Ye Who Here Enter...

# Prequel; chapter 1 - The treasure of old

The Straw Hat pirates stod stunned and stared at the treasure hidden inside Laughtale - this miracle at the very core of the island - the silence both heavy and fragile in the air.

Despite looking like he was a hair’s breath away from passing out, Usopp was the first to speak;

“Come again?” It came out squeaky and trembling, yet clear.

“_I am the herald of history. That which is called ‘The One’, I was created and placed here for the sole purpose of greeting you all this very day… alas, the Dark One has prevailed, for Poseidon is no more.”_

Usopp fell back on his ass with a squeak as the thin line floating in the air started to write and squirm as the flat, artificial sounding voice once again started to speak. It looked a lot like electricity, yet didn’t behave like any electricity Usopp had ever seen, and yes, that included all the crap with Enel…

Robin frowned before speaking up.

“Poseidon… You are speaking about the mermaid princess, are you not?”

Luffy snapped to attention.

“What about ’hoshi?”

A moment of silence before the voice started up again.

_”Poseidon, the covenant of old, is no more. The breaching of promise will bring total destruction, the likes even the Dark One cannot fathom. This entire planet is doomed.”_

A loud “WHAT?!?” was exclaimed from several people at once.

_”Yet, the hour of despair need not come. For there is still time in which to act.” _ The voice continued. _”For within my light lies the Ultimate Gift, the treasure of time and choice. The singular opportunity to send one person back in time, to correct that which must never happen. I ask you now, son of D, do wish for the power to save the world?”_

“I don’t understand what you are talking about! Tell me what’s wrong with ‘hoshi! Explain so it makes sense!” Luffy was practically shaking with effort to keep his emotions contained.

“Luffy,” Robin stepped forward and put her hand on Luffy’s shoulder, even she seemed slightly shaken by everything that they had learned. “I believe it’s telling us… that Shirahoshi is dead.”

Luffy’s eyes grew wide.

“What?!?” Luffy spun around to face the glowing line floating in the air. “Is that true? What happened to her? Tell me or I’ll kick your ass!”

_”The creature which you call Shirahoshi is no more, she died having never fulfilled her purpose. Her dying without fulfilling the promise has broken the covenant and will rouse the Ancient Ones, whose children you call sea kings, and they will tear this world asunder. And should any life survive the ordeal, once the Ancient Ones are dead, the covenant between water and life will be destroyed and all water will grow stagnant and start to rot. Life will be no more. There will be no stopping it, for the point of no return was the death of Poseidon.”_

“‘Hoshi’s really dead?!?” Luffy shouted. “What happened? Who hurt her?!?”

Jinbei, who looked throughly shellshocked, finally spoke up. “What about fishman island? Did something happen to the people living there?”

_”Apologies, but I can only sense the presence of the ancient weapons, their presence or lack there of. I spent many years sensing the approach of the day Poseidon would be reborn into this world, indeed it came as was fortold, and I felt the moment it once again appeared on this planet in mortal flesh… and I felt it when it was, once again, snuffed out before reaching its full potential.”_

Luffy’s hands curled into fists so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Cut the crap!” Luffy snapped.

Robin shook her head. “It claims to know only that she is dead, Luffy,” her voice trembling slightly. “But not what happened.”

Robin turned her face towards this mysterious ‘One’ creature or entity or whatever it was.

“You said something, about how the world is doomed to die, but that it doesn’t have to end like this?”

_”That is correct. The nature of my powers is such that I can rewind time… I was placed here as a guide and a fail safe should the point of no return come before that fated Day. _

_”However, such power comes with limitations, I can only send one person back in time, and the amount of time can vary greatly, depending on how much power I have at my disposal. _

_“Also, only a small number of people possess the ability to retain their memories in the first place, making the offer moot, as without memories you are unable to change the course of history. _

_”So I ask you, son of D, do you desire the power to save the world?”_

Luffy’s face turned with disgust as he simply said “No.”

Several cries of “Luffy!”, “What?” and “Why?!?” was heard around the room. Nami and Usopp rushed over to Luffy and started to try to shake some sense into their captain.

“Please,” Nami said to the presence with a forced cheer. “Give us a moment before we decide anything ok?” Before turning back to Luffy and hissing “What do you think you’re doing?!? If you say no, everyone dies!”

“I can’t do that Nami! I’m not some hero! Besides, I told you before, I won’t go on a boring adventure!”

Nami gawked at Luffy, stunned beyond words trying to comprehend her captain.

“Luffy…” Usopp said desperately. “Don’t you think it’s kinda important…?”

“But that’s why!” Luffy said in frustration. “It is important! But I can’t lie, or plot, or plan! Let’s say I did go back five years or something, I have to do everything the same way or risk never meeting you guys! You think I remember the exact time of day I left my island? Every little thing that led me to you guys? You think I can meet you guys and pretend you aren’t my nakama? Because in my eyes you are and in your eyes I would just be a stranger! And I can’t do that, I can’t pretend that meeting any of you guys after spending who knows how long apart won’t make me happy! You expect me to not hug you guys and call out your names?”

Nami felt her blood leave her face.

Because what could she say? Luffy was _right_. A Nami unaccustomed to Luffy and his…. _Luffyness_, would never join his crew. Because she’d take one look at a happy rubber man shouting her name and trying to hug her and run for the hills. She’d be so sure he was either a trap sent by Arlong, insane or both. Safe to say she would never open her heart for him, and she doubted that she was the only one.

As if knowing what she was thinking about, Luffy continued; “How can I possibly do this without all of you? But how can I go forward in the world just trying to do the exact same thing I already did once? Knowing that if I miss something I might never be there to kick the butlers ass for hurting Usopp and trying to kill the people dear to him? Might not reach Zoro in time? Might not find my way to the restaurant Sanji was at? Might never meet you, Nami?”

Luffy was clutching at his chest like he was experiencing a heart attack in real time and Nami struggled to blink away the tears forming in her eyes.

“You expect me to meet Vivi or Robin and not cry with joy? Not tell Laboon that Brook is waiting for him? You expect me to see Blackbeard’s face and not kill him? To see Ace -“ Luffy’s voice broke. “I just can’t do it, I can’t do what I must and be what you guys need when you need me if all I can do is trying to be someone I’ve already been.”

Nami took a step back from Luffy. She glanced around at the others in the crew, several of them had tears in their eyes, except Franky who was openly bawling, and she knew that they too knew, a Luffy trying to be someone else (even if that person was himself from another time) would not be able to pull in all the people he had. Would not be able to turn them into a home, a family, a _crew_. A Luffy sent back in time was doomed to fail. She chewed on her bottom lip, a nervous habit she hadn’t done for years as it only happened while she felt under extreme stress and despair.

“Alright,” Nami almost didn’t recognize her own voice. “You can only send one person back, right? So pick me.” She said to the thing.

Several objections were heard but Nami kept going; “I’m the navigator, so it’s kinda my job to make sure we get where we need to go.”

_”…”_ The slight pause was somehow very loud and telling. _”Unfortunately, I can not send you back, only a captain qualifies for the opportunity. The crew cannot enter on his or her behalf.”_

“W-what?” Nami exclaimed in chock. “B-but we just told you Luffy won’t go, and it would be worse if he did!”

_”I cannot do what I cannot do. The rules are clear; regardless of the size of the crew, only the captain can accept the offer. Only a captain with a crew can qualify for the offer.”_

Law, who up until now had been leaning against a wall, next to the door and furthest away from everyone else, spoke up with a raspy voice.

“What, exactly, are the rules limiting the usage of this power?”

_”The rules are clear: A captain capable of reaching this place. With a crew to his or hers name. And though it’s not a requirement for accepting the offer, to be able to retain your memories, a special blood is needed. Or you are just fated to re-live your life exactly the same way as the first time.”_

“I see…” Law spoke slowly. “Then technically I should qualify, no? I’m not part of Straw Hat-ya’s crew. I’m a captain in my own right and…” Laws’ breath caught slightly. “I still have some men to my name.”

The silence was deafening.

_”… I see. But if you are a captain, where is your ship? Where is your crew?”_

“My ship… is at the bottom of the sea.” Law closed his eyes as if admitting out loud that he was nothing but a shameful failure. “And my crew… are recovering elsewhere.”

The silence felt judgmental.

“I don’t exactly expect you to take my word for it -“ Law said as he let go of his damaged arm with a soft hiss of pain and reached into his pocket and pulled out Bepo’s vivre card. “This is my navigators vivre card.”

The small piece of paper looked like it had seen better days, but was not actively shrinking, as it slowly dragged across his palm.

“Is that good enough evidence to prove that I’m a captain with at least one man under my command?” Law asked.

_”… it is. At the very least technically speaking.”_

“Technically is all I’m interested in speaking. I want to know if I can be sent back or not. I have all the requirements, no? I’m a captain, with a crew, and I made it here… the fact that I am here to repay Straw Hat-ya and not on my own ship with my own crew is irrelevant as it wasn’t among the rules you laid down.”

_”Yes… you should be able to accept the offer instead of the son of D…”_ there was clear hesitation in the way it was speaking. _”But be aware that if you don’t possess the right blood, nothing will change.”_

Law stared at it long and hard, which was impressive for it had neither a face nor any eyes to speak of, as if weighing the pros and cons of something of great importance in his mind.

Robin frowned. “Is there any way to check or make sure if someone has it or not?”

_”Negative. The proof is hidden within the blood that carries it, the knowledge passed down through the generations.”_

“B-but then…!” Usopp started saying in a panic before Law stared speaking again, causing him to snap his mouth shut.

“If it makes any difference, my full name is Trafalgar D. Water Law.” Law spoke slowly, but with a type of power that comes with authority. “Does that change anything?”

There was a shift in the room, though no sound had been heard, Law got the impression that the thing had sucked in a breath, as if surprise.

_“… You do indeed possess the power to travel back in time with your memories.”_

Law relaxed slightly in relief that he hadn’t revealed something that private to a room full of people (even if he did sorta trust them) for no reason.

“The D is a marker to distinguish the people who can travel back in time with their memories intact and those who can’t?” Robin asked the One before turning back to Law; “How did you figure it out?”

Law pulled the brim of his hat down so it covered his eyes.

“Just an educated guess.” He muttered. “We all had to state our name to enter, yet despite addressing Straw hat-ya directly, it’s only ever called him ‘son of D’, and the fact that a special bloodline was needed wasn’t brought up until talking about someone else going back in time… almost as thought it already possessed the knowledge that it wasn’t a problem for Straw hat-ya.”

Robin tilted her head slightly as she thought it over. “Indeed, that is a logical conclusion to reach.”

“Wait,” Luffy exclaimed. “You’re a D too?!?”

He bounced up to Law and gave him a big smile. “That’s so cool!” Luffy paused as if he just realized something. “Wait - your name is Water?” Luffy collapsed to the ground in laughter. “That’s so funny! You can’t even swim!”

Law flushed. “I can swim! I’m just physically unable to, it’s _different._”

Luffy sat up as he got his laughter under control.

“Is that so? I never learned how to swim!” Luffy said almost proudly and smiled at Law.

Law rolled his eyes but his ire was already dying in the face of Luffy’s pure and simple joy.

“Straw hat…” Law dropped his -ya, partly because it was something he’d picked up to be a bit of a brat, and partly because he wanted a serious discussion with Luffy (a heart-to-heart, if you will). Luffy snapped to attention, sitting cross legged on the floor, yet an air of seriousness about his. “I do get that as someone only here to repay a debt, I have no right to make demands or ask for favors… but will you allow me to go back in time in your place?”

Luffy laughed like Law had said something funny. “What are you talking about? Of course you can ask for whatever you want! But…” Luffy’s smile dropped. “Are you sure you want to spoil your own adventure?”

Law looked at Luffy for a second.

“Straw hat… I just had to burry more than half my crew.” The silence was suffocating. “I am not like you, I didn’t set out on a quest for fun and adventure, I set out to free myself from a destiny forced upon me by a world hellbent on killing me before I was even conceived. All I ever wanted was the freedom to live my life, and the power to protect those dear to me…” Law’s voice trailed off. “And the only reason I wasn’t left with my home in ruins and every single person I loved dead for the third time in my life was because you saw fit to help me…” Laws voice cracked. “So… Please. Will you grant me the chance to save my crew?”

There were tears in Laws eyes, but he was way too stubborn to let them fall. And although he felt embarrassed, small and damn near naked under Luffy’s silent scrutiny, he refused to look away from Luffy. A silent understanding seemed to shift between them before Luffy gave one of his trademark grins.

“Of course!” Luffy said happily. “If you want it, it’s yours.”

“Luffy!” Nami exclaimed in protest only to bring her hand up to her mouth and blush as everyone in the room turned to look at her. “Sorry, force of habit.”

Luffy started laughing shortly followed by Brook and the random chuckle from some of the other members of the crew. The merriment was short lived as Nami took offense to that and delivered swift justice in the form of a punch to the scull.

Law swallowed the lump in his throat before trying to speak again.

“Thank you, truly,” Law said softly but not quietly. “I won’t do you wrong.”

Luffy who was busy rubbing the bump on his head turned to Law with a big grin; “I know, you never do.”

Law flushed and looked away, but refrained from saying anything in objection to that statement. Instead he took a deep breath and walked up to the line glowing in the air.

“So, how do we do this?”

_”A final thing, a warning, the requirement for a crew wasn’t frivolous. The bonds formed between a captain and his crew as they overcome adversity to reach this place influence the amount of time you can travel back in time.” _

Law looked up sharply. “Then -“

_”However, the bonds existing between your two groups should be enough to send you at a minimum 5 months back in time, which should give you the time you need to prevent the death of the one called Shirahoshi.”_

Laws head swam with strategies and plans to avoid disaster.

“Is there a limit for how far back I might en up?” He asked.

_”Yes, it is impossible for you to travel more than 5 years back in time. Most likely you should end up somewhere between 1 to 3 years ago. Although, as I said, it can be anything between 5 months to 5 years, so be prepared.”_

“And…” Law glanced down at his mostly useless arm. “I won’t be traveling so much through time as it’s my memories that do?”

_”Correct. Time will be wound back. Physical wounds or injuries will be unmade. Any strengths or mastery achieved will be lost until training to reach such heights have occurred again.”_

Law exhaled. “Alright, let’s get this over with, unless there’s something else I need to know before we start?”

Law has a bit of a 3-stage personality. There’s the cool, composed and calculated persona that carries something like 1-5 percent of his actual personality but it’s more or less a construct.

If he’s cool and suave and sweeps you off your feet, congrats, you basically fell for him doing a tactical play and he has zero actual (romantic or sexual) interest in you. He might play the part if there’s something to gain in it for him, if he flirts with you, you better look at it as a chess player doing a tactical move rather than someone showing interest in you.

There is of course a “middle ground” where the motive is less strategic and more… curious. Law is a freak with an unhealthy obsession with learning what makes a human body twitch and how it functions. So if he likes you as a person (stuff that peeks his interest are intelligence but also defiance and rebelliousness, so if you can show him that you’re a sharp little cookie that takes no shit from nobody, you will earn his attention and most likely his respect) he might offer a night together. But there are strings attached; basically you have to agree to let him take you apart - sometimes literally. The night ends once he’s found every pleasurable point on your body and you’ve come enough times to literally pass out.

Either way, Law never actually fucks his “partner” in these situations. Granted, if he liked you enough to offer a night together, he will use the memories of your time together to jerk off when his libido acts up, but his mindset while trying to find what to do to make sure you come hard enough to see stars is far closer to his mental state performing surgery than someone seeking sexual pleasure. It’s about being mentally sharp, paying attention to what he’s doing, how it affects you, about being in control and controlling what’s happening and achieving his goal, whether it’s saving a life or giving you the most earth-shattering experience of your life. Either way, Law will not actually fuck you any more than he’d try performing surgery while dick-deep in someone. But between his hands, voice, lips and tongue, none of this is something that any of the girls lucky enough to have had him like that realizes. Because what man would rock your world so thoroughly and walk away with nothing in return? Except Law’s motive was never to get his dick wet, it was to learn what pleasured your body, the sounds and expressions you made while falling apart over and over again and he very much got what he wanted.

One could assume, he could just fuck them once they passed out, it shouldn’t even take that much time, except Law can’t for the life of him see the appeal of a body who’s not actively interested in him. Asleep? Passed out? Drugged? Drunk enough that the person is obviously not in their right mind anymore? As far as Law’s concerned, it might as well be a decomposing corps for all the sex appeal it holds for him.

Which brings us to the subject of Laws sexuality. I wish I could just say ‘I hc him as X’ but (and hear me out, I only have a basic understanding of the different sexualities despite considering myself on the demi/ace spectrum) I don’t have an simple “oh, he’s X” to give, while I do 100% see him as someone who doesn’t want you for your body, he wants your body for you, it’s not so simple as saying he’s pan or something.

Rather (like every thing else in Laws life, poor boy😅) it’s more complicated than that. Looks? Body parts? Even age doesn’t matter when it comes down to it when it comes to sexual compatibility with Law. Vibes and personality matters to catch his interest (and keeping it) but if you want to actively get his dick in you (or your dick into him) two things are needed. You need to want it, know that it’s absolutely what you want and show him that yes, you’re interested and horny, thankyouverymuch, (his libido won’t spark without it) and the second thing? Trust! Law is notoriously guarded and will not lower them or give up control when in the presence of other people under any circumstance… EXCEPT trust.

If the trust is there (and it doesn’t even have to be something unreasonable like ‘oh they will never hurt or betray me’ but a ‘in this moment, it’s okay to not be in control, not be in charge, not to be guarded, it’s okay to feel pleasure, to feel safe, to just BE’) Law can relax and actually enjoy the sex, something he doesn’t really do, unless he trusts his partner in some way.

Law has insanely high standards for any and all partners, partly because he just doesn’t feel the same need most people do, and partly because, well, LOOKS isn’t something that he cares about but the nature of both parties feelings and intentions are.

Law will not fuck;

Someone below him (crew members, patients or someone who’s emotionally attached to a patient)

A prostitute (well, he won’t buy sex, as he doesn’t think that consent can be bought, he allows his crew to buy sex, as long as they never try to mess with the contract agreed upon; ie, not pay in full or do stuff not agreed on)

Anyone who looks up to him (he has no interest in someone who looks at him with rose-colored glasses or put him on a pedestal, the name of the game is equality or play time is over)

Anyone who looks down on him (see above about equality)

Anyone who would would look at them having sex like something dirty, as if Law fucking them has made them diminish in value, made them filthy or defiled them in any way or form, or the other way around. (Law has no interest in ‘defiling’ or being ‘defiled’ he had enough of people looking at him as if he was nothing but plague infected filth as a child, and he has no room for it in potential sexual partners)

Safe to say, Law doesn’t fuck often, maybe once every 1-5 years, as it’s honestly not something that he particularly cares for either way. If he can’t find someone who ticks all of his boxes, he frankly doesn’t want it. His libido is nearly non-existent (especially when he doesn’t have a partner) so it doesn’t frustrate him or try to lead him astray, and while his crew worries about him he wouldn’t want it any other way.

Now, overall I hc the One Piece world of existing in a kind of world that is psychologically, morally and more or less sociologically like something out of the 1600, slavery? Understanding of psychology? Rights? It’s not comparable to the morality of today, not that I consider the moral and legal right of today’s age like some pinnacle of rights and justice… just that it’s very different. (And yet, depressingly the same in some ways). So I do think while he could definitely be sexually interested in another man, it’s even less likely to happen because of the general idea (historically speaking) that any man who “takes the woman’s role” is considered “less than” and while I can see Law not giving a shit about what other people say about him (unless it’s damaging towards the persona he’s created for himself, like making people think that he’s weak or that they can take advantage of him, or something that might make Doflamingo think he’s not the faithful little pawn he wanted him to think) I don’t think he’d be able to stand being intimate with someone that he cares enough about to trust and let them get close enough for sex, knowing that while they might enjoy and want it, in some ways they see the entire thing as unclean and one of them made lesser. Which I think would kill any libido Law might have had in such an situation.

Not sure if I’m making sense 😅 it’s hard to explain stuff that’s as convoluted as Law’s sexuality, especially as I see it heavily influenced by trauma (just like Law in general).

But to get back to topic; Law has a ‘cool’ persona towards strangers and people that he doesn’t trust. But let’s say, he accepts you into his life, he approves of you as a person and he’s trusting you enough to start trusting you… enter the next stage of his personality; the socially inept awkward boy who has the social IQ of -10. Law can not for the life of him understand and grasp the art of casual interaction. So for the most time he’ll just… be there. Not really taking, because what on earth is he supposed to say? To do? Law sure af don’t know! You’re not a threat to scheme around or guard against. You’re not someone that he’s in charge of either, are you? But this thing -whatever you want to call it- it’s new and dangerous and you’re not a close friend or family or someone who’s proven themselves (not yet) but if he genuinely believed that you were a threat, you would not be there.

Honestly, I hc hard that Law depends heavily upon his crew in social situations. Their job is to be social with any potential new members. Law will spend the time studying any newcomer, how they act, how they get along with the other crew members, what they like and dislike, what they can bring to the table. And only once they pass Law’s inspection are they finally (officially) considered one of the crew, usually it takes the form of Law giving them their own jumpsuit.

But if Law can’t hide his awkward ass among his crew, the award silences will be excruciating. And if you try to be social and bridge the gap, be aware that it will make things 1000% worse. Because Laws way of interacting with people who he sorta-trust-but-don’t-really-trust-the-trust-he-has-in-them-yet, he withdraws, he will watch you and how you behave and interact with the world around you, and if you approach him… congratulations, you’ve now changed what’s going on from ‘wild creature studying something to decide if it’s a threat or not’ to ‘congratulations, you’re now inside the same cage as an extremely dangerous creature, try not blocking the door if you want to live’. Best case scenario, he gives you a short response and leaves, or just look at you blankly, not saying anything, until you remember that life is good, actually, and fucks off on your own.

But if, and I can’t stress this enough, IF both of you survive going through his awkward, uncool phase where you learn about his actual personality and what he’s actually like… when you’re someone who understands that the cool-cat personality is an act, but also that Law might be the closest thing to an actual cat trapped inside a human body you’ve ever seen, when he doesn’t just trust you but is comfortable in your presence… then you will find the most authentic Law you could possibly hope to find.

Not some cool and untouchable guy, not some awkward loser who couldn’t find the way to string two words together in your general direction if his life depended on it.

But something else entirely, a gremlin child who feeds on chaos, a professional surgeon who needs (and demands) that everything follows his will, who despite being absolute in his power, would never chain someone to his side.

He might be the only reason that each and every member of his crew is currently alive and kicking, but if they didn’t want to be there, they wouldn’t. And there has been plenty of people who left, because it was too much, because the life of a pirate didn’t agree with them, because seeing the stuff Law was capable of scared them… And Law reacts the same way every time. He’ll give them some money and let them get off on an island that they like because he knows objectively speaking they will be safer and probably happier away from him. And the thing about Law is (at least until Dressrosa) that the only thing he wanted was keeping those he cares about safe, and defeating Doffy.

But his path is not the safe path, in fact, the world has afforded him no safe path so he decided a long time ago that if it was his fate to live a life where he would be chased, used and killed for the selfish whims of others regardless of what path he chose, then he would pick the road where he was the freest and subject to no ones will but his own.

And his crew love him, because they know at his core? Law is a lot of things; mischievous, controlling but never cruel, kind but practical, pragmatic and logical but not without feelings and they know he’d give them the one thing that the world never gave him; the choice of living a normal life. And they’d do well for themselves too, Law has high standards and has taught most of them not just how to read and write more than their own names but also mathematics, how to fight and how to treat wounds so they could pursue work as both guards or medical personnel, especially in small towns or communities where the standard were usually ‘don’t faint at the sight of blood’ or ‘don’t lose their head at the first sign of problems’ or even ‘can follow verbal instructions’.

And to the crew members who not just stay, but actively refuse to leave, because they know their captain; he’ll absolutely try doing this solo. We’re talking about a man who performed surgery on himself alone in a cave with nothing but his haki-encrusted nails and a devil fruit he’d had for less than 48 hours when he was only 13 years old and sick enough that he wasn’t surviving for more than a couple of days if he didn’t.

To the people who follow Law, who gets the honor (and terrible trouble) of being part of his crew, there is no better life out there. Because what life could they possibly have outside if they had to live with the knowledge that they abandoned the man they loved and adored the most to face a fate he was not afforded the luxury of choosing?

The thought of the potential angst is enough to make me swoon (sorry Law, I swear I love you 😅)

Like originally Law was determined to remove it, but he couldn’t just remove it all at once because it would create empty pockets in his eyes and I’m no doctor but I don’t think having air pockets in your eyeballs sound like a good and/or safe thing to have, you know? And every time he’d try remove whatever small amount he could safely remove it would require him to stab himself in the eye like a 100 times to get it out properly and I feel like having a first and second pov of slicing your own eye into tiny teeny slivers would be extremely taxing in the long run. So eventually Law just went “fuck it, I guess I have yellow eyes” and even years later when he definitely knew easier ways to “fix” it he didn’t bother because it wasn’t hurting him or effecting his eyes function. Nor did he want people to question why (and more importantly how) tf he suddenly had a different eye color.

Which leads us unto another hc; namely that Law hid the fact that he had a df for at least a couple of years from the authorities. He wouldn’t use it in fights or in situations where it was at risk of being reported back to the authorities (ie, if he was fighting marines). If he was in a fight he couldn’t win, he’d try running away (and once out of sight, disappear under mysterious circumstances) or get caught and then disappear mysteriously once he got the chance to do so “safely”. In fact, the belief that he didn’t have df abilities saved him and his crew a bunch of times because seaprism stone is both rare and extremely expensive and nobody use it on people who isn’t df users unless they are strong enough to ripp apart steel with their bare hands or something, as it’s one of the stronger materials out there.

I have two hc when it comes to Laws tattoos, well I have a bunch of hc actually but two I want to bring up here; we know Law only had DEATH tattooed on one hand when we first meet him at Sabaody, and due to Oda’s attention to detail and the fact that you can’t see parts of his chest-heart tattoo even when you definitely should, I firmly believe that he doesn’t have it at that time. But I’m also 100% sure that the smiling faces on his chest is Cora-san and is definitely among the first tattoos he got, if not THE first, and this happened at an illegally young age and he got it at the same time he got the sun-looking ones on his arms.

I shouldn’t have to get into the significance of the smiling face and why he’d want it (his own little way of trying to keep Cora-sans promise that they’d travel the world together). Instead I want to focus a little on his arm tattoos.

They don’t seem to have any specific significance to Law (the way a smiling face or the symbol of an heart has) it is however in a very visible spot if you, let’s say, are waking up after sleeping. In other words, it’s an immediate reminder that he’s cured in case his sleepy eyes are seeing white spots on his skin… something I imagine would be very traumatic to Law; for even one second believing that he’s back in time, slowly dying in one of the most horrific ways possible.

Law is the only pirate to offer severance pay if someone wants to leave his crew. He insists it’s because it’s the logical thing to do and not because he’s kind or anything like that. It’s just enough money to last them a couple of days/a week or so and it’s just so that they don’t have to desperately take a bad job that exploit them in a time of need. He’ll also let them come with if they don’t want to stay on whatever island they are on (they do however need to work for food and board). He insists that it’s because he has no use for them if they don’t want to follow his orders and sticking around because they don’t want to risk starvation or a shittier job isn’t what he wants so it in everybody’s best interest to make sure that if someone wants to leave, it’s as easy as possible.

Law’s love language is being a little shit. It’s also pushing people away out of fear of losing them. But after that it’s being a little shit and taking care of them. As such Laws crew is extremely spoiled.

Law has issues with being touched. It’s a combination of internalizing how people viewed him as a child (as something dirty, a plague), the excruciating pain he was in constantly and how being touched only made it worse and the who knows how many hours he lay in a pile of bodies to escape Flevance.

The last part is also why he is difficult with smells and likes grilled fish over grilled meat.

There’s a reason why Ikkaku is the only girl on the crew, and it’s because the Tang is mostly communal. There are curtains on her bunk bed and for one of the showers in the shower room, but she has no room for herself as the Tang lack the space (Law has used all the space to turn the ship/sub into a mobile hospital) and most girls/women don’t agree to that arrangement.

Law never threaten to kick his crew out, he will however remind them that they are free to leave if they don’t want to follow him. He does however threaten to chop them up, and his worst threat is to be “crated”, which is when he chops someone into pieces and store them in a box or a crate or something similar. And that will be for several days if you’re unlucky… he has used it on other people, and his crew are not willing to risk it so him telling them something like “if you do x, I will crate you” it pretty much guarantees that they won’t.