"Where...am I?"
Law lifted an arm to shade his eyes from the intense rays of the sun. As he walked forward, he suddenly stopped to look down at his feet. He wasn't wearing shoes, standing on soft white grains of sand. A crash of a wave could be heard, making Law look back up into a shining sea. He was on a beach, so picturesque it was impossible to believe such a place existed. A warmness filled his body as he continued to gaze off into the sun that was slowly setting in the cloudless sky.
"Law!! Come quick!! I found a crab!" A joyful voice interrupted the serene moment.
"Hm?" Law's eyes darted to look over his shoulder towards the mysterious voice when the weight of a hand suddenly rested against his shoulder. Black eyes widened with stars at the sight they saw. "C-Corazón?" He said astonished under his breath, looking straight into the goofy face of his old friend that was smiling so brightly.
"Check it out! Let's eat this thing for supper!" While Law stood too stunned to speak, the crab that was in Corazón's hands took the opportunity for an escape by snapping its claw on the tall man's nose. "OWWOWOW!!! STUPID CRAB, LET GO!!"
Was this real? He could see him so vividly in front of him. His heartbeat grew rapidly with significant emotion. A teardrop fell down his cheek.
"LAW!! HELP MEEEE!!" Corazón continued to roll around in the sand in pain from the crab's brutal attack on his nose. Eventually, he was finally able to pry away from the crab's claws. "Owww..." He rubbed his nose with an angry scowl, "That's it, now you're really going to be my dinner tonight! Law why didn't you do anything?!...Huh?" Corazón looked up at the young man standing in front of him with confusion, noticing the strange expression on his face. "Hey, what's up with you? You alright?"
"You're...You're okay?" Law's voice quivered in disbelief.
"Would've been better no thanks to this damn crab." He snarked. Adjusting his hat, he stood up and then brushed the sand off his pants. "Let's talk over dinner, okay?"
"...Sure."
Law followed his friend to a nearby make-shift firepit. He took a seat in the sand and watched the sun paint the sky with warm hues as it set behind the sea. The crackling of the fire and the sound of the waves gave him a comforting sense of nostalgia. As much as he wanted to smile, he still couldn't avoid the thought of this not being real.
Corazón continued his work preparing the two's dinner and began roasting the crab over the fire. RIP crab.
"You're supposed to be dead." Law broke the peaceful silence.
"Wha-?!" Corazón gasped. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you still upset about the prank earlier? C'mon, Law..." He comically pleaded.
"No..." Law shook his head. "Doflamingo...he killed you."
Corazón's usual clown-like smile slowly subsided, and the mood became somber. He reached into his pocket for a cigarette and stuck one in his mouth igniting it. Law anxiously sat waiting for an answer as the man exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Yeah...yeah he did."
Law continued to stare at the vivid scene of his friend. "So...you aren't real, are you? Is this all a dream then?"
"I'm afraid so." His painted lips gently smiled. "But isn't it nice? It's been too long since we could relax like this."
"It doesn't change my feelings though...if anything...this makes me hate Doflamingo even more..." Law hung his head in defeat. "If it wasn't for him...this could be real. I can't forgive him." A tear fell and soaked into the sand at Law's feet. "If only I was stronger...if only I could do something to stop what happened."
"It was my time, Law-"
"It didn't have to be!!" He interjected through his teeth. Tears accumulated in Law's coal-dark eyes, and started to overflow. "Something could've been done! We could've never gone to Swallow! I could've never joined your crew...You could've just let me die-"
"Nothing could've been done." Law looked up in surprise at Corazón's abnormally serious tone. "Are you trying to convince me that my actions were something to regret?"
"...I.." Law was unable to form an answer.
"Listen carefully, Law. I died that day without one regret. Not one, you got that? If I had the choice, I would do it all again. Look at you, you've grown up to be so strong, and you made so many friends. You have your own crew and your freedom. I couldn't be more proud of you, Law."
Law sniffed, too choked up to speak.
"This is what I wanted for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be around longer to watch you grow up, but that's just the way of the universe. You didn't let the world influence you onto a path of destruction. You stayed strong, even though it hurt. It will hurt sometimes, but you shouldn't live with regret, Law. You're a good kid with a pure heart that's still beating. I know you're going to go on and take the world by storm." Corazón stood to his feet and placed a caring hand on Law's shoulder. He said with affirmation, "I couldn't be happier."
"I'm sorry..." Law wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry for everything...I'm sorry how it had to end."
"It's not your fault, Law. You're forgiven." He opened his arms, letting Law rest his head on his shoulder as he embraced the boy in a loving hug. His sleeve became damp from the tears, but they were happy tears.
"Thank you...for everything, Corazón.
After a few moments of no sound but the crackling fire and the rolling waves, a funny smile formed on Corazón's face. "So...You wanna tell me about this Astrid? Did my boy find love?"
"What?!" Law jolted back and blushed, making the blonde man laugh loudly at the look on Law's face.
"I knew it! My little Law is in love!!" He exclaimed doing a goofy dance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Shut up!!" Law shot awake, rapidly sitting up startled from the vivid dream. He looked around to gain his bearings while catching his breath. He was back in his room on the Polar Tang. What happened?
He brushed a hand through his messy raven hair, still feeling disconnected from reality. He groggily rolled out of bed and trudged to the nearby mirror. His face was puffy and flushed. He must've been crying in his sleep...Oh right, he had that dream on the beach. As he stared at his reflection, he thought about his encounter with the dream Corazón. It felt so real...like he could actually feel when he placed his hands on his shoulders. He subconsciously rubbed his shoulder in a daze. Even though he looked like a total wreck, his body felt light, like he could start to float any second. It was...a good feeling.
An object then caught his attention in the mirror. A painting sitting on the nightstand of a familiar island. "...ASH!!" His memory returned. He hastily ran to his coat throwing it over himself and ran out of the room.
That's right! The battle on Rocky Port...He released what strength he had left and defeated Blackbeard's men alongside his crew. Did he pass out from exhaustion? He'd have to figure that out later, Ash was on the brink of death and he had to know if she was okay.
"Where is everyone?" He ran through the sub not seeing a crew member anywhere, until he arrived outside the infirmary.
"Ah! Captain, you're awake!!" Penguin and Shachi were standing post outside the door and excitedly greeted their captain.
"Move aside," Law ordered, but they didn't budge. "Hey!" He shouted, but Shachi interrupted.
"Sooo, how did you sleep sir? Good?" Shachi tried to redirect him by wrapping a friendly arm around his neck and turned Law around.
"You were asleep for a long time! Almost three days!" Penguin added. These two were acting suspiciously.
"Three days?!" Law said in shock, but then quickly snapped out of it. "Wait that doesn't matter! Move already!"
"It's okay Captain! Don't worry about Ash, we're taking care of her! You should go get something to eat-"
"I can eat later, now move aside and that's an order!"
Shachi and Penguin looked at each other in defeat and stepped aside letting Law barge through the door.
"Ash!" He called out, but ran into his crew huddled in a group who looked over at him with a look of fear.
"OH NO, CAPTAIN!!" They suddenly charged him and tried to push him out of the room.
"Hey!! What is with you guys? You're pissing me off! Bepo, where are you?"
"Uh, not here, sir!"
The crowd in the room then stopped the hysteria and turned to the bear, ...who was clearly there in plain sight.
Bepo then remembered that he did not know how to lie. "...Oops."
"Bepo!!"
"AHH!!" Law chased after the bear that ran away screaming in fright.
"Shambles!" Law had had enough antics and teleported Bepo in front of him. Bepo didn't have enough time to stop though before tumbling and crashing into his captain, falling to the ground with a loud thud.
"S-sorry, Captain..."
"GET OFF!!" Bepo yelped from Law forcefully pushing him off him. "Enough with the games! Where's Ash?" He quickly walked to one of the beds, but it was empty. He scanned the room, but there was no girl to be found.
"Captain, she's fine." Ikkaku stepped forward to try and calm her captain. "We're sorry, She told us to make sure you didn't see her yet. She escaped to the deck just a second ago while you were chasing Bepo."
"Why the hell doesn't she want me to see her? ...Wait, she's okay?"
"Yes, captain." Ikkaku happily smiled. "She's fine. Bepo was able to revive her. His Electro worked just like you said."
"...That's good to hear." Law composed himself upon hearing the news. Inside though, he was delighted to hear that she was alive. "What about her injury from the bullet?"
"Well, it's certainly not up to par with your skill, but the crew worked together to patch her up and perform a blood transfusion. She was up and walking yesterday evening."
"Really?" Law turned and faced his crew surprised.
"Yes, sir!" His crew saluted.
"Look at you, you've grown up to be so strong, and you made so many friends. You have your own crew and your freedom. I couldn't be more proud of you, Law."
Hearing those words of his old caretaker echo in his head, he couldn't help hiding a little smile. "Thank you, everyone. Excellent work."
Seeing their captain actually happy for the first time in a long time, the crew erupted in animated tears of joy. "You're welcome, Captain!" They cried.
They are a bunch of fools, but Law was grateful to have such a good team have his back.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"C'mon, c'mon!" Ash sat crouched hidden by the barrier on the deck. In her hands, she held a needle and thread and was sewing something as fast as she possibly could. "If he catches me he's gonna kill me..."
"Talking to yourself again, huh?"
"Waah!!" Ash jumped from a resonant voice and quickly hid the object she held behind her back. "Scaring people again, huh?! Jeez!" she sarcastically yelled back at him.
Law chuckled and squatted down to look Ash eye to eye. Looking into those jewel eyes of hers gave him such a sense of relief. She really was alive. "You wanna talk about scaring people? You gave me a good scare yourself, y'know. I thought I lost you."
Ash was nervous having Law's face this close to hers, and her heartbeat began to accelerate from the closing proximity. He looked more handsome than she remembered. Why was that? "You were scared? I can't imagine such a thing."
"Well it's true, and it's all your fault." The man snidly said.
"You didn't have to get yourself involved like you did! I told you that you needed to flee!"
"If I did, you'd be dead." He smiled in humor seeing her so frustrated. "I had to swoop in and save you yet again."
"...You didn't have to..." Ash grumbled with a blush growing on her cheeks.
"Yes, I did." He said, lifting her head up with a finger under her chin to keep her attention on him. "I'm a doctor. It's my duty."
His voice was making Ash shiver. She could tell he had just woken up from a long slumber, as his hair was still messy. But, "You're dark circles are gone."
"Are they? I guess I did get a lot of sleep like you wanted." He tilted his head, that smile still decorating his face. "Now, care to explain why you're hiding from me?"
"Umm..." Ash gulped, clutching onto what was behind her back. "Don't worry about it."
Law picked a pebble from the ground and held it out in front of them.
"Don't do it." Ash shook her head.
"I'll do it."
"Please no."
"Shambles."
In an instant, what was once a pebble in his hand now was a mass of fur fabric. He studied it confused at first, then realized it was in fact his hat.
"Okay...don't get mad." Ash started her explanation. "Your hat you always wore got damaged back on Hachinosu. Bepo snuck it to me so that I could try to fix it..."
Law didn't say anything, making Ash's anxiety grow. She continued to ramble, "I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me. This seemed important to you, so I've been trying to sew it back together...I know the rim doesn't go around the hat all the way anymore, because I couldn't salvage enough fabric...but-"
Ash was cut off by a burst of warmth blanketing around her. "Thank you. It's perfect." Law said, embracing Ash in a tight hug, making her face turn red. Her petite body fit perfectly in his arms.
"R-Really? You're not mad?" She stuttered. His arms felt stronger than they looked...
"No, idiot." He leaned back so he could see her face again. Her porcelain features glowed in the light of dawn, her eyes sparkling like sea gems. What a woman she was. She possessed such a unique beauty that only could come once in a lifetime. Even though she faced the worst the world had to offer, she stood strong through it all. She had a heart of gold, so sweet and kind. On the other side of that coin, she was also stubborn and extremely independent. But he admired that about her, even if it was a pain sometimes. "Hey, by any chance...did you get to make your painting?"
"Uh...sadly no." Ash's face tingled, feeling bashful from Law's obsidian eyes looking deep into hers. When she met him, she would've described him as a rude and childish young man. While he possessed a lot of power and skills, his personality was a mess, causing him to lash out if you tried to get too close. Back in Hachinosu though...there was something that seemed different about him. His eyes didn't seem as hollow as they used to. Seeing him in this new light, looking so alive, was something undeniably beautiful.
"I'm sorry to hear. That's too bad." He said.
"It's okay, to be honest. It's nothing I want to paint anymore since it's kind of destroyed now. I'm ready to look for new places." She grinned, making Law's heart flutter.
"Where would you like to go?" He asked, tenderly smiling back.
"I don't know. I sort of just go wherever the wind takes me." Ash looked out into the sea with a sense of wonder. "Destiny seems to take me to the most amazing places. I find it magical, really."
There was that far-off gaze of hers again... "Destiny, huh? You believe in such a thing?"
"Of course I do. Some things are too strange and too strong to be coincidence, you know?"
"Yeah...I suppose so." He looked off into the horizon along with her. She always seemed to say weird things. He then decided in this moment that he wanted to continue talking about weird things with Ash for as long as he could. "Say...Would you let me take you?"
"Huh?" She asked startled by what the man just said. "What do you mean?"
"I mean would you like to come with me? I'll take you wherever you want."
"Seriously...?" Her head became so flustered she could barely think straight. Since when was he so nice? "A-Are you asking me to join your crew again?"
Law snickered. "Well, I wouldn't be opposed to that. I'd still appreciate it if you joined my crew." He sat back and relaxed against the barrier with arms crossed, looking up to the sky in thought. "But, I know you have your own ambitions. I will say though...I don't know if I could stand it if you get yourself into trouble again. I'd rather you stay with us where you'd be safe."
Ash couldn't believe Law's change in personality. Who was this guy? He was much more mature and caring. The Law she knew was stubborn and sadistic; the Surgeon of Death. This was like an entirely different person. His shoulders weren't as stiff anymore, and he spoke to her like a friend rather than a patient. But it was him, the same work of art she met on the raft. He never fails to fascinate her. This Law seemed...happier. It was a lovely sight to see him smile at her. She thought about his offer but thought it be best to let her heart answer for her. "You gotta answer my question first. You still haven't told me, what is your inspiration? What does it mean to be a Heart Pirate?"
"...My inspiration, huh?" He said, then smirked. He couldn't take it anymore. "Alright, I'll tell you. Close your eyes."
"What? Why?" Ash blushed bright red at the request.
"You'll understand better if you do. And, you need to show me you trust me." Law lifted a hand and covered Ash's eyes as he was running out of patience. "Are you listening?" He hummed.
"Y-Yes..."
Law's arm wrapped carefully around Ash's waist and pulled her close. Ash could feel his body brush against hers, sending her heart racing out of control. What was happening? He spoke into her ear, "I love you, Ash."
"Wha-" Before she could react, Law sealed his confession with a passionate kiss. Ash gasped from the impact, his lips surprisingly soft and warm. She couldn't help herself from melting into them and started to kiss him right back. Her heart felt like it would beat right out of her chest as Law deepened the kiss, every motion so loving and passionate.
The couple sat leaning against the barrier, unable to break apart from one another. The morning mist floated along the waves, the breeze reminding Law of when they first spoke in this very spot. Never again did he want to let her go. She was heaven.
After several minutes, the two broke the kiss and lovingly rested against each other's foreheads. "So, what do you say?" Law softly asked, placing a strand of white hair behind her ear.
Dazed from the ethereal moment, Ash caressed Law's cheek with careful hands. She had never felt this way before, it was a high she could only describe as unbelievable. She was weightless, light as can be. It felt as though they were the only two people left on Earth, and it was the most beautiful feeling she had ever felt. "You'll have me? Even after causing so much trouble?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way." He answered and kissed her hand. "You can stay here with us. You don't need to be alone anymore. Whatever happens; the Heart Pirates will be there at your side. We stick together, no matter what. The world is changing, Ash. My goal is to make sure that change is for the better. We will turn this world upside down and be the gears that drive this world into a new era. We are strong, and we will stop at nothing to achieve that. That is what it means to be a Heart Pirate."
Ash was speechless from all the wonder pouring out of Law. She never knew just how much drive and passion he possessed...and so much faith in his crew. It was all slightly overwhelming though. She never pictured herself being a part of something as big as changing the world. "You have a lot of ambition, Law." Was she ready to become part of something bigger than her paintings? "I suppose you were right...changing the world is a rather complicated goal."
"You asked." He shrugged. "I told you that you don't have to. I know how you are. But, I don't want you to think that joining us means that you need to stop following your dreams. The Heart Pirates are family, and we support one another." The captain took hold of the young lady's hands and stared thoughtfully at her delicate fingers. "If you wish to paint, you can paint."
This was quite a lot for Ash to take in. He had done more than simply answer her question. Law poured his heart out into his answer. She sat in a daze at a loss for words for the man's unexpected feelings. Never has she committed to something like this before. It was honestly sort of scary. She had really grown to care and adore the pirate, and now this wasn't such an easy thing to decide. Could she stand by him through something as big as changing the world? Could she be there for him? She knows firsthand just how unforgiving this world is. Then again...so does Law. He really could hold a promise like that for her? It was undeniable that he was certain of himself. Could she trust him? The questions just kept piling up. Ash took a deep breath to compose herself, filtering out all the questions that were only made from fear and was left with one made from playful sarcasm. "...Promise you won't cut me up again?"
"Haha," He laughed, "As long as you don't jab me again like you did. But, I think I can resist doing so."
Ash cupped her hands around her dark angel's face. If this really was something that could last, then she never wanted to let this go. This is where she wanted to be. If she had to take on the world to be right here with Law, she would do it. "Sounds like you found a new crew mate." She answered at last and pulled him in for another loving kiss.
Law was elated to hear her answer. Never before did he feel this happy. Her lips were sweet like candy; he couldn't get enough of the flavor and hungered for more. He bit her lips playfully to get her to open her mouth just enough so he could get a better taste. She let out a little gasp when his tongue began to invade. As he explored the warmth of her tongue against his, he thought about how foolish this whole moment was; how vulnerable he was being. He had never let himself let loose like this, not since he was a child. Guess that is what love is...
"Oh, by the way, I should tell you." Ash suddenly broke from the kiss.
"What?" Law asked, not wanting to pull away yet. He settled for giving small kisses along her jawline instead so she could speak.
"Astrid isn't my real name."
"I know."
"Huh?! What-How!?" Ash pushed him back in surprise.
"A friend of yours told me back on Hachinosu. He helped me manage to rescue you, actually."
"Really?" She smiled, remembering the pink-haired hero she met days before. "You guys got to meet? That's wonderful! He's a really great man."
"Okay, you can stop talking about him now, y/n."
Ash blushed brightly at the sound of him calling her by her real name, even if it was sarcastically. She giggled at the jealousy laced in his voice. "Don't worry, you're my one and only, Trafalgar D. Water."
"Wha-!? Who told you-"
"Bepo." She smirked seeing Law's frustration. "I didn't know I was the only one hiding a name, Water."
"Please just call me Law..." he scratched behind his head, hiding his blushing cheeks.
The sun slowly began to rise over the waves, turning the sea into a mass of twinkling stars. It was the start of a brand new day and a brand new beginning.