%98%E4%BA%BA_(Toki_Wasure_Bito)

“Alone in the illustrious street, the time forgotten one

leans against the crimson stained wall

waiting for someone without a glance at the passing people

offering a small prayer with the old sword in his right hand.”

There’s more, but the basic idea is vague enough, you can do a lot with it. Who is the “time forgotten one”? A guy, a girl, a cat?

(The weapon doesn’t have to be a sword either. It coudl be a spear, axe, staff, or knife.)

Who are they waiting for, and why? What happened to their friends?

Are they under a curse?

As Aeir Soulhaven notes in the comments, “ Idea: He was literally forgotten by time. Therefore: Time no longer flows for him, and those within the normal stream of time cannot perceive him.“

The song “Room of Angel” by: Akira Yamaoka 

(which was used in Silent Hill 4, I guess?)

It has both inspired a poem & is a theme song for one of my characters (it really matches their seductive yet deadly personality.

See the video below where I found it.

Yes, I enjoy InuYasha. In English.

(Using 2 InuYasha videos was unintnetional, that’s just how it turned out.)

It’s got one of the best anime openings ever, and its music / soundtrack is good.

I fact, I would use the opening scene of InuYasha as a excellent example of how to start a movie or book. The scene has action and mystery without being too confusing, both the setting and characters are firmly established, and you’re left wanting more. Who betrayed who and why?

Anyway, Room of Angel & the video above made me want to write a poem, something dreamy and dangerous. Here’s some lines from the first draft:

In a lullaby you can’t be harmed

so go to sleep - dream of flying way up high

above the trees, among the stars

as I rock you gently, gently out the window

Hush and remember, in a lullaby you can’t be harmed.

Remember what you dream, and fly

Fly on feathered silver wings - so insignificant

I will crush them in my arms, as I hold you, and rock you

rock us gently out the window

Fall

Hush, you’re in a lullaby and can’t be harmed.

I’m sorry.

[kaizokunohime]

Black Lines of Distraction Ch. 8

Last chapter! Thank you all for the support! (And sorry, not sorry about the cliffhangers) Enjoy your reward of fluff and Lemons! ^v^/

Thanks for writing this story together with me @lululawlawlu-fanfics!

AO3 link

*☆*:.｡. ✧.｡.:*☆*:.｡. ✧.｡.:*☆*

pairing: LawLu

rating: Explicit

trigger warning: anxiety, mentions of death/ trauma

*☆*:.｡. ✧.｡.:*☆*:.｡. ✧.｡.:*☆*

Law’s eyes darted left to right scanning the small island for any sign of Luffy. The landscape had quickly turned molten, melting the entire island into the sea, and still Luffy hadn’t emerged.

‘This is just how Luffy-ya operates,’ Law tried to tell himself, willing himself to remain calm, ‘He’s going to be fine’.

The crew didn’t seem worried in the slightest, but then again, they hadn’t been there in Marineford- hadn’t seen the carnage on the battlefield. They hadn’t had to witness their captain comatose and half-dead; too far gone to even feel pain without anesthetic. Law could imagine the circumstances that lead to Luffy’s state back then and just how trauma-inducing the current lava-like environment might be for the younger captain.

Every passing second had an uneasy anxiety mounting in Law’s racing heart. Though he still felt weakness with the use of his powers, he was ready to gather all the strength he could manage if it meant shambling Luffy to safety.

In the end Law had been made to feel like a fool at the sight of Luffy’s riding out to meet them, waving and smiling as if nothing at all had happened. It would be far too embarrassing for Law to admit he’d been worried at all.

As soon as he saw that Luffy was safe, Law returned to keeping himself at a distance while he gathered him thoughts. He’d already gotten too close- gone too far with his ally. Ally was all Luffy was- all he could be. He had to accept that now. Law had known all along that something about him was dangerous, reckless, and flippant, but he’d let himself get too close anyway.

That’s not to say that messing around in bed wasn’t fun, or that he hadn’t enjoyed it, but Law had let his emotions come into play. No matter what he tried to tell himself, the truth was that he desired deeper connection- not just physical attraction. Law only needed some time to put his feelings into the right words to make Luffy understand he no longer felt comfortable having one without the other.

Unfortunately for him, Luffy’s patience had dwindled to nearly nothing, and Law soon found himself cornered in his hiding place among the tangerine trees at the back of the ship.

“Torao! I missed you so much!” Luffy expressed openly, throwing himself at the older captain. He wrapped his arms around Law’s neck, standing on tiptoes to press his lips to Law’s.

Law’s body went rigid. He could not allow himself to give the slightest bit of warmth or comfort to Luffy. He felt that the moment he did, he would be trapped in an unhealthy relationship of purely physical pleasure at the cost of his emotional stability.

“What’s wrong, Torao? Why are you hiding all the time?” Luffy pulled back to look up at him, his big obsidian-dark eyes studying Law’s face for reaction, but Law couldn’t give him any hint of emotion.

“I love you and I want you to be happy,” the younger captain insisted, “happy with me.”

It was still more than a little unsettling for Law to hear Luffy say that word- to confess his love again. ‘Love’ was not a word to be just thrown around as if it could be equated to any kind of fond emotion. Love was deep. It was binding. It was meant to speak volumes about the devotion that bloomed within the hearts of those willing to open themselves completely. Something about the way Luffy spoke it so casually just crawled under Law’s skin.

Law was aware that he’d started the whole mess when he first kissed his ally. He understood that he had encouraged Luffy’s physical affection up until now, so his behavior might be confusing to him. It was confusing to Law himself. He hadn’t expected to get so caught up in his feelings but now that he had, he couldn’t let their relationship go on without setting things right or at least trying to explain himself.

“Don’t use that word so lightly. Don’t tell me you love me-” Law cautioned him coldly, his willpower straining against the warmth of Luffy's advances, “-unless you’re interested in more than my body. I don’t want to hear it unless you’re serious about accepting every little part of me, good or bad.”

“But I really do love you and I am serious- really serious,” Luffy spoke again with a frown, his eyebrows drawn together, agitation creeping into his voice. “What do you want me to say to make you believe me? You want me to say I’d die for you or something because-”

“No! Don’t you dare say something like that!” Law snapped, nearly shouting the words at him. He grasped Luffy’s face in his trembling hands to look him in the eyes.

The mere suggestion of such a thing happening to Luffy had a tightness winding itself up in his chest. Images of the past dredged themselves up in his mind, reminding him of how close to death the younger captain had looked lying limp and bloodied on his table. The thought of Luffy taking on more than he could handle again had Law’s chest gripped in pain, threatening to constrict his lungs harder with every breath, ready to crush his heart and swallow him whole.

“I won’t say something like that,” Luffy continued, placing his hands over Law’s, his voice resolute, “because I wouldn’t want you to die for me either. It hurts too much to be the one left behind. Instead I’m always gonna fight hard to make sure you never have to worry about that.”

“You idiot. What are you saying? You already made me worry.” Law choked out, trying to still his quivering voice as he rested his forehead to Luffy’s. His eyes were burning, vision starting to blur though he willed himself not to shed tears- not to let his vulnerability show. “I watched that island turning into a molten pool of lava and there was no trace of you. How do you think I felt?”

“Sorry,” Luffy spoke warmly moving to hold Law in his arms, “but it’s ok now. And now we have each other, right?”

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Law suggested, wanting to continue in privacy if he was going to bare his emotions any further.

Luffy only smiled, taking him by the hand to lead him back to the captain’s room- the only place on the ship away from any possible interruptions or prying eyes.

This time when Luffy kissed him, Law accepted him in earnest, leaning into his kiss, loving the way Luffy so eagerly slipped his tongue past his lips to tangle with his own.

Law slid his fingers under Luffy’s open shirt, urging it off of his shoulders as he kissed his way down Luffy’s neck, smiling against his skin as a pleasured gasp from the younger captain reached his ears.

Luffy’s hands roamed hungrily over Law’s body, nearly tearing the buttons off of his shirt in his eagerness to show Law his affection.

Law pulled away from him to finish the job, shrugging it from his shoulders, stripping himself of the shirt before proceeding to do the same to Luffy. Even though Luffy’s chest was bare before him under his open shirt, Law didn’t want there to be any barrier between himself and his lover.

He explored Luffy’s chest, licking his nipples and the crevices created by his abs, marveling at the musculature of such a lean figure. He ran his hands down Luffy’s back and began to knead at his delicious backside while bringing his head back up to once again explore the mouth of his lover.

He popped the button on Luffy's jeans with one hand, urging the zipper down as he slipped a tattooed hand into the front of the other’s pants to palm at his erection. He didn’t know if he was more satisfied or turned-on at finding the Luffy so hard already, but he knew he was going to enjoy making Luffy even more excited before he was through with him.

Law sank to his knees and began mouthing over the smooth fabric of Luffy’s red boxer-briefs. Luffy’s breathing hitched, his eyes glazed with lust as he watched him.

“You’re making me feel so good Torao,” Luffy murmured. “Oh fuck, you’re so good. Give me more. Don’t stop.” A thrill ran down Law’s spine. Being so sincerely praised never failed to cause a desperate fire within him, driving his need to make Luffy feel even better.

Luffy’s fingers combed through Law’s hair, uncharacteristically gentle, especially given that Law had expected him to be frantically urging him to move and give him more pleasure. Luffy seemed to be testing his patience against Law’s as he continued to murmur praises and Law continued to tease his straining erection.

Law tugged the clothes from Luffy’s hips, humming as Luffy’s bare cock greeted him, fully erect, glistening precome forming at the tip, making it even more irresistible. Law moved impulsively, flattening his tongue over the slit before taking him into his mouth, fully aware that he was moving too quickly as he worked his mouth around Luffy, urged on by the younger captain’s claims of not being able to imagine anyone more perfect than him.

Luffy’s fingers wound themselves up in his hair, tangling in the strands and tugging at the sensitive spot near the base of his skull, causing Law to whimper at the pleasure-pain that resulted.

“Torao~” Luffy moaned, his voice deep and silky with arousal.

Law only hummed around his cock in response as he continued, picking up speed, hollowing his cheeks as he went down on him and sliding his tongue along the underside of the shaft every time he came back up.  

“I- I’m- ahhhhh~” Luffy cried out as he bit his lip, tone suddenly higher than expected, tinged with urgency.

Law pulled away a second too soon letting Luffy’s release paint warm, wet streaks across his face and chest.

“You're too good at that,” Luffy spoke, breath heavy on his lips as he gazed down at Law, seeming to admire the mess he'd made of his lover as a lazy smile tugged at his lips.

He sunk to the floor, as if intent to clean up the mess he’d made of Law, licking his milky release from his cheeks. Luffy’s tongue flicked over the inky dark lines that decorated Law’s chest as he lapped at the liquid that had been spilled there. His hand palmed at the bulge that had grown in Law’s pants, sliding his fingers up to fumble at the button on his tight jeans.

Law chose to let him take care of it on his own, sliding his own hands up Luffy’s sides, enjoying the feel of the taut muscles under his fingertips.

As soon as Luffy had Law’s pants undone and his clothes removed he pushed him back onto the bed. He kissed along Law’s hip, slowly moving toward his erect, aching cock that was straining for attention. Luffy held his hips down as he started to take it in, pushing Law’s cock all the way to the back of his throat, preventing Law from thrusting into his mouth as he so desperately wanted with that warmth around him.

If Law wasn’t allowed to move his hips, he had to distract himself from the unbearable somehow, so he reached out to take Luffy’s hand, bringing his slender fingers up to his lips. He took Luffy’s index and middle fingers into his mouth slowly, swirling his tongue around them provocatively in a mock gesture of what he would do if Luffy’s cock were at his mercy again. He was confident that this this was having his desired effect given the way Luffy moaned around him before pulling off.

“Do you know how crazy you make me?” Luffy gasped, withdrawing his fingers from Law’s mouth.

“Why don’t you show me,” Law suggested with a smirk.

Luffy eyed his body hungrily, seemingly curious to explore the places he hadn’t yet been able to, bringing his saliva-slicked fingers from Law’s mouth to press against the ring of muscles at Law’s entrance.

Law willed himself to relax, taking a deep breath as he felt Luffy push in with both digits at once, the bare minimum of lubrication giving enough resistance to send small shocks of pain coursing through his nerves although it caused him less stinging pain than he’d anticipated. Allowing Luffy’s fingers to explore their newly found territory was more pleasurable than he’d imagined. He found himself wondering how Luffy had known to curl them, pressing against the sweet spot inside of him that made him ache for more.

“Law,” Luffy spoke his name quietly as if it were something sacred, revered, “I want to-”

Law didn’t let him finish his sentence. He didn’t need to. There was only one reason they found themselves back in bed, enjoying the feel of each other’s bodies.

He got up to sift through the drawer of the bedside table, relieved to find an small, unopened bottle of lube. Law spread an adequate amount on his fingers as he made his way back over to Luffy, not quite desperate enough to hope that precome would be enough lubrication to get Luffy in him without a significant amount of pain.

He urged Luffy to lie back, swiping his fingertips over the head of Luffy’s cock, wrapping his fingers around the girth, stroking it slick. Law took a few deep breaths as he straddled the other man to sink slowly down onto his length, indulging in how it stretched his hole and filled him up so well.

This was a sensation he’d thought he knew, but somehow having Luffy inside of him set his nerves alight in a way that made Law feel as if this act were something transcendent- something so much more intensely pleasurable than any experience he’d ever had. The burning lust building inside him was mirrored on Luffy’s face, mingling with something akin to awe.

If Luffy was feeling this good from the start, Law was sure he was in for a good time. He pushed his hips up, bringing himself down as hard as he dared, Luffy’s cock hitting deep inside.

“Oh, fuck! Law-“ Luffy gasped.

Law continued to move his hips, sliding against Luffy’s cock. If he weren’t so lost to his own pleasure he might have laughed at the way Luffy gazed up at him, mouth gaping, panting, looking for all the world like he’d lost his mind.

“Law, you feel,” Luffy murmured, “feel so amazing.”

Luffy’s hands found their way to his hips, gripping them appreciatively, following Law’s movements as he rocked his body, moving to the celerity of his lust.

Law took Luffy’s hand from his hip, guiding him to take his neglected erection in hand. An involuntary moan slipped past his lips as Luffy stroked him, following the pace he’d set and he could feel himself getting close to release. He angled himself, trying to making sure Luffy’s cock slid against his walls right, working his body to draw them both toward climax.

The fingers of Luffy’s alternate hand dug into Law’s hip as he came hard inside of him, stroking erratically to bring Law along to orgasm.

Law slowly slid himself off of Luffy, panting as he lie down on the mattress. His emotions, like his body, lay bare before his lover as they bathed in the light of mutual ecstasy, giddy traces of emotion dancing across their minds in the post orgasmic bliss they shared.

… … … … …

“What was your first impression of me?” Law asked, eyes absentmindedly studying the ceiling as he lazily stroked Luffy’s hair.

Luffy hummed in thought from where he lie with his head on Law’s shoulder. He pushed himself up on his elbows to look at Law, as if that would help him remember.

“Well, you seemed really cool, but kind of... umm… arrogant I guess. Like you thought you were too cool to give a shit about anything,” He explained. “I didn’t know until later that you’re so deep.”

“Hey, don’t you think that’s a little harsh,” Law spoke with mock-disappointment in his voice.

“Why did you ask then? You know I’m not gonna lie,” Luffy laughed, leaning over press a kiss to Law’s lips. “Besides, I think I loved you all along.”

His eyes lingered over Law’s a moment before he spoke again.

“I thought of a way to make you believe me,” Luffy spoke, sitting up in bed, “I want you to have my heart. You know, do that thing you do and take it out and keep it. I want to trust you with it. And, you know, you should trust me with yours too.”

“You want my heart now?” Law raised an eyebrow.

“Sure. But you don’t have to. I still want give you mine anyway.” Luffy smiled, his finger tracing the line of the heart inked on Law’s chest.

“Oh, I see how it is. This is about the tattoos you like so much,” Law teased.

“That’s not it! I really love you!” Luffy protested, before quietly muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “But that would be so cool.”

If Law had learned anything about Luffy it was that he could count on him to be honest to a fault. And while he wouldn't ordinarily describe Luffy as a purposefully thoughtful person, it was more like this kind of gesture was just instinctual for him.

A smile tugged at the corners of Law’s lips. Luffy was such a powerfully genuine person. Even if Law would never admit it, through his odd brand of compassion, Luffy had warmed his way into Law’s heart deeper than he ever thought he’d let anyone get. Little did Luffy know, Law's heart had been his for a while now, and Law couldn’t ever see that changing.