#plume8now

“WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” Luffy yelled, half-excited half-shocked.

“It's- I-”

What? That never happened before? How come this kid's hand went through his? He was supposed to be able to grab the deceased by the hand to lead them to the Underworld!

Was there something wrong with the kid? Was there something wrong with him?

“D-E-A-T-H,” Luffy read, “wow that's so damn awesome! Where did you get that? Can I get tattoos too?”

Now that brat was really pissing him off, running around, bragging about God-knew-what.

“Just- Shut up would you? It's-”

And before he could add anything else, the boy disappeared just like that.

There was nothing wrong with him. The next dead people were just fine. He'd take their hands, and show them the way to the Underworld, and everything was fine.

At first, he couldn't stop thinking about that boy – that Luffy. What the fuck had happened? To that question, it took him three human years to get the answer.

Three human years where the boy would keep coming. Over and over again.

He only confirmed that idea after a while. After spending so much time with actual dead people.

Luffy was immortal. As in, Immortal.

The little guy couldn't die. Not definitely, that is.

At his second death, seeing him again made him gasp. Law never gasped. This time, he'd been eaten by a giant tiger, apparently. And this time again, he couldn't touch him, and neither could Luffy. It was as if they were made to oppose each other. And, to Law's great displeasure, that didn't seem to bother Luffy. That brat would take advantage of that to run around and go through his body just because he could. For fun. It was unbearable.

And it wasn't like he had to undergo that just once in a while, no. That kid died so quickly. It was as if his brothers were really trying to kill him. Or whoever he was with. Well, actually they weren't trying, since they actually succeeded in doing it. But the boy just wouldn't obey Life's laws. He was supposed to end his journey here. But every time, Luffy would say no.

He had stuff to do.

As if he hadn't heard that already before.

And so he saw him grow up. Law knew, for having watched every single dead person's past life, that this situation looked more and more like a tea time party. Well of course, the first human years sounded more like baby-sitting – something he learned he despised deeply – but after a while, Luffy started to be a little bit more mature. Except they didn't have tea, and not even the ambiance that a tea party asked for – but getting exchanges like this led to this feeling. Law never had the occasion to talk with anyone so repeatedly after all. Because that wasn't supposed to happen, he repeated to himself.

Losing his brother could have 'helped' Luffy's change. When they started talking more than he, running after him, in case he'd do something wrong – who knew what he could do? Immortal kids, he didn't have a guide to say what could be consequences of such a human being.

Seeing every single dead person's memories, he'd have remembered it if he'd seen the Immortal kid in someone's head. But he hadn't. So he told him.

At first Luffy didn't get it – but when he put it into a simple sentence, something like “I never met any kid who had you as a brother in his memories” summed up by “Sabo didn't die”...

It stopped his cries.

Law didn't like crying people. Not because it made him feel bad – no, for God's sake, he was Death – but because it was damn annoying. He was tired of crying people. But Luffy's cries triggered something more than tiredness, something different. He really didn't like it.

Later on, the boy told him he'd told Ace – that other brother. That he believed Sabo didn't die. And, for that, Ace punched him. Because, “'Death wasn't something you could joke about around'”, Luffy quoted. Anybody grieving would have been hurt by such statements, Law guessed. And adding something like “No you're wrong, he's actually a nice guy” as he talked about Death – about him – obviously didn't help.

Law twitched a smile. 'Nice guy', huh?

Luffy looked so proud of himself, and Law wondered what stupidity he'd done again to be here and look so happy about it.

“What brings you here today, Luffy-ya?” he asked slowly.

“I fell into the sea,” he put his hand on the top of his hat. “My boat sank.”

“Your boat sank?” Law repeated, unsure.

“This is my turn now; I've left for adventure!”

“And you died on your first day?” he faked applauds “Congratulations.”

“Actually, no, I've out there for like a week.”

“So you survived a week on the sea without dying. That's a great beginning as a pirate!”

“That's not funny,” Luffy pouted, “And it's been a while since we saw each other!”

“Barely a human month, I'm sure,” Law objected.

“Well, I'm dead again, we can't do anything about it can we? And also-” he looked around and shook his head “you definitely gotta change the decoration of your world. We should have done that way sooner, but now is the moment! There's change in my life, so we should celebrate!”

“By changing stuff in my world?” Law asked, sceptical.

“Yeah!”

“Why, you're going to visit me more often than you already do now?”

Luffy tilted his head. “It's all dark. And you're dressed in dark. You know, you should be more open-minded to new things.”

“New things? What if I don't want to change a thing? What if I already changed 'the deco' several times before?”

“Not since I'm here. And it's boring.”

“Now that's rude.”

“C'mon! I already die a lot so let’s at least  do some fun stuff! Let's redecorate!”

“You know there's a simple way to resolve that, you could think about taking care of your own life more for starters?”

“Are you gonna visit me in my world?”

“I doubt it.”

“Then nah.”

Law rolled his eyes.

“What do you want to do?”

“We need the sea,” Luffy declared. “Because it's freedom. You know what it's like, right? You've seen it in people's head.”

Law rose his right hand, and hesitated. It's been a long time since he'd changed anything here. A very, very long time. And he never would have thought about changing things again. Darkness and void suited him so well, after a while. He was used to it. People always said it was scary, but it was comforting to him.

Who knew? Maybe it was just how Death's tastes were.

“We can't do something too nice though,” he felt the urge to say. “I don't want souls to like it too much.”

“Why,” Luffy laughed, “you're scared they might come back?”

Law glanced at him. That little fucker.

“So the sea it is,” he said, choosing to ignore him, as he shove his hand in front of him.

And the sea appeared. Luffy's eyes widened, and even Law felt a bit impressed by his own doing. It had multiple shades of blue, and the waves – it felt like they could almost smell and hear like on an actual beach.

“Can we swim into this?!” Luffy yelled as he took off his shirt and jumped into it. Law wanted to hit his head against a wall several times – he'd seen a lot of humans do that in memories. Why bother asking if he didn't even wait for an answer?!

“Luffy-ya,” Law started. “This is an illusion. You can try to swim in it, but you're actually not doing that and-” he stopped, noticing the boy going deeper and deeper into the sea, and not looking like going up anymore. He crossed his arms and walked towards him.

“And,” he started again as he dissolved the sea around Luffy once in front of him, “therefore, you can't drown.”

Luffy stopped coughing, looked around, and frowned.

“But I was drowning!”

“No. It's only in your head. You're persuaded you can't swim so you drowned. But this is not real to start with. And, second, we're literally in the Dead World. You can't die, because you're already dead.”

“I was drowning!” Luffy objected.

“No wonder why you die so often,” Law mumbled. “You must take better care of yourself.”

The Straw Hat let out his usual 'shishishi'.

“Right now,” Luffy said more seriously, “what do you want?”

Law immediately searched for an answer – he was completely getting into his own mind when a hand waved in front – even through him, breaking his concentration.

“I asked you for what you wanted,” Luffy took a fed up look which honestly coming from him offended Law, “not to overthink. You gotta stop thinking and act.”

“Luffy-ya, I've spent eternity here.”

“You say as if it was an excuse,” Luffy said in an accusatory tone. “Just do whatever you freaking want. You're Death remember? There's no limits!”

And he disappeared. He left. Just like that. Luffy's coming backs to life were so random – Law had gotten used to them now – but he couldn't help it, it was so ridiculous.

He laughed.

A shame Luffy was already gone to see that.

A lot of souls came by before Luffy's. Law wondered if he had actually listened to him and been careful, or if it was only a period of contamination – or genocide, maybe? – which would explain all those dead people.

When Luffy finally died again, Law couldn't help but enjoy it. Not that he was encouraging Luffy to sacrifice himself for whatever reason it was, but he's been meaning to show him the changes he'd made around. Something that the souls appreciated, for some, and even gave him ideas for his new decoration. Giving Death advice for a new landscape in his world could seem odd, true. But no one ever said it was forbidden.

And so, Luffy loved it.

He'd left the beach and the sea, since it had been Luffy's idea. He'd also made a few ships based on a few souls' memories, and tried to design his own. Because he remembered Luffy's first words about the way he dressed, he changed his clothes into something more common – actually, he could almost look like a normal human being.

Except that he wasn't.

For a moment, Luffy stared at Law. Law didn't bother staring back at him. It was something he'd gotten used to, now. And if he ever did – which happened once, Luffy would take it as a staring challenge or some dumb game of this kind. Now, it was only a matter of time before he'd start talking.

“Torao,” he said. “Do you ever leave?”

Law turned to him,  genuinely interested by his question.

“Leave? Where?”

“I don't know, elsewhere. Isn't it just- the same thing? Boring?”

Law blinked.

“I've never thought about that. I'm always taking care of a human's soul.”

“You've never thought about that?” Luffy mocked. “And yet I believed you were the one thinking a lot here.”

He sighed.

“Because I'm always busy, and because I have nowhere else to go. I'm here, taking people like you,” he pointed at Luffy's chest and his finger went through his body – where a deep wound was situated, cause of his last death – “to the Underworld, and that's it.”

“What's the Underworld like?”

Law sighed again. Honestly, he was surprised Luffy asked him that only now. How old was he, seventeen? When had he started dying? Never before had he asked about Death. Instead, he'd tell him about his adventures, about Shanks, Garp, Daddan, his brother, his new friends – he'd almost met that Zoro by the way – but never once he asked about his world. And it wasn't something bad – it wasn't something bad at all. It made him almost feel like he wasn't Death. Death, feared by everyone, over-represented everywhere, in art, songs, literature, and especially people's mind. With Luffy, he wasn't such a big deal.

However...

“I can't tell you that,” he stated. “No one is actually supposed to know what's going on once dead. I'm lucky no one believes – or at least not a lot of people – you on your stories about me, I'm not giving you extra-information.”

“Hey that's mean! My crew believes me!”

“It's-”

“Ok, maybe not all of them, but Chopper and Usopp do believe me!”

If there's something Law had learnt about Luffy was that he knew the boy couldn't lie. And certainly so did his crew. Maybe, he thought, they just believed him to have hallucinations during his Near Death Experiences.

“You'll have to die to know,” Law joked.

Law's jokes were always dark. Luffy pouted.

“You know I can't die.”

And this time, he grinned.

“I know.”

“But,” Luffy tried again, “technically, I'm dead? So I could take a look?”

“No.”

That was strict. Categorical. There were no argumentations whatsoever. No was no.

But Luffy was too stubborn to take no for an answer.

“You do know I can do whatever I want, right? You can't catch me.”

And before Law got enough time to react, the Straw Hat started to run towards the Underworld. Or at least, where he thought the Underworld was. Because there was nothing. He could run as fast and as much as he wanted, it seemed he couldn't get to the Underworld. It was as if he remained at the very same place.

Death – Law appeared next to him and said, looking away, as if talking to himself:

“That's a theory answered at least now.”

“What the fuck?! Bring it there, Torao!” Luffy screamed in frustration.

“It's not up to me, I don't control everything. It's not my job. And you're not dead enough to go apparently. I have to bring you there.”

“Well then, bring me there!”

“You know I can't. And if I did, that'd mean you'd be dead. You don't want to die, do you?”

“I'm not gonna die,” Luffy repeated as usual like a spell.

“I know.”

“Could I die if I do go there?”

“Why bother asking if you can't do that, anyway?”

“Could I?”

“If you're going there, there's no way back. So yes, I guess.”

“But you're coming back.”

Law looked at him as if he was stupid. Well, he was stupid sometimes. Just like now.

“I'm Death.”

“And I'm Immortal.”

“You're basically perpetual life. That makes sense you can't go there.”

“That's discrimination.”

“That's the way it is.”

“Wait- that means you never went in my world?”

“Nope.”

“Never ever?”

“Never.”

“That sucks.”

“Not really?”

Luffy scratched the back of his head.

“You're missing tons of things. And, that'd be fun to have you as nakama. Even in my crew!”

“Are you trying to recruit me, Monkey D. Luffy-ya?”

“Shishi, maybe?”

Law shook his head. That boy was unbelievable.

“So,” he said as a sofa appeared as he sat. “How did you die this time?”

“A poisoned hook went through my body.”

“Damn.”

“I actually didn't feel the pain- well, not right away- and then I was buried by the sand, so-”

“Wait, you died suffocating?”

“I don't really know? You're Death, you tell me.”

“I can only say how you died by watching your past. And I can only watch your past if I touch you. It's been years Luffy-ya, you should know that.”

The moment he finished his sentence, the boy slowly disappeared. Law rolled his eyes. It was often happening when Law reproached something to Luffy – not to listen, usually. To be honest, he was suspecting the young pirate to actually master a bit his disappearances. Or at least push it away until he didn't want to anymore – and so disappear.

He sighed.

He sighed a lot around Luffy.

“So?”

“They took my nakama.”

Luffy's look was severe, and angry. Very, very angry. The guys who did that didn't know how much they were going to regret it, obviously. His soul revealed a body covered by blood and wounds. He must have suffered a lot. He must have gone through a lot of pain, before passing out – well, actually dying, but what was the difference for Luffy now?

Law had a poor smile.

“Then get your ass back there. What are you doing here?”

“... Hi there?”

Law stretched his back – he didn't have to since he didn't actually feel tired – but this is something he'd seen so many times in humans' memories he'd started doing it without realising it. He was never against trying human things anyway, since he had all eternity why not try from time to time?

Anyways. He greeted the new guy as usual:

“How did you die?”

And the common usual answer came immediately.

“I didn't die what the fuck?”

'What the fuck' was not always in it though. Maybe implied. But yeah. Common.

Law met the guy's eyes and froze right away. That man had taken so much pain, it was barely understandable how much he'd taken before he died. He was worse than Luffy's state back in that Enies Lobby thing, when he wanted to save this Robin. He was swimming in it. He couldn't even try to guess his hair or skin colour.

And then, the soul suddenly flickered, and Law's shoulders relaxed. So he was one of those. He took a little inspiration to prepare his little explanation, but before he could even start, he heard something familiar with a voice not familiar at all.

“Torao?”

That was pretty odd to hear that from someone else than Luffy. He frowned.

“And you are?”

“Zoro.”

“Oh.”

The first nakama? What was he doing here now?

“So you got into a big fight, huh?”

“Worth it,” he replied without hesitating.

“You do know you could have died? You do know you can die?”

This time, Zoro frowned.

“You're Death aren't you? Not gonna try to kill me?”

“Try?” Law noted.

“Yeah, as if I'd let you. I'm not the greatest swordsman of the world yet.”

Obviously. Obviously Luffy's friend had to be as crazy as Luffy. Obviously. What was he even thinking about.

“Well, if that can reassure you, you're not dead. Your soul isn't rightly materialised. It's still holding onto your body. You're actually half here.”

“Great. How do I come back down there?”

“You don't. This is your body's job. I hope you have a very good doctor around, because that's not gonna be easy.”

The swordsman smirked.

“Alright, see you next time then.”

“Don't be in a hurry.”

“Wait, so Luffy's really immortal?”

Law smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Fuck. They'll have to believe him now when I'll tell them.”

“They could,” Law said. “But you're half here. You won't remember a thing about our conversation. And the pain's too great for you anyway – I know enough about you, humans, to tell when you've reached your limits.”

“That freaking sucks,” Zoro spat.

“Regretting life's choices?”

Zoro's smirk broadened.

“Absolutely not. I'll take his pain again without hesitation, mortal or not.”

Law didn't reply. He didn't expect this answer.

“Don't tell him I was here though,” Zoro said. “For the best. Don't.”

Law didn't like that. He never lied. But it wasn't like he had to lie, was it? Only an omission.

“If he doesn't ask, I won't.”

“Thanks.”

When he left, Law sighed. He could try, but there was always things he wouldn't be able to get. Humans were idiots. Especially those around Luffy.

He'd seen him happy. Angry. Pissed. Tired. Bored. He'd seen Luffy in many emotions. But never before had he seen him so... sad.

He wished he could do something for him. He didn't know what had happened, but it was bad. Very bad. In years of- of what, acquaintances? F-friendship? (Luffy did say they were nakama), he was discovering a whole new Luffy.

A Luffy who didn't talk. A Luffy who was holding all the sadness in the world in his eyes. So Law didn't talk, either. He sat next to him, on that submarine sofa he'd created on his last visit, facing the sea. He made a move to touch his back, but remembered at the last minute it was useless. And the feeling of going through someone's body wasn't something he was comfortable with.

They remained here in silence for some time. Eventually, Luffy disappeared again.

Later on, he learnt about Saboady, the loss of his nakama... he saw it through new souls who'd died around first, and the on Luffy's next death. When he asked why he didn't ask about his nakama's lives – he was surprised he didn't want to know whether they were alive or not?, Luffy simply replied:

“I know, deep down, they are still somewhere around!”

That time, after Sabaody, also worried him. He'd almost lost his body and brain control on this one, against a guy controlling poison. It was important, and he had to go back quickly for his brother, apparently. He got a lot of information about that as Luffy and the other prisoners got busy sending him new souls all over again.

But still, Law didn't like it. Immortality didn't mean everlastingness of health and brain. He could easily never die and lose his mind.

“Holy fuck.”

Law stared at the guy facing him, frowning.

“What?”

“You're him.”

“I'm-?”

“You look way more serious than I thought.”

What the fuck was this guy saying? And what on Earth was that huge hole in his chest?

“I'm Ace.”

'Ace'. Oh, Law had heard about Ace enough times not to forget it. So that must be Luffy's brother, since he seemed to know who he was talking to and- holy shit.

He was dead.

Luffy'd lost his brother.

“I guess you know who I am judging your expression. Isn't Death supposed to look creepier? I mean sure, you look like you haven't slept in centuries, but I've met hundreds of guys like you. You're much more expressive than I thought. I can't believe that idiot was right. I can't believe I didn't listen to him- this dumbass can't lie and- I can't believe he was right- fuck.”

Not knowing what to say, Law naturally opted for his usual welcome.

“How did you die?” he said, stretching his hand to him.

Ace stared at his hand, but didn't take it.

“I protected my little brother.”

If Law had a heart, he could have said it dropped.

Idiot, he wanted to say. Your brother is Immortal. Which, obviously, wasn't his case... Wait, it wasn't? He hadn't touched him yet, after all.

If Law was human, he'd start sweating. One Immortal, alright, but he wasn't ready for a hundred of them. At the same time, it wasn't like he wanted Luffy's brother to die, he'd seen how dear he was to him. And he'd seen how Luffy reacted for Sabo's desperation.

“I should have known you didn't look like Luffy's drawings, but still, I'm surprised.”

'Luffy's drawings...?'

For the first time since Luffy, Law didn't feel in control of the situation. His brother was leading the conversation, doing observations and wasn't even trying to listen to him at all.

Ace got closer to him without blinking, not hiding he was observing him very closely now.

“Nice tattoos,” he said after a while. “You look rather young, actually. Is it like, a shape you choose or are you just like this?”

“Does it really matter?” Law replied.

“I'm just asking questions. Why is Luffy calling you Torao?”

“Can't pronounce 'Law'.”

“Your name is... 'Law'? Not Death?”

“I have multiple names. Law's my own name. Are you only designed after your job?”

“I'm-... I was a pirate.”

“See,” Law confirmed, ignoring the change of tense. “People can call you Pirate, but you still have another, more private name.”

“... If you say so.”

Silence fell on them, but not for long, broken by Ace's voice:

“That makes sense though, since death is a law you can't avoid.”

Law opened his mouth, closed it.  He smirked.

“That's rich coming from a pirate.”

“Touché.”

Another silence. Law never felt awkward during those – because he didn't even know what awkwardness was. But with Luffy, he'd learned a lot of new... way of feeling things. And that definitely felt awkward. He didn't like that. He didn't like that one bit.

Of course he'd have to take people close to Luffy away one day. People Luffy cared about. Actually, since the guy was Immortal, that would happen a lot. But he never thought about it, not really. And not so soon.

“So what now?”

“You're supposed to come with me to the Underworld,” Law honestly replied.

“That shit exists?”

“I guess it does if I'm taking you there.”

“So there's no way back at all, huh?”

Law stared at his hole.

“That'd be complicated to fix.”

“I know,” Ace sighed. “I was stupid.”

“A lot of people died in a stupid way I can tell you yours is rather alright.”

“No,” the man firmly said. “I was stupid.”

Law shrugged. He wasn't here to argue whether his death was stupid or not. He didn't even know how this wound happened, to be honest.

“Shall we go?”

“Wait-” he grasped Law's hand, and unconsciously, Death immediately sighed in relief. “I'd like to know something first-”

“I can't tell you what's going to happen to you there,” Law warned.

“What about Sabo?”

He froze, and looked down at him. As their eyes met, Ace's lips turned into a smile. A huge one. It actually looked like one of Luffy's so genuine grins.

“He's alive! Fuck, I can't believe it-!” his face suddenly saddened and Law wanted to be anywhere but here right now, which is something he'd never experienced before. He'd never been anywhere. “I punched him in the face.”

It was a simple statement, but Law knew very well what he was referring to. Feeling guilty much?

“I think he got over it,” Law tried to joke.

Had he ever specified how bad he was with jokes?

“At least he's not alone,” Ace twitched a smile, “they still have each other.”

So many things were wrong with those words. Sabo hadn't reappeared since his 'death' so why should they have each other? Sure Luffy wasn't alone he had his crew but what about Sabo? None of them knew anything about him. Maybe he didn't care about them anymore and that's why he never came back. Maybe he didn't even remember them.

But Law put aside all those interjections. It was none of his business, and he wasn't prepared for an argument with someone related to Luffy. No, thank you. So he just naturally tilted his head, looking away, and scratched the back of his neck.

Ace noticed it and took a deep breath. He had no choice now, had he?

He'd seen so, so many people linked to Luffy and Ace. It was a war, after all. People died, in wars. And, knowing Luffy– He'd expect it. He expected Luffy's arrival. It was as if the guy had an subscription to death or something anyway, so he had to expect him.

Usually, when people died and he'd see Luffy in their memories, it'd make him smile. He knew he could expect his visit soon. But that time, it was different.

His brother was a human. A mortal human.

He died.

Unlike Luffy, he would not be coming back. And, knowing Luffy, he knew he'd ask for him. Just like he did for Sabo. And, just like Sabo, he wouldn't lie.

That didn't mean he was prepared for that.

“Torao?”

His eyes widened. Already?

He turned and saw him – he noticed the absence of his straw hat right away.

That wasn't good. Souls always wore important material to them with them. No matter where the object was. Luffy's materialisation without his hat, he deducted, was the materialisation of an incomplete soul. But, again, Luffy was not like the others. There was nothing he could do about that.

“Is he dead?”

Then, he saw his wound. On his chest. For a second, he saw Ace standing right where Luffy was now. Fuck, did he really have to do that? He had no idea how things worked. He had no idea how to deal with feelings.

“Tell me- TELL ME! IS HE DEAD?”

His voice kept breaking. He'd never looked so- so human to Law than now.

If he'd been able to grab him by his clothes to threaten him for an answer, Luffy would have. But he didn't, as his arms went through Law's body, as expected.

“He is,” Death whispered.

Luffy lost it. He fell on his knees.

“You brought him there? To... to the Underworld?”

“I did.”

He found himself unable to do complete sentences. Just quick answers. What was he supposed to do, anyway?

He was Death.

He wasn't human.

He wasn't from Luffy's world.

They weren't supposed to know each other. Not like that at least. They shouldn't even have developed this sort of friendship or whatever this was. He had to do it.

He was Death.

Luffy was shaking. He looked like he could kill someone – which, really, was freaking irony here.

He looked down at his hands. He looked up, at Law. Law, who was emotionless. Or seemed so. Deep down, he wished he could touch and embrace him. It was an impulse he never had had before.

“Why did you take him?”

He was Death.

“I am Death.”

“Why,” Luffy took a deep breath, “did you take him?”

His words were all articulated, slowly, one by one. The Straw Hat seemed broken. Falling into pieces. Law remembered Ace's past, what he whispered to his little brother, and he closed his eyes. Luffy stood up again.

“LOOK AT ME!” he yelled.

He looked at him. So much desperation into those dark eyes. So much sadness.

So much rage.

“You killed him, Law.”

The coldness of his tone froze Law.

“You killed Ace!”

He shouldn't be alarmed by such a statement. That was his freaking job. But, technically, yes. Yes, he did. He killed Ace.

“How COULD you?! How DARE you?! You're Death! You're literally the best person to stop that! You're the best person to decide whether you take someone away or let it go! You had a choice!”

“I didn't! You don't think I tried before? How long do you think I've been here? Nothing else than death happens! This IS death! This is the place! You're like, the only exception! You're the only exception!”

Luffy glanced at him.

“That's on you! You change things! You are the one in charge! You make your own rules! You-”

And before he could finish what he started, he disappeared.

“I wish I could always find a way to meat,” Luffy replied, lying on the deck next to Chopper, looking like a starving kid under the heat. “It's too hot today dammit.”

“Have you been listening to what I said Luffy?” Usopp asked. “It's not about food, it's about soulmates!”

“Meh, if that's not edible...”

The sniper sighed. “You're hopeless.”

“I read a few things about it,” Robin said. “There are a few symptoms describing the feeling that you met your soulmate, but it differs according to people. It can be pretty strong, or weak. Some soulmates never notice they are actually soulmates.”

“Really? What are the common symptoms then?” Nami asked.

“As I said, it depends on the people. Most commonly, this is about being able to find the other without rational explanation. There's a connection between the minds which enables them to find each other without any problem. There isn't a logical answer for this. The reactions can be also physical at some point, but that's for the strongest relationships.”

“Can't that be a bother?”

“Soulmates are legendary, dear sniper. There aren't a lot of work left on this because people stopped believing in those ideas – and my knowledge extends to what I have read so far.”

“You seem to have done some research on this,” Usopp said half-amazed half-surprised.

“Not really,” Robin smiled. “I just happened to see a few things about it.”

“Have you met soulmates before?” Usopp inquired curiously.

“I might. Who knows?” she chuckled.

Usopp slightly frowned, not sure what he was missing – and if he did miss something.

XxX

Zoro was nowhere to be seen, again. That wasn't surprising. What was surprising though, was that the swordsman didn't get lost in the last two islands they visited.

“Who's going?” Usopp asked.

“Chopper's not here, so I'm going!” Luffy happily said.

“Oi,” Sanji snapped. “That's not a game. You're just gonna get lost, too. And that's the last thing we need. I'm going.”

“But-”

“No buts. I'm gonna kick his ass back to this ship, get ready for our return,” Sanji said, more tired than anything else.

“Fine,” Luffy pouted. “But hurry, ok?”

“That's up to the marimo.”

Sanji left them, but instead of going back to their steps, took a different path on the right.

“Sanji...” Usopp stopped him, “This is not where we come from... Don't tell me your orientation is as bad as Zoro's...”

“Urg,” the cook snorted, “Don't compare me to that idiot. I'm just taking a shortcut, don't worry.”

Once Sanji gone, Usopp stared at his Captain.

“We've never been this way...” and he whispered “I think we'll never see them again.”

xXx

The Straw Hat's first mate sat down and checked his swords. He sighed as he cleaned the blood from the blades. He'd ran into some marines who didn't realize today wasn't their lucky day, and realized too late who he was. He couldn't blame them for trying, though. He'd have done the same. Never turn your back from a fight if you want to get stronger.

He put his swords back where they belonged, and stood up, about to look for his way back to the ship again when his body froze. Something electrified his whole body for a second but the shock was so moving his eyes widened. He didn't notice he held his breath until he heard a voice he knew a bit too well.

“Oi, shitty moss-head. You were supposed to be on the boat by now.”

He took a few seconds before turning to the cook, smirking, and ignoring what just happened. That wasn't the first time those symptoms actually appeared. It could just randomly come when he was alone and- wait a minute.

That always happened when Sanji was looking for him.

His annoyance for him must have grown a lot if he could feel his presence like this.

“Shut up,” he glanced at him. “Not my fault if you guys keep losing yourselves.”

Sanji made a face to his words.

“Are you actually fucking kidding me? No nevermind, I don't wanna hear it. Just- let's go back to Sunny alright? And follow me, don't go running around like a stupid baby after a butterfly.”

“The fuck did you just say?”

“You heard me, shitty marimo.”

“I will cut you in half ero-cook,” Zoro grunted as he unsheathed his swords.

Sanji smiled.

“Bring it on.”

XxX

That time, they were looking for Sanji. The cook didn't actually get geographically lost, but did lose track of time as he was choosing new ingredients for the recipe he's been working on. And Zoro found him. In his entire life, Sanji had felt insulted a lot of times, but that one was almost like a joke.

“Bring your ass back to the ship, shitty cook,” Zoro grumbled.

Sanji looked at the swordsman as if he was seeing him for the first time.

“What are you doing here?”

“Been looking for you, the witch is getting mad and I hate to be around her when she's acting like that. So just come back already or she's gonna be unbearable.”

“Wait- what? You- they let you leave to look for me? You?” he articulated.

Zoro frowned.

“No, I left right away to bring your lost ass back, she was pissing me off. Why, what's the matter with that?”

Sanji took a deep breath.

“First of all, you don't freaking call our cute, amazing navigator a witch. Second, I was going to come back, it just took a little bit more time. And I certainly wasn't lost. If there's someone who gets lost here, that's not me.”

His nakama laughed.

“Are you saying I'm getting lost? Man, you guys are always losing your way, and somehow, I always end up finding you.”

“What the fuck? I have always been the one finding you! Not the other way around, don't think too high of yourself marimo, you're gonna be crushed when reality strikes.”

“Reality?”

“You have no idea how to find your way back to the ship. The only reason you do is because you find someone else coming back on your way.”

“Yeah sure, if you want to make up stories to feel better.”

How come the swordsman always managed to piss him off so bad he wanted to smash his face with his feet?

XxX

Sanji started to ask himself questions when it happened for the hundredth time.

That feeling.

He started noticing something was off in Water Seven, and ever since, it got stronger. Little episodes proved him right so far, and he hated that. Somehow, his nakama ended up always asking him to look for Zoro when he was lost now. That became a routine. The shitty marimo wasn't back? Let's send Sanji, what a great idea. Let's send the guy he's always fighting with, because that makes sense. Let's send the guy who's supposed to cook so they will have to wait more for their meal.

But things started to click when even Luffy said something about Sanji always finding a way to bring Zoro back quickly. It was like there was a piece of the puzzle he was missing out. But he was pretty sure this was important.

And, lately? He'd been feeling weird. He'd been feeling weird, but he had no idea how to describe it, and if it was related to what's been happening.

That surely wasn't. He was just mixing everything up. He might have been overthinking again, like he used to.

But still, he couldn't get over this idea.

Something was off. The electrifying shocks running down his spine was happening a bit too much lately. Maybe he'd talk about it to Chopper, if it didn't stop.

xXx

Zoro would probably never forget this moment.

The moment Sanji decided to give up his life for Luffy. The moment Sanji decided Zoro's life was worth more than his own. The moment the shitty cook walked with determination to Kuma, his whole body shivering, barely able to stand up.

The situation was so intense his body reacted in pain. It shivered a bit, too. He could hear the cook's breath – it was bad. And he was panting, too.

He heard him say things he would never have thought hearing from the cook's mouth.

“Kill me and get out of here.”

That wasn't about dying. That was about surviving.

Zoro wanted to sacrifice himself so his nakama could survive, while Sanji was clearly ready to die. It wasn't the same kind of sacrifice at all. And god be his witness even if he wasn't a believer, he wouldn't let the shitty cook do that. Over his dead body, ironically.

“I'm just as ready to sacrifice myself as he is,” he stated.

No you're not. This is a lie. This is a call for death.

“I've fed people my whole life, and now I'll feed the worms.”

What the fuck was he talking about? He lowered his voice, and told Zoro to tell everyone goodbye for him. The swordsman felt angry more than anything else. That was just cruel. That was not how things worked.

“You'll have to find a new cook.”

As if.

The hardest thing to do wasn't to hit him. It didn't even feel like hitting him. It felt like the right thing to do. He kept his nakama from doing something stupid. He saved his life.

No, the hardest thing was to feel his grip on his shoulder after he got hit, and his hand slowly falling on his arm, like a painful caress.

As soon as Sanji lost consciousness, he lost a certain weight of pressure, and smiled. That was for the best.

XxX

He was suffocating. There was an overwhelming feeling – a pressure he couldn't get rid of – and he couldn't breathe. He couldn't seem to breathe. His whole body seemed dumb, and he wondered how come he could still stand up and walk. When he woke up, his first thought went for the marimo.

He'd hit him from behind. He'd betrayed him.

If he wasn't being devoured by worry and that freaking pressure, he would come to him and scream at him.

Because he had no right to do that. He had no fucking right to hit him, to make him pass out like he could decide and do anything he wanted. Roronoa freaking Zoro.

Sanji stumbled on the ruins of rocks that fell and broke during the fights. Those had been huge battles. Luffy had given everything he could against Oz. And then- the Shikibukai. He stood up for what he believed was right and- god fucking dammit.

He couldn't breathe. He fell on his knees and tried to focus on his breathing. Getting those flashbacks wasn't a great idea. His mind was going crazy.

He'd never panicked so much before.

He realized Luffy was awake a bit late, as if his brain was starting to open to the outside world. His laugh and the other's talks sounded unreal.

The cook stood up again, and he had no idea how long it took for him to get back on his feet. Maybe too long. His sight was a bit blurry. He'd been through a lot, too. After all, a giant zombie did smash him several times in a row.

He did a few steps – not a lot, but the effort made was so great, it seemed to take forever – before seeing Zoro's swords. Zoro's swords- something Zoro would never leave behind. And then- he ran. His muscles didn't care about pain – and if he was in pain, he didn't feel anything at the moment. His body just moved on its own. His heart was racing as if it was trying to get out of his chest.

He didn't really care where he was going – he knew where Zoro was. He had no idea how, but he knew where to find him. His breathing was still heavy, but if he focused – he could ignore it, and actually get better.

The electricity came back, again. He froze, and looked on his left.

Here he was. Standing there, among the ruins, crossed arms, proud. And him-? All he felt at this very moment was relief. The pressure seemed to leave a bit, and he joined the swordsman. He started talking- because that felt like denying everything that happened. That felt like nothing changed. Sanji didn't want anything to change- and he wanted to chase away that feeling he'd kept inside – fear.

But then, he saw it. Zoro's state. He saw the blood on his body. He saw the blood on the ground. He opened his mouth but nothing came, at first.

He panicked again. He screamed his name. His voice broke in the first syllable, and he had to do it again to hear himself say it right. Because that mattered.

“What the fuck is all this blood?!” he heard himself yell at his nakama. Was he still alive? He was still standing, so he was alive, right? He couldn't be dead, not Zoro. He couldn't just die like that. He had no fucking right to die after doing that to him, he had no right, he couldn't.

He was getting hysterical. The pressure was getting a lot stronger now. His brain was boiling. His breathing was harsh. Zoro's eyes were red with blood. His voice was broken when he replied to his last question: What happened?

“Absolutely nothing.”

Bullshit.

Bullshit bullshit bullshit.

He'd been standing up next to him, for him, for Luffy, for his nakama. He refused to let Zoro sacrifice himself – he had dreams, those dreams that made him so strong, those dreams that made Sanji join the crew. Zoro's conviction meant something to Sanji. He wasn't going to let him throw it away. And yet – and yet he did as usual, he just did whatever he wanted to do.

He'd stood up in front of the Shikibukai, or – no he'd stood up between the shikibukai and Zoro, Zoro who was sitting on the floor, when he was standing up for his resolutions. He remembers his body was shivering, but his mind was set up. His life wasn't worth that much, anyway.

What on earth had this idiot been doing?

...

He hated this man so much.

XxX

The pressure never left since Thriller Bark. It was somewhere in his head, and Sanji couldn't get rid of it. So he just adapted. He got used to it.

It became something normal. Sometimes, it would get weaker, and rarely stronger. He noticed after a while that it actually grew weaker and weaker time after time. He guessed that was something good.

He didn't really talk to Chopper about it. He didn't really know why either. That didn't feel like something important, and he could handle it anyway.

xXx

The pain came back so quickly. Only one push. He felt so weak. Just avoiding Kuma's laser beams were painful. That was not supposed to go this way.

This Kuma looked so different.

He was the first mate, for fuck's sake. He had to protect his nakama.

The swordsman moved forward, and heard Luffy and Sanji screaming his name. But no one gave him enough time to attack – first Chopper, then Franky, Brook and Usopp. After Luffy beat Kuma – or rather PX-4 – they barely had time to rest before Sentoumaru and another Kuma appeared. PX-1 seemed to be like PX-4, exploding things around.

“He doesn't have pads,” Sanji noticed. “I didn't want to think about it, but that makes him the third! What's going on?!”

“Rather than wondering about that, it'd be safer to run away right now,” Zoro replied.

Because he knew they – he – couldn't fight the way they were right now. It wouldn't end well. He underlined it to the shitty cook.

“If we get into another fight now, someone will definitely die! Let's run before we meet another admiral...!”

Luffy's approval froze both Sanji and Zoro's hearts. Running away from a fight didn't sound like him. Zoro knew they had to, but hearing his captain approval – that was striking. The situation was bad – oh, so bad. They had to split up.

“The three of us should split!”

“Sure,” the shitty cook approved. “Are you gonna be alright?” he asked Zoro.

“Shut up,” he replied angrily. He wasn't hurt enough to allow the damn cook worry about him.

Sanji left to protect Nami with Franky, which didn't surprise Zoro one bit. Usopp jumped on him as PX-1 attacked them, and he had to admit he was wounded for the sniper to let go of him.

“Do not worry,” Brook said, “I shall cover for you. Your injuries still haven't healed, right? To tell the truth, I saw your act of self-sacrifice back on Thriller Bark!”

Nothing went right.

Everything seemed unreal. Like a huge nightmare.

It happened so fast – of course, it made sense later, Kizaru was a light man because of the Pika Pika devil fruit's powers. A beam went through his body, and he heard himself scream in inhuman pain.

The admiral was talking, but he could barely focus on his own breathing. He heard Usopp's screams. He couldn't move – he couldn't move at all. He had to, but it was so hard, so freaking hard – how did standing up become so hard to do? He used to do it all the time. He saw more light, and he knew.

He knew he wouldn't make it, this time. Somewhere, Luffy yelled.

Everything was so noisy and distant. He wasn't sure he heard Chopper crying.

Hands made him move, and the pain rose. He could feel his mind slipping to unconsciousness. Kizaru's foot hit him and his face ate the ground. The hands kept trying to make him escape, hopelessly.

Somehow, he heard perfectly well those words.

“It's useless. You'll die now.”

He guessed his nakama were screaming, and he almost passed out when he clearly heard Sanji's scream, which was way more distinct than the others, as if he was screaming inside his head.

XxX

Never in his entire life had Sanji felt like this. Not even during his childhood.

That terror.

He'd seen PX-1 running after Usopp – Usopp carrying Zoro, half-dead. He knew he was alive, he knew it, but his whole body couldn't stop shivering – he was in a state of over-reaction. He hit him – but his leg reacted oddly and he fell. He immediately recognized the symptoms – just like in Thriller Bark. He could barely breathe. It wasn't as bad, but he'd forgotten how striking it was.

The Fake Kuma walked towards Usopp and Zoro. Usopp was alright – but he'd dropped the first mate, who wasn't even moving. His instinct kept telling him he was alive, and he held onto this conviction. He grabbed PX-1's foot out of despair, his body moving on its own.

“Wait, you damn bastard-”

PX-1 dragged him in his steps as if he'd been nothing but a bug he didn't even care about enough to take out. And then, it did. It – it wasn't human – did care. Sanji felt his body leaving the ground, and his heart raced. He wondered how his body could handle so much stress and tension. The pressure, so much stronger when Kizaru appeared, was now weakening and for some reason, he was scared it would disappear.

The beam hit him without even an inch of distance. It hit him in the very same hand that was holding him.

A few minutes later which seemed to be an eternity, when he forced himself to look up again, another Kuma was here. That Kuma had pads.

He couldn't feel the swordsman's presence anymore.

Zoro had vanished.

Along with the pressure.

XxX

That would sound masochist, but Sanji was so happy when the pressure came back. It was a bit weak, but it came back. It didn't hurt him. After a while, it did, like a headache. But he knew that was a good thing.

In a gap of two years, it was finally time to find everyone back again. When he reached the island, he somehow felt like fishing, and took the directions an old lady had given him – a shop on the beach at Grove 42. Once he got there, he met the owner – a man who really seemed shocked, staring at the sea.

“What's the matter?”

“He's gone!” the man said. “The green-haired man!”

The old man narrated his story, and Sanji sighed. He hadn't changed one bit, had he?

“Green hair, three swords and a belly warmer?”

“Yeah, and he has a deep scar on his eye. Do you know him?”

That last statement surprised Sanji, so he showed him a poster of Zoro he had on him.

“Oh yeah! This is the guy! Is he your friend?”

“Well, I only know him a little,” the cook lied, smiling.

And then he carried on his story.

That damn marimo.

He managed to confuse two boats, one being a tiny simple fisher boat, and the other being a huge ass pirate ship. The worst part in this was that it was normal.

And so he'd left for the Fishmen Island.

He was already tired of the damn swordsman's shit.

“That idiot! I thought it was unlike him to show up first, I knew he'd do something like this.”

He was already preparing his speech to Luffy, telling everyone to try and find Zoro underwater, in the freaking Fishmen Island- when the sea started bubbling, and something came up- it looked like pieces of a boat.

“You bastard! How dare you ruin our dream to go to the New World!?” screamed someone – surely the captain of the ship.

A shadow, sat on the mast, holding a sword, replied in a deep voice.

“It's a quirk of fate. You should blame your own fate that brought a plague onto your ship.”

Sanji wanted to facepalm. How could he say such things when he was to blame for inviting himself on their ship?

“Oh, he's back,” he simply said instead. “I couldn't care less about him,” he added, lying again.

XxX

“Oi, moss-head, you gotta stay with me! I don't want you getting lost,” Sanji smirked.

“Huh? Who do you think you're talking to, moustache eyebrow?”

That was low.

“What did you just say?! Oh- that smells good,” he said as he approached something which was being cooked, completely losing sight of the swordsman.

Whatever. He'd find him again later. They always ended up finding each other, even if they didn't want to.

And he did find him later. Only to fight more with him.

“I wanna go to sea. I wanna fish.”

What was he, five?

“No, you can't, shithead!”

“Why can't I? Why should I listen to you?!”

“Do you think I'm walking with you because I want to?!”

It was half a lie. He missed that. Those little useless fights. Two years felt like a very long time.

“Dammit,” Zoro sighed. “How could No. 7 talk bossily to No. 1?”

Urgh, no he just didn't-

“Why are you ranking us in the order of our arrival?! You got here first by chance, don't get carried away!”

“Okay, I'm sorry... No. 7.”

He regretted everything. Just take that idiot away from him now. That jerk hadn't changed one bit and he was already sick of his behavior. As rude as before. As stupid as before.

“I will fight you...!” Sanji yelled.

And Zoro smiled before he took out his swords.