Chapter Text
1.
Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?
Law twitched at the magazine in his hand. Why the hell did he agree to answer a section of a gossip magazine with his allied captain? Oh right, because said captain kept running around after hours of surgery and kept reopening his wounds. If it were anyone, Law couldn't care less. But Law owed his life to Luffy (Dressrosa came to mind and then that one time Luffy shielded him from Charlotte Perospero's raining candy attack in Onigashima) and if he dared to die because of something that could be prevented, Law was going to bring Luffy back to life only to kill him again (that surgery took a toll on him. So sue him for being pissed if his work ended up for nothing).
Besides him, Luffy was laying on a mattress with his mouth still munching a piece of meat like there was no tomorrow. Law was glad Black Leg-ya thought ahead of him. Even though Luffy was the one who asked Law to answer these questions with him ("It looks fun, Traffy! Your friends said you would love it!"), he doubted Luffy would stay still for more than one minute without some food to keep him occupied.
"I want to invite lots of people!" Luffy gave a big grin. Law could see a piece of meat stuck between his teeth. "I want to meet Sabo! We only talked for a while in Dressroba—"
"Dressrosa."
"—so I want to invite him to talk some more! I have a lot of stories to tell him. Sabo doesn't know that one giant tiger Ace and I got for Dadan. It's wayyy bigger than the one we caught when we're kids. Oh! I want to invite Makino too! I wonder if she's okay? And if Sabo comes then Iva-chan can come too! Sanji went to his place so I bet Sanji would be happy to see his friend. I want to invite Camie and Pappag and Hatchan—oh, and Vivi too! She's in Alabasta and Nami said it's dangerous for her if people know we know each other but she's also our friend! And maybe Vivi can get along with Rebecca and Yowahoshi!"
Luffy continued to ramble on. While there were some names that Law wasn't familiar with, Law managed to piece some of the story based on the snippets Luffy threw around. Excluding the two years gap, the Straw Hat Pirates technically had only taken the sea for a year or so. Yet their journey was ... colorful, to say the least. As expected of the crew that gave him an excessive headache.
"—then we're going to have a big party!" Luffy stretched his arms to the edge of the room. His signature laugh accompanied him. "What about Traffy?"
Law shrugged. "No one."
"Eh? How boring!" Don't tell anyone, but Law kind of wanted to poke Luffy's pouty cheeks.
"What can I say? I am a boring person."
"No, you're not! You're grumpy, yes, and you look tired like an old man most of the time, but Traffy is not boring!"
"Most people would disagree."
"Most people are stupid and they just don't understand your humor." And Law had to admit that Luffy understood him pretty well. That one time when he and the Straw Hats played guess a drawing, Luffy was the only one who understood his drawing of Bepo ("That old man in a bear suit is nothing like the Heart Pirate's navigator!" "What are you talking about, Nami? This looks just like him! Traffy is such a great artist, shishishi!").
"C'mon, Traffy, think harder! There must be someone!"
Law sighed. If he didn't answer, Luffy would whine for hours. Sometimes it's hard to believe someone this childish was the same person who took down Kaido.
"I suppose there is someone."
"Who?"
Law ignored the tension in Luffy's voice. "Dr. Kureha."
"That old hag?! She hits Sanji even though he's hurt!"
"I was told she was unorthodox." But who wasn't in the Grand Line? Most of the renowned doctors on this side of the world had at least one quirky thing. "She is the best at her expertise. Most of the members of 100 MDs were under her tutelage and they were the best doctors in the world. I used to read her papers as my past time when I was little. It would be interesting to sit down in a discussion with her."
"Well, Chopper learned from her and she healed Nami so I guess she's good."
She was Tony-ya's mentor? No wonder Tony-ya was so adept for his age! Not that he wasn't smart on his own.
"Does my answer satisfy you?"
"You just use dinner to talk about mumbo-jumbo instead of partying—"
"Well, I told you I'm boring."
"—but it's such a Traffy thing to do so I'm giving it a pass!" Luffy gave him a thumbs up. "How about mine?"
"I think it's going to be one hell of a party on your end."
"Shishishi!"
"But I must say I'm hurt, Straw Hat-ya. You wouldn't invite me to dinner? I thought we were allies."
"Why would I?" Luffy frowned. Law had intended the question as a joke, but somehow that hurt.
"Why would I want to invite Traffy when Traffy is already here to eat with me!"
2.
Would you like to be famous? In what way?
One skipped heartbeat, a demand for more meat, a screaming Nami, a pool of blood, and furious doctors later, Straw Hat Luffy was back in bed to continue answering these questions with the Surgeon of Death.
"Straw Hat-ya, you promised to behave if I answer these questions with you. If you broke your promise one more time, I will let you bleed out if your wound reopens!"
"Sorry for making you worried, Traffy." As if smiling at him is going to reassure Law. "All that talk about dinner is making me hungry."
"Black Leg-ya is cooking a feast so if you can be patient—"
"Really?! Yahoo!"
"... What did I tell you about behaving?"
"Sorry, Traffy," Luffy said in a dejected tone. He slumped back into his mattress while Law continued to put away his tools for treating him.
Law went back to Luffy's bedside not too long after. Law didn't comment when Luffy fixed his tilting hat. "Shall we continue?" Luffy nodded enthusiastically.
"For me, it was necessary. That way the World Government won't refuse my proposal to become a Warlord." He paused. "While I don't like them, being a Warlord has its perks. It helps me to continue my plan to take down Doflamingo."
Law paused again. His hand tightened the grip on the tatami floor. Dressrosa happened more than a month ago yet thinking about Doflamingo still sent shivers down his spine. Doflamingo was locked away deep beneath Impel Down. He's very unlikely to escape unless a Paramount War scaled event happens again. Yet Law felt like he was still trapped within Doflamingo's birdcage.
Law started to wonder if he's ever going to get over his issues with Flamingo Man.
"What about you?"
"I don't care." Luffy continued to stuff his mouth with meat. "Either way, I'm still gonna be the Pirate King!"
"Being Pirate King means becoming one of the most famous people in the world, Straw Hat-ya."
"But that's not what I want! I don't care about being famous. I just want to be the Pirate King!"
Law chuckled at the answer. "You are weird," Law said out of the blue.
"Eh? What's up with that!"
"Nothing," this was like that time when the Straw Hat Grand Fleet just formed. Luffy said something similar about wanting to be Pirate King and someone not of importance. "Let's just go to the next question."
3.
Before making a call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? Why?
"Nope! I just say whatever comes to mind! Traffy did this though. I saw you once in our bathroom looking at the mirror like this," Luffy sat up and messed around his face with his hands. What emerged later was what Law described as a poor attempt to imitate his face. He wasn't that grumpy, thank you very much! "Joker, are you agreeing to our terms? Hmm, not quite. Joker, what do you say—"
"Okay, that's enough of that." Law tried to hide below his hat. He could feel Luffy poking around his cheeks.
"Shishishi~ Traffy is being shy~"
"I'm not being shy!" Agh! He wondered how red his face was right now. If he dared to breathe a word to anyone, Law swore he would cut him up to pieces. "And of course I was practicing! You lot are too carefree for your own good. Someone had to plan ahead!"
"Shishishi, but it turned out alright in the end! Aren't you glad, Traffy?"
"I am, Straw Hat-ya. More than you know."
4.
What would constitute a “perfect” day for you?
'Definitely not today.' Law thought as he looked upwards. Another droplet of water dropped onto his face. Almost all houses around the area were decimated after their fight with Kaido and Big Mom. The room where Luffy rested was far from his preferred room to care for a patient in recovery (with the roof half gone, the remaining walls that could collapse any soon, the obvious unhygienic pool of water at the corner, and the lack of privacy—don't think he didn't notice Shachi and Long Nose-ya spying from behind the door) but Law would take what he could get even though his hat was wet with water while Luffy was as dry as Alabasta's desert.
"Days like this are not bad," Law could hear Luffy muttered. The other captain seemed to sense Law's confusion, thus he continued. "I mean, sure it'd be better if we could catch a big sea beast and have a barbeque. But any day with my friends is a perfect day for me. That includes with Traffy."
"We are not friends, Straw Hat-ya." At this point Law felt like a broken record.
"But we fought side by side!"
"Because we are in an alliance. We have an agreement."
"Yeah, but Traffy trusts me, right? Because I trust Traffy too!"
"That—" caught Law off guard. Did Luffy know? Because the answer is: yes. A thousand times yes. He told that to Doflamingo. He implied it when he pleaded to Cavendish in Dressrosa. He even outright boasted about it to Eustass Kid when Luffy delivered the final blow to Kaido in Onigashima.
So yes, Straw Hat-ya. He trusted you completely.
He would never admit it out loud though.
"Why are we doing this?" Law blurted out instead. Law hadn't read the whole thing. Even though the questions now were harmless, Law had a feeling it's going to get personal any time soon. To be honest it made him a bit anxious. "It's not like you to sit down to do this kind of thing."
"Because it looks fun! And," Luffy folded his hand, however his posture was too defensive. His back arched forward and Law noticed Luffy directed his gaze away. "I want to get to know Traffy better."
Huh.
"Why?"
"Because Traffy seemed far away even when you're close. You don't talk about yourself and what you're feeling. It just looked lonely and I don't want my friends to feel that way. So I thought maybe if I can understand Traffy better I could help. But if I start asking you questions you're going to get grumpy and tell me to go away."
"So you asked my crew what to do."
"Yeah! And this way you can get to know me too! Robin said it's gonna be a win-win for us!"
That actually made sense. Of course his crew would pick a section from a gossip magazine just to mess with him. Luffy himself probably didn't understand what the article was supposed to be for.
"Traffy, you haven't answered the question!"
"Ah, yes. Um," His brain was kind of short-circuited. "What was the question again?"
"Your perfect day!"
"Right." Law actually had a perfect textbook answer for this: A clear blue sky. Gentle winds. Calm rocking waves that lull you to sleep. A new medical book to read. No marines in sight. And definitely not babying an allied captain who is 19 years old but acts like he was nine instead.
However, "You're right. A day like this is not so bad." and he meant it.
5.
When did you last sing to yourself? To someone else?
As it was, a group of sparrows made their way into their room via the opening on the roof. They were enjoying their bath at the pool of water mentioned earlier, chirping away without care. They couldn't have timed it better, with the previous question and now. Law remembered a little girl with purple hair back in their camp who cried when she heard birds chirping. She said that it was rare to hear them in Wano in the last decade (Law suspected since the whole Kaido-Orochi-Kozuki clan mess happened). Because of that the citizens consider it as a sign of good luck.
(Law supposed it was better than where he came from. The little girl asked about it. She cried harder afterwards).
"The last time I sang to myself was recently, actually." Law could feel his face heated up. Well, he was embarrassed. He preferred not to talk about it but Luffy stated previously that he genuinely wanted to get to know him better and Law felt like an asshole if he backed out.
"Oooh, when?!" that earned him Luffy's undivided attention.
"After your surgery. I went somewhere to be alone—to rest, but I couldn't find myself to sleep. I didn't even realize I was humming until Bepo came to get me."
"What's the song about? Can you sing it to me? I've never heard you sing!"
"No."
"Please?" Law shook his head. "Why?" Luffy whined. "Is it a sad song?"
"Unfortunately yes, Straw Hat-ya. It's a lullaby from my hometown." Law scoffed. "It's actually quite ironic since one of the verses is asking God to let them have a peaceful death if they die. Yet ...." Law's voice trailed after that. Thankfully Luffy didn't press any further.
"Well, mine was in Kaido's jail, I think? I got more food than Jaggy and I was really happy I couldn't stop singing!"
"I bet Eustass-ya was delighted." Law would pay to see that.
"He's noisy! He kept saying I was cheating when it was his fault he missed the delivery boat." Luffy huffed. "And then the last time I sang to someone else was on Zou, at the celebration before we got Sanji! How did it go again ...."
Law remembered that vividly. Luffy was dancing around the bonfire with several Minks, singing an improv song about Sea King's meat with Bone-ya's accompanying him. Luffy's singing was not that good, mostly off-key because he didn't bother about rhymes and notes and all that jazz, but Law enjoyed it nonetheless. There was a certain charm to it that he couldn't place. He even sported a smile or two, much to his crew's horror.
"Did that count?"
Law looked at the magazine. "Sure, why not. The article didn't say anything about a specific person."
"How about Traffy?"
His whole body went rigid.
"Traffy?" Luffy's hand grazed his and they both jumped at the sensation.
"The last time I sang to someone else was to my sister, 16 years ago." Law tried to steady his breath. "I was singing the same song."
"The sad song?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"She was hurting. I was trying to take her mind out of it."
"Oh."
No one talked after that. The atmosphere around them suddenly felt awkward. Law could see Luffy fiddled with his fingers at the corner of his eyes. Law himself was sweating out of nervousness. Kudos to him to ruin a nice moment.
"Let's move on."
"Okay."
Hopefully the tension could be lessened by the next question.
6.
If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the mind or body of a 30-year-old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
"Young body because at least my body is still strong enough to fight."
"I'd rather have a young mind because my techniques require precision and I can't do that if my mind went senile."
"We'll complete each other then!"
'How can you be that suave that easily!' Law's mind screamed. He was too stunned that his mouth was hanging, earning him a teary laugh from the other captain. At least with that, the tension was (mostly) gone.
7.
Do you have a secret hunch about how you will die?
"Yes."
They both turned towards each other. Law was surprised at the boy's answer. Luffy was always confident when he fought; confident that he would win. Confident that he would survive. Because he will be Pirate King, as he always proclaimed.
Luffy seemed surprised—and disapproved—of his answer as well if that half snarl was any indication. While Law felt irritated because how dare Luffy judged him when he had the same thought, Law understood why Luffy responded like that. From what the Straw Hats told him Luffy was overprotective to those he considered friends and the younger captain always considered he was one of them, much to his dismay.
(Came to think about it. Why did the Straw Hats told him this?).
(A warning? A shovel talk for him to make up his mind about where they stood between each other before their captain was hurt?).
Law reached Luffy's hand unconsciously. Right when he was about to freak out, Luffy grabbed his hand back. Luffy's body relaxed immediately like he was melting to the touch. His intense stare towards him was gone, replaced with a tender one.
Seeing that, Law began to relax as well. Then he began to intertwine their fingers together. Luffy's hand was like any other pirates; calloused and hard. But it was surprisingly warm as well.
"I don't plan to die any time soon, Straw Hat-ya." Law tried to convince Luffy or himself, he wasn't sure.
"But you did, at Dressrosa."
Law chuckled at the accusation. "That I did." Law closed his eyes and let his thumb rubbed around Luffy's hand. Rubber hand apparently felt squishy. Fascinating. "Back then, I had my sights on revenge. I was ready to lay my life for it."
"Now?"
Law let go of Luffy's hand and formed a ROOM. The air above his hand was replaced by a very startled sparrow. Law gave it a little nudge before it bit him and flew away. "My Devil Fruit has two ultimate techniques that come naturally. The ability to switch souls between bodies, which your crew are familiar with," Luffy snorted at the mention of it. "and the ability to make people immortal by making them not age at the cost of my life."
Law continued. "Some time passed and I discovered a way to take the second technique one step further. A third ultimate technique." Law gripped his hand, letting the reversed DEATH tattoo on his fingers bore into his eyes. "I have a feeling I will use it sometime in the future. To save someone important. Someone important enough to me."
Law scoffed. He had a feeling he already knew about that someone.
"Of course I will use that as a last resort."
"Shishishi, Traffy was the best doctor after all! Like Chopper, you can heal anything!"
Law wouldn't lie if that didn't stroke his ego. "What about you? How did Straw Hat Luffy plan to die?"
Law wondered if Luffy was aware of the limit of his body. Law kept tabs on Luffy since he ended up on his operating table two years ago. Most of his techniques were too strenuous for his body, especially his Fourth Gear. While Law admitted that the technique was powerful in its own right, and power was the only language pirates of the New World understood, it wouldn't do his body well in the long run.
A squish on his hand snapped him out of his thoughts. Luffy was looking at him with amusement.
"Traffy worries too much."
Did he say that out loud? How embarrassing.
"I won't die before I become Pirate King and help my friends achieve their dreams."
Obviously, was left unsaid.
"I will die after that. Maybe protecting or partying with my friends. And I'll die with a smile."
8.
Name three things you and your partner appear to have in common.
"This is easy!" Luffy exclaimed. Law hadn't the slightest idea why he would think that. They were the exact opposite of each other. Nevertheless, Luffy seemed to have some ideas, so he started first this time.
"We both love our crew so much and our crew loves us back!"
Law couldn't help but smile at the notion. After he was dropped at Punk Hazard, Law had expected them to go on their merry way. He went off the grid after all, never calling them even once in fear of Doflamingo finding them. So when they were in tears when they met again in Zou, all 20 of them, Law vowed to try to be a better captain for them. He was fortunate to have a crew that cared about him deeply and loyal to a fault. The same could be said to the Straw Hats. Not many pirates had that luxury.
Luffy added one again. "We both love ninjas!"
Law covered his face with his hand. "They're awesome," he mumbled.
"I know! Raizo should show us more of his ninjutsu. Maybe I'll ask him later at the feast." Luffy squealed. "Traffy, it's your turn now!"
He supposed he had one. "We both have Devil Fruits that complement ourselves perfectly."
"We do! Being gum is the best!" Luffy began circling his arms rapidly. He yelped not a second after from the pain and that got him an earful from Law.
"Next question,"
"Eh? But Traffy only did one!"
"We're doing three each? Alright." Law just thought of his second answer, but he wasn't sure if he should bring this up.
"We both lost someone we care about so we could live."
He killed the mood again. That seemed to be a recurring theme.
Law expected Luffy to look at him with disdain. Fire Fist died only two years ago and the wound was still fresh. Hell, Cora-san died 13 years ago and the wound on him was still fresh. But Luffy gave him none of that. Maybe he understood—there was no way Luffy would know about Cora-san—but he understood enough that Law lost someone very dear like him.
"We both love our hats," Luffy said suddenly. He took his hat from the bedside and put it on his head. "We both have signature hats!"
"I never thought about that." Law went to stroke his hat. He mentally thanked Luffy for turning the situation around. "This hat is a keepsake from my childhood. That's why I treasure it."
"Mine is from Shanks! He saved my life and I promised to give his hat back after I become a great pirate!"
That left Law speechless. Luffy knew the Emperor Red-Haired Shanks. Personally. Enough to make him risked his life to save Luffy and left him a keepsake.
What kind of man did he ally himself into?!
(Why was he surprised? This is the same man who invaded Big Mom's territory, another Emperor, just to save one of his crew and then become an Emperor himself in the process).
Law had yet to give his third answer. He could go for something morbid, but he didn't feel like ruining the nice moment they had. Yet he didn't want to say something trivial like having the initial "D" in their name.
"We both have become headaches." Luffy tilted his head in confusion. "With Kaido's gone and Big Mom's forces scattered, we have disturbed the balance of the world."
Normal people would tremble at the implication. They would be hunted; by the remnants of Kaido's goons, Big Mom's allies, the Marines would be hot on their tails, and other pirates who sought fame. It would be dangerous.
But Luffy's reaction was to smile ear to ear, like a child that got a treat.
"All because Traffy proposed to me!"
"To become allies, yes." Calm down, Trafalgar Law. This was just him misunderstanding the meaning of a word. Didn't need to get that excited. "Though I think you're the one who complicates it all. You're the one who picked a fight with Big Mom and dragged me in the process."
"That's what makes it exciting!"
"Wouldn't have it any other way."
9.
For what in your life do you feel most grateful?
"My friends, my brothers, Shanks, and meat!"
"My family for the best years of my life. Cora-san for saving my life. My crew for putting up with someone so selfish. And you for not giving up on me at Dressrosa."
Law only told Luffy the first three. There was no way he's telling anyone the last one. He had a reputation to uphold!
10.
If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
It was only the tenth question and it was already this personal. Law dreaded the moment they got to the last question.
Law took off his hat and placed it on the bed beside Luffy's thigh. His right hand stroked the white soft fuzz of his hat. It was a hassle to keep it that soft in New World's weather. Thankfully, Bepo's shampoo worked wonders.
"I wish I could save my family and my benefactor," Law uttered. Law didn't feel like giving Luffy context; Luffy certainly won't push because he's not that kind of person. But Law thought after everything, Luffy deserved to know. He's no longer mere allies after all.
So he told Luffy about a city as white as snow called Flevance. About a double-edged sword (or ore?) called Amber Lead. About how one of the most prosperous cities disappeared in one night. About a ten-year-old who was clouded with vengeance he joined a rising pirate crew. About said rising crew's captain's brother that did everything to cure him and died at the hands of a demon in pink so Law could be free.
Luffy was listening intently. His focus was solely directed towards Law's story. Law found it comforting that someone finally knew his full story because not even his crew knew it entirely. It was like a weight had lifted off his chest.
At the end of his story, Luffy only nodded. Law knew he could trust Luffy not to spill his story randomly and vice versa could be said the same.
"Will the pain go away?" Luffy asked.
"Never," Law answered. "It will dull over time, though sometimes it intensifies at certain moments. But it will always be there because you never stop caring for them."
Luffy giggled. "What?" Law suddenly felt uneasy. "Traffy is so sappy~" he sing-songed. "The others won't believe me!"
"Don't you dare!" His threat was only met with another giggle.
"How about you, Straw Hat-ya? You don't seem like a man who had many regrets."
Luffy put his hands behind his head and began to hum a random tune. "The only family that I know was Gramps but I rarely saw him. He told me to live with Dadan and her gang with Ace and Sabo but Dadan wouldn't feed us so we spent most of our time in the forest. But we had a good time! We even have our secret base!"
"And Dadan is ...?"
"A mountain bandit!"
So the Hero of the Marines gave his only grandson to be raised by mountain bandits, only to be left on his own. Glad to know that crazy ran in the family. He pitied Sengoku suddenly. He must suffer extensive headaches from working with crazy for decades.
"I wish me and Ace knew about Sabo sooner though." Luffy's eyes turned solemn. It felt wrong to see him wore that expression.
Law had heard about this, back at Kyros's house. That's when Law made his acquaintance with the Revolutionary Army's Chief of Staff. He couldn't say he left a great first impression. Luffy had such an overprotective brother because who and why the hell would someone leave a burn mark as a greeting?
Before Law could cheer Luffy up, Luffy was back with his default wide grin. "But it's okay! It's no use to hang up on the past!"
Law's eyes softened. "Wise words, Straw Hat-ya."
"Jinbei told me that."
"You got yourself a wise man, Straw Hat-ya. Your crew certainly needs it."
"I know! Jinbei is awesome! Oh wait," Law tried to suppress his laugh when Luffy later realized his sarcasm. "Traffy, what does that supposed to mean?!"
"It means what it means."
Luffy's cheeks inflated like a balloon. "Traffy is being mean!"
"You just don't understand my humor."
That made Luffy's mouth went agape. He then jumped from his bed and pointed at him in an accusatory manner. "You use my words!" His voice was full of glee.
Law rested his head onto his hand. A smirk painted across his face. "I know. Shocking, right?"
"Shishishi. You're weird, Traffy. I like you."
"Thank you. It takes one to know one."
11.
Take four minutes and tell your partner your life story in as much detail as possible.
Luffy jumped at the question immediately. The Straw Hat captain loved his stories, Law knew this first hand during their voyage to Zou. Back then he only heard from the Cannibal's retelling (in his high-pitched, fanboying voice of his that somehow suited him but at the same time didn't. It's totally bizarre) but it's nice to hear from the real source, even if the real source is ... kind of unruly in telling his stories.
Luffy told him about how he met Shanks and how he mistook a Devil Fruit for a regular fruit. How reckless he had been as a kid and how that cost him Shanks's arm (not that Luffy wasn't reckless now, though Law had a feeling he knew). Then how he got his signature straw hat and his crew. It didn't surprise him that most of them were dragged unwillingly. But Luffy had a certain aura in him that made him easy to trust.
Then Luffy told him about their adventures in the Grand Line. Apparently, Dressrosa wasn't their first rodeo in liberating a country (everyone knew about Crocodile's scandal. It made the headline for days). It was ridiculous how often they found trouble (or maybe it was trouble that found them?). No wonder they grew really strong in a short amount of time. It was terrifying and intriguing at the same time.
(Law was on the edge of his seat during Luffy's storytime. Luffy wouldn't stay still and it's a miracle a wound hadn't reopened with how he bent his arms and body).
In return, Law told Luffy about how he met Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin, and how they formed the Heart Pirates. Law found Bepo was being bullied by Shachi and Penguin and proceeded to make the two as his unfortunate second and third guinea pigs to his newfound powers (the first one was himself, in an attempt to cure himself from Amber Lead Syndrome). He then told the story about how he first conducted his first surgery, which was to Penguin and his severed arm, and how that led to Shachi and Penguin becoming his subordinates. And no, Luffy, that was not fondness in his voice! If anything, Law kind of regretted letting Shachi and Penguin on his ship because of how annoying they were.
Law also told about Wolf, a stern yet kind-hearted inventor that gave shelter to the four of them in exchange for work. His son Bacca, a pirate who failed to take on Grand Line and took his frustration with terrorizing the island where they lived instead. And how their conflict led to his mission to take down Doflamingo in place of Cora-san. Law also told some of his adventures in Grand Line, though it was not as eventful as the Straw Hats, and how he gained the rest of his crew in the process.
By the end of their conversation, he found himself laughing together with Luffy. He had been skeptical about this quiz, but he enjoyed answering these questions. He also got to understand his allied captain more, which was a bonus.
Still not falling in love though. That part was bullshit.
12.
If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be?
"Not needing to sleep. I have dozens of medical journals waiting to be read and I could use more time to refine my techniques." Law tried to stretch his back. It made a loud cracking sound that made Luffy laughed and him embarrassed. "Or infinite stamina. Using my Devil Fruit abilities gets me tired."
"I want Sanji's Raid Suit!" Luffy's eyes were sparkling. He was huffing, like an excitable dog. "Have you seen it, Traffy? It's so cool! You can fly fast, and make a shield with your cape that goes wuung wuung, and you can become invisible too! So cool!"
"I know. I'm aware of Stealth Black's ability. I was an avid fan of its comic books."
"They have comic books?!"
"Yes. It's popular in North Blue. I have it somewhere in my sub. I'll lend it to you the next time we meet."
"Yeah! It's a promise!" Luffy then reached for Law's hand and tied their pinkies together. He then sang about swallowing a can of needles if they broke their promise? Anyway, Law found it endearing in some way. It reminded him of what his sister, Lammy, used to do.
"Traffy is the best!"
"No need to get that excited. I'm just lending you some comic books."
"It's not just that!"
Law raised his eyebrows. Luffy rolled his eyes like he missed something very obvious.
"You promise to meet me after we leave this island. I was worried Traffy won't want to see me again."
Right, Law completely forgot about that. With Kaido gone, technically their alliance was over. They no longer have any business with each other.
Truthfully, Law kind of expected Luffy to selfishly keep their alliance going. Though he supposed this was different from when Luffy refused to end their alliance at Dressrosa or when he expanded their alliance with the Minks and Samurais without consulting Law first. That time they had a common goal. Now, not so much.
They should talk about that. They really should be talking about that instead of these ridiculous quizzes.
Then as if on cue, Luffy's stomach growled.
"I'm hungry." And it growled again but louder.
"Straw Hat-ya, it's only been an hour." Maybe even less. Law deadpanned.
"Sorry, Traffy. I know I promised I won't make any trouble, and I want to finish this with you, but I'm really, really hungry."
Now, Law didn't know if Luffy was faking his expression or not, but he looked like he was in pain. Fortunately for Luffy, Law was buying it. He blamed this set of questions for making him more sympathetic towards the allied captain.
Though he supposed they could use some rest. His feet felt like a noodle after sitting for too long and his throat felt dry from talking so much. Also based on the magazine, they were already at the last question of the first set. Perfect time to rest.
"Straw Hat-ya,"
"Hm?" the younger captain peeked in between his bangs. His mouth half-opened and he was drooling. He looked like he could pass out at any moment.
"Since we've finished the last question of this set, I could ask Black Leg-ya for an early lunch for both of us."
That got Luffy up right away. The wide grin was back on his face. "Okay!" was all he said. Yet Law felt like there was a hidden meaning behind that smile.