𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

i'm going on a hiatus with this blog for the rest of the month. april is going to be really busy and i have to focus a bit more on some IRL stuff but i also struggle a bit with my passion for writing right now. i have some stuff going on so I'm very absent in general right now, i apologize for that.

Either way, a denial was on his lips, but the younger stopped and thought about the situation for a moment.

Law was right, this injury could come back to haunt him later. That could be detrimental considering where it was.

"don't misunderstand my abilities for making healing painless, the body always punishes injuries with that, it's natural. it does not change that, you could say i simply can force what takes a long time to happen quicker and ensure it is done properly."

law takes the hat off and places kikoku next to it, shrugging out of his coat as he steps closer, lacking shyness as likely any doctor doess when the blue orb appears, brushing over zoro's arms, following along the described trail of injuries to get a better overview.

"i can move the bones back into position, i assume you've received an injury not too long ago that did not heal properly. just because there isn't a pain doesn't necessarily mean it healt the way it used to be. it hurts but once it's back in place, it should also deal with the uneasy feeling in your chest."

@heart-pirates-week || Day 2 || Shachi/Celebration

♡ — An independent, semi-selective multimuse blog featuring characters from Eiichiro Oda's ONE PIECE. All muses are multiverse and multiship. Please read guidelines before following. Penned by Alice / Velveteen — ♡

Later on she might scold herself for getting so attached so quickly, for creating herself another tangle of people to watch over until Time bore them away from her. The pattern is woefully repetitive and deep down she knows she wont be able to break the habit. The scattered pieces of paper vanish from sight and she hums an acknowledgement that Law had memorized the number. "I can say the same about the few regular contacts I keep. Discretion is important for people like us." Well, moreso for her than him, since he was a pirate. She much preferred to stay well under the radar no matter what.

Thea chuffs with amusement at him calling seagulls 'nasty', knowing they could be quite foul tempered if simple minded. "I'll keep that in mind, similarly a portion of my work is handled through the black market too." It was how she sold Poses to those unable or unwilling to buy from the Government itself. "I go by Luna in those channels, if you need to get a letter or something to me somehow." She changed her moniker often enough for any digging to turn up ambiguous information, so sharing this felt safe enough.

law has no doubt that he would manage if he truly wanted to find her. after all, he had become quite good at that over the past decade, learning to move in the shadows to obtain knowledge or items he requires for his own plans without anyone knowing that it's the pirate captain who very well is known to the public, now more than ever. there are ways to learn how to be able to obtain both if you just have the dedication and patience to do so.

"it does not have too much to do with me being a pirate, i never really have been an emotional person, not with those matters," law replies. he already had been a stern child before his world ended for the first time and he knows it is simply a trait he unlikely will ever truly part with although those close to him have seen his other sides. then, he feels as she might not be too different from that.

"tch, we are pirates and what would life be with a bit of trouble?" he smirks. "besides, it will ensure you see our faces on the newspapers all so often and give you a reason to sigh and send us complaints of how silly we are which will awfully excite my silly crew who has come to like you." it's his way of saying not to be a stranger. how strange, it truly does not happen too often that he feels as comfortable with a stranger as quickly as they did.

"I figured this back would hurt more, since you're always sitting somewhere strange like a goddamn gargoyle." He stretches, inked arms rising above his head. He's still not used to seeing his body smirking back at him, and when he stretches out his senses, he can't feel the familiar presence of metal around him. It leaves him feeling more than a little vulnerable, but this body has skills of its own. He'll just need to figure them out. How to make that damn bubble? He slinks over to his workbench, where a few small items are scattered about.

He holds out a hand, eyes narrowed. He's watched Law go through the motions enough times. If he could figure this out, then maybe he'd be able to help the other learn to utilize it without needing his hands so much. For now, however, he'll have to rely on this body's muscle memory.

"Room!" It takes a few tries, but eventually a small blue sphere forms beneath his fingertips. He couldn't sense anything before, but now that the little bubble is created, he can feel the placement of the items within, similar to his own power. "Huh. I think I get it..." He focuses on a pair of screws, imagining them switching places, the same way he does when moving scrap. It works! "I can only imagine the focus it takes to move even larger items." He remembers the time Law had moved Punk Rotten. Damn. He allows the little sphere to dissipate.

the heavy body shifts, but law finds it surprisingly easy, explaining why it seems massive whenever his partner walks, an unexpected elegance is still hidden behind broad shoulders. "the other challenge is the stamina, the ope ope feeds from my body's stamina, the larger the room, the heavier the object, the more it consumes. it's why i never keep a room up, even tho it would seem more beneficial. it would kill me, there's a limit to how much my body can bear to hold it at once." he isn't too worried kid would go insane to try and hold one for too long. "you watched me often enough so i have no doubts you will master the basics." then, he isn't sure how much he wants to mess with kid's mostly cause he worries he accidentally pulls things through walls of the ship ...

Despite her displeasure at the Polar Tang's capabilities being even slightly doubted, Ikkaku preened a bit at Law's statement that she was the best. Because she was. She might not have originally built their beloved submarine, but there was no part of the ship she hadn't personally touched and maintained at this point.

The Polar Tang was her home, and she took good care of it. She was determined to be the best engineer in the world, and her beautiful sub allowed her to get better every day.

"I respect you looking into it, Law, but that day won't be happening anytime soon. I'm not even saying that due to sentimentality; she's just a fuckton sturdier than the average ship, and considering how I'm always putting together new ways to improve her, I'd say the low estimate is her having another fifteen years in her," Ikkaku stated, not exactly happy to be having this conversation, but respecting - begrudgingly - that it was one that should be had for practical reasons. Like planning a funeral and a will long before either of them was dead.

Sighing, Ikkaku grabbed a metal storage crate and dragged it over so she could use it as a makeshift chair. "I know we've got a big ol' target on us. Have ever since the day we were recognized as pirates by the World Government, and it's only gotten bigger the longer we've sailed. That's why I work so hard to develop new defenses, more powerful weapons, faster, more efficient engines, and about a dozen backup power sources. Hell, I brew moonshine to use as an emergency fuel just in case it's necessary." The jugs of highly flammable liquor were carefully stored away, ready to be utilized as fuel, a medical sterilizer, or a way to get blind drunk.

Pulling out a folded piece of paper, she smoothed it out to show Law a blueprint of a smaller version of the submarine, perfect for carrying four or five people. "And I have been working on contingency plans if things ever do go horribly south. Been building mini Tangs to use as escape pods, though they're also good for exploration when our girl is too big to fit someplace that might have treasure. Built four already, and I've made sure they're big enough to fit Jean Bart, too. I've still got a few barrels of that resin from Sabaody in case of an emergency, too." They hadn't needed the special bubble coating to get past the Red Line like most ships, but Ikkaku had been compelled to buy some anyway, if simply because she wanted to experiment with it.

"i did not mean it as an offense," he says the word with a smile because, they all know one another. law is always the one to think through all possibilities, to look into the realities that are often unpleasant and maybe, often a little too far ahead. it just is easier to be prepared for scenarios, to be able to navigate no matter the situation or the opponent. his strong suits are strategy and medical matters whereas every member of his crew excels in another field and together, they make a strong team no matter how much the world government likes to deny it. of course, putting the captain into the frame and ignoring the rest is much easier. the surgeon usually tried to think of it as a benefit, allowing them to move much more free without constantly having to deal with navy or bounty hunters. the latter is not a problem anymore since those zeros have been added...

"i am the overthinker, i just do not want for us to be hit unexpectedly when the time comes so i care for your thoughts of what is best for the crew because who best to ask if not you? if you tell me you want to build your own one in the future, you tell me and i'll ensure you have the financial means to explore it. if you tell me you will keep the polar run for the next ten years, you tell me what you need and we make sure you have it. i've always entrusted her to you and our lives, i count on you there." inked fingers stretch as his eyes follow her every words, small movements, paying attention to her expressions.

looking at her blue prints only further prove him to have made the right decisions. "how about this? you work on a plan of your own, looking how you design smaller versions, i have no doubt you could design something perfect for us. who knows the needs of the hearts better than the hearts? there won't be a rush, take the time you need and when the time does come, she'll live on in the one that follows... tch, look at me how i am here, rambling about ships and souls." not that he doubts it ... there is no denial in ships being part of the crew.  if anything, they make the heart being home to so many.

he stretches carefully: "the only thing we do run out of is certainly space, so i'll do my best not to recruit anymore. although, i guess we could slim down the operation theatre a little." law tilts his head, giving her a long look. "let's have a drink and a snack, feels like one of those nights to make an exception. you can tell me more about your most current ideas." the captain tries his best to listen to each of them whenever he can, seeing how he can aid all members to find fulfillment of their own goals in his way. he doesn't deny however, he's always the best at it.

"Except for all the shit we have in common..."

he doesn't do that... well most of the time.

Stolen from @notanuki