Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Luffy knew that they won’t be alive for long, what with akainu going mad and hunting them all down. Law wasn’t faring better than he was, being so worn down from battle and overusing his devil fruit, much more than luffy was. He knew that hiding wouldn’t keep them safe for long, he knew that if he wouldn’t be able to survive through this if akainu got what he wanted.

Luffy knew that the only hope he has is the one piece. And with the journey to laugh tale being brutal he knew that it was the only thing keeping him going. Luffy needs his nakama, needs his brothers, needs law right next to him, Alive and will.

So it all boiled down to the one piece, being the last-ditch effort in getting what he desires. Luffy was a selfish man by nature, nothing will stand in his way, and he will make sure of that. So he makes his way to the one piece with law at his side, battered and injured. Holding onto each other to stay standing. with single minded focus, they find the one piece just as the island shake.

Luffy gazes at law, eyes full of sorrow “are you ready?”

Law is silent for a second, then he pulls him-self to his full height with a grunt “let's get this over with”

***

Luffy’s focus comes back into full force with loud noises all around him, he turns and shanks is there. shanks is there and he has both arms, alive and laughing.

Their eyes lock and party’s bar is pulled into a deafening silence, shanks sets his beer down and leans into luffy’s side “anchor?”, he asks softly, and that sends luffy into a heaping crying fit.

Shanks is rightfully concerned, for the entire time they’ve been at fushia village luffy has been a bubbly, happy child. This outburst is very unlike him. Shanks takes him into his arms, holding him close as he shares a look with ben and makino.

He catches a few sentences through the heaving sobs but nothing coherent, then he hears the one piece being mentioned and shanks is suddenly struck with the knowledge that luffy has gone through something big.

“anchor? I need you to look at me.” Shanks says as he rakes his hand through luffy’s hair, gently coaxing him to raise his head. The eyes that locks contact with shanks are old, weathered in a way no child is. The eyes of someone who suffered great losses.

“luffy?” makino’s voice carry over the bar, but luffy’s eyes stay locked with shanks, calmer than seconds ago “I need you to do something for me” luffy speaks, voice hoarse from crying.

Shanks have no idea what to do except agree to whatever luffy throws at him. But When the one piece is involved it’s always with a storm in toe.

Chapter Text

Law awakens to snow, to wetness seeping into his clothes and freezing air biting his spotted skin.

Law comes to cora-san, to red coloring white snow. To the message being presented to him. Law shakes his head and in quick motion calls a room.

Law knows that he wouldn’t be able to control his devil fruit as good as he was before, but the experience in having the ope-ope nomi for most of his life comes in handy at this moment. With shaky movements and blurry sight law removes the bullets and with improvised bandages to wrap the wounds.

Cora-san is talking but law can’t hear him over the roaring noise of his thoughts. A hand on his shoulder startles him out of his head, and laws turns to look at cora-san and the only thing he could bring himself to say is “we need to leave the island”

Cora-san looks at him like he lost his mind, which is possibly what happened, law stands up and he drags cora-san to stand too, he’s talking but law has no energy to answer all of cora-san’s questions.

They make their way to the shore and law pushes cora-san into a boat and he pushes it into the water before climbing in. they’re meters away from shore when strings comes into view and close around the island.

They made it out, cora-san is alive and they’ve made it out of spider lily without coming into contact with doflamingo or his crew.

Law deflates and turn back to look at the taller man, “cora-san”

Cora-san is staring at law like he’s seeing him for the first time, “law…”

“I’ll answer all of your questions when we make it to safe land, for now you need to rest” law walks around cora-san and he pushes him down, cora-san tries to argue but law is tired and hopeful and emotionally overwhelmed by everything happening that he is on the verge of shutting down completely.

***

It's two weeks before they come across another ship. A ship that is the red force, the red hair pirates. Which means luffy made it back as well.

Law is up and waving before cora-san can stop him, he does try stopping him, his voice low and urgent “law! That’s a Yonko crew!”

Law, in a move that is completely unjustifiable draws back his arm and he slaps cora-san into sitting down. Cora-san is dumbfounded and law leaves him sitting there and goes back to weaving.

The red force is next to them and they’re being hauled up onto the ship before cora-san can collect himself, and law is thankful for that.

Shanks is in front of them, flanked by his crew. And law looks at him, looks around him, then asks “luffy-ya sent you?”

Cora-san is at his back in a fighting stance and law really doesn’t know how to tell the man to relax for a second. Shanks looks at him for a moment, the air is heavy with his haki and law stands there, head held high and back straight before the heaviness is lifted and shanks’ glare turns into a look “you torao?”

Law’s eye twitch in annoyance and he closes his eyes before he speaks back “its traflgar law, but yes. I am..” his teeth clinch in irritation “torao as you say”

No one answers him so he keeps going “I’m assuming luffy-ya sent you our way to help?”  

shanks nods his head and law sighs “he said that torao and his..Treasure are in trouble and need help” shanks’ gaze travel to cora-san and law is reminded of the mans injuries

law turns to cora-san and back to shanks “this is cora-san, he need medical attention” he says to hongo, the ship’s doctor.

Hongo escorts cora-san and law to the med-bay, and as cora-san is being treated, law goes ahead and starts cutting the amber lead out of his body. Its exhausting but he needs it gone now, so he pushes through with his treatment until he’s satisfied and manages to look to cora-san’s side before passing out on the bed.

Chapter Text

Shanks doesn’t know how to feel about everything that happened the past weeks. Luffy’s complete melt down at party’s bar was a shock to his system, but it doesn’t touch the conversation that shanks and benn had with luffy after.

Shanks had whisked luffy up to his room at the inn when luffy’s tears started drying, had taken benn up with him for support. Had set luffy on the bed as he sat on a chair in front of him, benn standing at his back.

The conversation was a long, jumbled stomach-turning mess. “it started going wrong after egghead island, the marines started going after us more viciously. and with akainu going madder by the week, It was only a matter of time before it all went to hell.”

Luffy had started, looking down at his lap, his hands clenching and loosening in a repeated pattern as a way to calm himself. Luffy has looked at shanks, eyes a pool of pain and tears. He took a deep breath before talking again “they hunted us down. My crew was among the last to go down, along with an allying crew.”

 Luffy is looking at benn now, then he moves his gaze back to shanks as if he’s seeing them for the first time then in a whisper, so soft they would’ve missed of it hadn’t been so quite “yours was one of the first to go”

Shanks heard a sharp intake of breath coming from behind and he closes his eyes as he breathes slowly before opening them. Shanks is lost, has no idea what to say when luffy picks up

“I was the last one, with another captain that made it to laugh tale. He was the reason I managed to get there”

Luffy wipes at his eyes roughly, aggravating his already reddened eyes. Shanks knows that he should stop him, that it can’t be good for his eyes. But before he could say anything a hand extends from his back holding a napkin towards luffy. Shanks turns to look at benn, they lock eyes for a second before shanks turns back around and takes the napkin off of benns hand.

In a slow move that luffy could see a mile away, shanks raises his other hand and cups his jaw, raising his head so he can wipe away the tears in a gentle motion.

Luffy is frozen for half a second before more tears start flowing down his cheeks and shanks can’t help himself from taking luffy back into his lap. “shh, it’s okay now anchor”

It takes a while before luffy is calm enough to continue the conversation. shanks has no idea how to start it back so benn, the ever levelheaded one, leans into shanks’ side and asks, in a low soft voice “you said that you needed something?”

As if struck with a realization, luffy pushes back from shanks and pleads “torao- the captain that made it to laugh tale with me is in trouble, please he needs help”

And really, its not like shanks can say no to luffy, “of course anchor, do you know where he is?” luffy’s head is moving before he can finish his sentence.

“torao is on an island called spider lily in the north blue, he needs help so he doesn’t lose his treasure.”

Shanks doesn’t realize that benn has moved until the door is opened, he turns to look. Benn is standing in the doorway “I’ll tell the crew to get ready”

Shanks is thankful that benn is his first mate, doesn’t know what he’ll do without him. He can hear benn’s voice in his head mocking him In a dead voice ‘crash and burn, obviously’, shanks huffs and runs his hand through luffy’s hair “we’ll get them here safe”

Shanks had stayed with luffy until limejuice had knocked on the door, informing him that they’re ready for departure. Shanks has hugged luffy tight before putting him down, promising to come back with torao and his treasure safe and sound.

***

Hongo is back from the med-bay with a frown so deep it cuts into his scar, a report on how their guests are doing is something shanks expects, what catches him by surprise is the disapproval that slices through. “both of them are resting right now, cora has multiple gunshot wounds but no bullets, I’m assuming the kid used his devil fruit to remove them before wrapping it in improvised bandages. The kid refused help in treatment, said he’ll do it by himself”

Shanks was not surprised, from what luffy has told him about law it was the expected thing. With a sigh he turns back to hongo “how are they now?”

It’s silent for a few seconds before hongo answers “the kid passed out cold after treating himself, and I gave cora some anesthetic while I treated him, so he Is also out for now”

Shanks nods as he leans onto the railing, it’s going to be a long conversation with those two once they rejoin the living world.

Chapter Text

Rosinante comes to a pounding in his head and the burn of antiseptics on his wounds, his eyes are bleary with exhaustion, His mind is blank of all thoughts except the tightness of bandages against his skin.

Someone is by his bedside, and memories of... yesterday? How long was he out? where was law? Questions races through his mind so fast rosinante is afraid he’ll get whiplash.

He is wide awake and sitting up before he can realize, eyes roaming the room and locating law on a bed in the far-left corner of the room.

Rosinante’s air leaves him in a rush so fast he chokes, throat closing and body curling onto itself as coughs wreaks through him, and It takes a while for him to get his breathing under control.

A hand is on rosinante’s back and a cup is offered for him to drink from, and he can’t help but take heaping gulps of water to sooth his throbbing throat.

Rosinante is grateful to whoever has helped him, and he raises his head to rasp out his thanks and bright red hair is what catches his eyes first, the three scars that covers the left side of his face.

The Yonko Red hair shanks Is leaning at his side staring into his soul, and rosinante doesn’t have it in him to react in any way right now.

That seems to be the right choice as shanks leans back and drags a chair to sit next to rosinante’s bed “how do you feel now? that was some gunshot wounds you had there”

Whatever rosinante has expected, that wasn’t it. Hadn’t expected the Yonko’s voice to be so gentle and caring. So he clears his throat and he croaks out “not as dead as I expected to be”

The red head’s eyebrows shoot up, and a smile cracks the serious face he had before “course not, glad you’re feeling better enough to joke. I’m sure you have questions but lucky would kill me if I threw that at you without feeding you first”

 A tray is set on his lap before he can protest, not like rosinante will do that, he’s starving. Being at sea for weeks without eating did that to a person. So he raises the spoon, scooping some of the soup offered to him then raising it to his mouth.

How long ago was it that he ate something this warm? Something that made way for nostalgia to take root at his core and tears to well up in his eyes. When was the last time he felt safe enough to let emotions overcome him as strongly as they are now?

Rosinante eats in silence. Law still out to his left and shanks a silent guardian to his right.

***

It takes another day for law to wake up, rosinante takes the time to recover some of his energy by resting. After that meal that rosinante had in the presence of red hair, shanks has left and the doctor of the red hair pirates came in.

He introduced himself, although no need for that as rosinante knew who he is. Hongo checks his injuries and changes the bandages. he then leaves him to his rest in the presence of a book.

Rosinante tries to read the book, although he is lost in his thoughts more so than he is focused on understanding the words on the pages.

How is he going to tell his adoptive father that he had to abandon the mission for this… Random kid he met through his brother, how is he even going to go about going back to serve in the marines after he had stolen from them.

He manages to dose off through the stress of his thoughts, and surprisingly, it’s the most restful sleep he’s had in a while.

***

Law rouse from passing out in stages. He hears the soft murmurs of a conversation first, then the feeling in his body starts to come back like pins and needles, the ache in his bones from pushing his body too hard, overusing his devil fruit so soon after coming to the past was a mistake, but something that had to be done, nonetheless. The last of his senses to return is his eyesight, blackness seeping out and making way for color to return to his vision.

Law lays there for a while, listening to cora-san’s voice. The conversation going between him and shanks-ya is low, Barely in his hearing range. and with the ringing of his ears law doesn’t hear anything they say.

Cora-san notices his state of wakefulness first, which doesn’t surprise law. He stumbles out of his bed and ends up on the floor in a heap of tangled limbs and blanket.

Shanks-ya barks out a laugh as he gets up from his seat to help cora-san to his feet. Cora-san is hauled up and into the chair next to law’s bed, and in an effort, law tries to sit up only for him to collapse back onto the pillow under his head.

“woah! Don’t try to get up yet, you’ve been out for two days” cora-san lays a hand on the younger’s shoulder, keeping him from trying to get up any further.

Law tries to speak, he doesn’t manage to locate his voice thou, so he closes his mouth and stares at the two next to him.

Shanks doesn’t know what he wants to say, but he can take a guess. So he runs with it “luffy sent us your way to get you off spider lily, and from the small explanations I have of what you look like we got you off that boat and onto the ship the moment we found you”

Shanks sits on the bed next to him before, tone a mix of gentleness and exasperation “you managed to overexert yourself the moment we got you in here, which anchor said you would do.” He then turns to cora-san as he address him “I’ll leave you two for a bit, gonna get hongo in here to check on the kid”

Shanks turns to leave as law looks to cora-san, law doesn’t know how to even start explaining what was happening, so they set in heavy silence for a minute before the door is opened and hongo comes in.

“glad to see you awake kid, Gave us quite the scare when you passed out.” the other doctor checks law over, changes the wrapping around his hands and leaves.

Law is left in the silence of cora-san staring at him for a long time before he tries to find his voice, he manages to locate it but it comes out gravelly “cora-san…”

He tries to talk more but cora-san shushes him softly as he pats law’s chest “I might not know what’s happening, but I know that I care about you getting better more than the answers to my questions”

Law doesn’t try to talk again, but as he looks at cora-san he is struck with the realization. Rosinante is alive, law has saved him from his brother.

It might not erase the past he lived, but it opens the door for a new growing up experience, one he can share with cora-san, that he can grow up with bepo and penguin and Shachi. With luffy. It brings burning to his eyes and law closes them and takes a deep breath. this is going to be exhausting.