Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Where on earth did you find this?" Law commented, arms crossed. 

The crew had presented him with the ugliest-looking cylindrical artifact he'd ever seen. It had weird, bright psychedelic colors that hurt his eyes to look at. Wincing, he gazed at the excited members of his crew. Penguin and Shachi were beyond thrilled to find an "ancient treasure" in the forest of the island they were docked at. After days of boredom waiting on the shore of the island, anyone on the crew would have been ecstatic to find something with mysterious power.

"That's just it, Captain," Penguin exclaimed. "None of us can remember!"

"I sent all of you to go in a group so no one would get lost, and none of you can tell me why you brought this weird stone cylinder back to the ship?"

"Well, here's the thing, Captain. We started out in the forest until Bepo got lost. We didn't want to turn back because we found something we wanted to report back. And then 'blip,' we were back with Bepo, and Shachi was holding this weird artifact with no idea what happened to us!"

Bepo added, "And they both looked like a wreck when they found me. I asked them what happened, and they couldn't tell me!"

Ikaku leaned back in her chair. "It has to be some sort of strange mind control device."

Penguin grinned greedily, rubbing his hands together. "Imagine how much we could sell this to other pirates! Or we could use it against the marines!"

Standing his ground, Law's voice rang out inside the metal hulls of the submarine, "No one is touching the artifact until we know what it is!"

Bepo opened his biggest, cutest eyes upon the captain. "But Law! We meet up with the Straw Hats' ship in just a few hours; we have to determine if it's dangerous to the crew!"

Law sighed and pinched his nose. "Fine, fine. Either I want this thing out of the ship or... perhaps we can make Robin look at this."

He pondered the strange, colorful artifact. The grooves and edges of the painted stone seemed to buzz with energy. "I know the Straw Hats would have a field day with this. Especially Luffy-ya..."

Law opened a Room and Shambled the object into his hand. Suddenly, the stone pillar screeched to life. It started to vibrate violently.

Shachi was interrupted by a bright flash before he could say, "Captain!-"

Energy surged from the object. The electricity surged through Law's hand into the rest of his body. He shuddered and cried out. It was painful . The electricity reached his brain, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as his body shook. He didn't hear the artifact shattering on the floor as his world went dark.

Law woke up only a bit later, in his bed. He figured Jean Bart or Bepo must have carried him there. It didn’t matter; he felt fine, albeit a bit disoriented. Nothing ached, or felt off. His head did hurt slightly. 

Instead of worrying, he made his way to the bridge to assist with the vessel’s ascent to meet the Straw Hats. 

“Captain on the bridge!” Bepo called. “Glad you’re awake!”.

The crew was busy adjusting instruments, and Law naturally stepped in to command.

"And make sure the pressure is declining on this gauge, and face the hull a little more centered—"

"Geez, Law, I know you’re excited to see Straw Hat after so long, but you don’t have to mother us," Shachi teased, adjusting the controls with a grin. Secretly, he was pretty glad the Captain sounded fine. Maybe last night was just a fritz.

"I’m not 'excited.' I simply value all the Straw Hats' opinions as allies," Law replied, his tone cool and professional.

"Huh? No, not all the Straw Hats," Shachi continued, despite knowing he was treading on dangerous territory— the kind that could result in getting an arm confiscated. "I mean your favorite Straw Hat, Luffy. You go all soft and smiley with him."

"Who?" Law's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Uh, I just mean the crew is glad that you get along so well with Luffy! He’s a strong captain, and we want to support the alliance—" Shachi stammered, sensing the tension rising.

"No, who’s Luffy?" Law's voice was icy and demanding.

Shachi, along with the entire bridge crew, froze. Everyone slowly turned their heads to Law, who was blinking at the room with genuine confusion.

Penguin nervously started to laugh. "Oh ha-ha, Captain. I know we should be more formal. Uhh, we know you appreciate Mugiwara-ya’s—"

"No, Penguin, stop joking. Is Luffy a new recruit of theirs? I should know about it before my crew did. I would’ve thought they would have mentioned it—" Law’s voice was edged with irritation and bewilderment.

Bepo, always the voice of reason, interjected, "Law, what are you on about? Luffy is not a new recruit. He’s the captain. Are we doing pranks now?" His fluffy face was scrunched in worry.

"Luffy Mugiwara? Is that his name? Seriously, stop lying. Who is he?" Law demanded, his frustration mounting.

The crew exchanged worried glances with one another. Their anxiety collectively grew as they studied Law’s stern expression. He was dead serious, his mouth downturned, and his eye twitching in frustration. He hated being out of the loop, pranked by his crew, and all of the above.

"Well? Spit it out!" Law barked, his patience wearing thin.

Bepo slowly placed his navigator book down and approached Law. "Captain, you seriously don’t recognize the name Luffy? Straw Hat Luffy?" His tone was gentle but urgent.

"No," Law replied curtly.

"You really don’t know Luffy?" Bepo's voice wavered with disbelief.

"I don’t know anyone named Luffy! How many more times do I have to say it—" Law's voice was rising, his frustration palpable.

The bridge erupted in panicked chattering.

"Oh my god, he’s not kidding—"

"I knew something must’ve gone wrong, he was too normal otherwise—"

"How the hell can he forget Luffy?"

Bepo cut through the noise and placed his large paws on either side of Law’s shoulders. "Captain, we aren’t playing a game or anything. Something is wrong. Now, please tell me, who is the captain of the Straw Hat Pirates?" His eyes searched Law’s for any sign of recognition.

Law furrowed his brow even more, internally searching for answers. "The captain of the Straw Hats? That’s simple, it’s—"

His mouth stayed open. "It’s…"

"Zoro?"

Onboard the Sunny, the Tang was surfacing from the calm blue waves. It was always unnerving to see the yellow machine rise from the depths until it was comfortably bobbing beside the main deck of the Sunny. The Straw Hats, along with Luffy, were gathered at the railing to greet their guests. Franky had already started attaching ropes and hooks to the side bearings, his mechanical hands moving with precision.

Luffy, with his boundless energy, was practically vibrating in his spot with anticipation. "I can’t wait to see Torao and hear about all the fun he’s had with his crew!" he exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

Nami sighed, placing a hand on Luffy’s shoulder to calm him down. "Take it easy, Luffy. I know you care about him, but you can’t jump him as soon as—"

With a hiss, the hatch of the top tower rotated and snapped open with a pop. Penguin appeared and gasped, his eyes wide with urgency. "Hi Straw Hats! Nice to see you. Okay, we have a teeny tiny little problem onboard, so we’ll catch up in a sec, okay? See you soon, bye!" Without giving them a pause to respond, he disappeared back down and snapped the hatch shut.

The Straw Hats were stunned, taking in what had just happened. Luffy turned to Nami and pouted, his excitement deflating. "Awwweh!"

Brook laughed, his skeletal frame shaking. "Yo ho ho! I wonder what could be amiss?"

Back below deck, the Heart Pirates had gathered for an emergency crew meeting. And they meant emergency emergency. They had placed their confused, scowling captain at the front of the common room, surrounding him like they were about to hold the press conference of the century. Law was sitting with his arms and legs crossed, tapping his finger impatiently as he waited for Ikakku and Shachi to stop laughing their asses off at what he had just told them.

"Oh god—Bahaha—okay, okay, sorry, Captain—phew," Ikakku finally calmed down from her laughing fit. "Zoro is not the captain. Do you think the ship would ever point in the right direction with him?"

Law was growing more irritated by the second. He had a meeting to keep on time, and the crew insisted on these mindless questions. But he pondered Ikakku’s question anyway. Zoro as the captain… didn’t sit right with him either.

"Okay, fine, that was just a mistake. Obviously, the captain is, uh... Nami?" Law suggested, trying to reason it out. Nami seemed like a good choice. She was reasonable, and he trusted her plans and intuition. She was clearly the reason behind the success of the Straw Hats.

Ikakku snorted out, "No! It’s not Nami, it’s Luffy! You really forgot about him, huh?"

Bepo was serious and fidgeting. "It must’ve been the artifact. We should have known something happened when it shocked him! Captain, what do you remember?"

Penguin chimed in, "Well, he clearly remembers the other Straw Hats. He must’ve forgotten Luffy’s name?"

"What the hell are you all chattering about? My memory is perfectly fine! I don’t know who you are trying to make me remember, but I swear this Luffy doesn’t exist!" Law’s frustration was evident.

Shachi stepped forward, "Captain! We’re telling you! You have somehow forgotten about Straw Hat Luffy specifically! You remember what happened to you last night, right?"

"Yes, I remember being electrocuted!" Law snapped.

Bepo’s eyes widened as he lit up with realization. "And the last thing you talked about before touching the artifact was Luffy! It must’ve taken those memories specifically because he was on your mind!"

Shachi nodded slowly, "In a weird way, that does make sense."

Penguin sighed, "Well, shit. That makes this whole situation extra bad. What are we going to tell the Straw Hats? Show up to our meeting and be like, 'Oh, by the way! Trafalgar over here doesn’t remember Luffy!'"

Law stood up, adjusting his coat with determination. "I don’t see the issue. If I lost my memory of this man, shouldn’t meeting him again trigger it? I’ll just reintroduce myself."

Ikakku’s eyes widened in horror. "No! It would break his pure, sunshine heart into a million pieces! You two have been through so much together as captains and allies!"

Law looked more confused by the second. "How could you all know so much about my memories involving him, and I don’t know a thing about him? When would I have met him?"

Penguin shook his head. "Oh man, don’t even get me started. First of all, you took us all the way into Marine territory just to save him from his death, and you barely knew the guy. Now since then he’s practically attached to you and our crew, we’ve had too many adventures and moments to count. You told us you would die for him! You practically almost did! Twice!"

The Heart Pirates were shaking their heads in agreement, making Law increasingly uncomfortable. He decided he had enough of this conversation. If this topic was worrying the crew this badly, he would just get his memories back himself, or even better, just meet this supposed member of the Straw Hats that was missing from his collection. He adjusted his sword and started to attempt to push through the crowd.

"This is absurd. I can’t fathom myself being this attached to a singular pirate. I enjoy the Straw Hats, but it’s professional. I will simply just meet him. Is he onboard the Sunny?"

Bepo stood forward, blocking his way. "Captain, please wait—"

Ikakku muttered over her shoulder to Jean Bart, "Oh, I wish it was just a professional relationship—"

Law snapped his gaze to her. "What do you mean by that?"

Ikakku jumped, looking like a mouse that had just had a trap snapped on her. "Oh, uh, nothing! It’s just the crew is very aware of your true relationship with him. Although we know how you are with expressing feelings."

Shachi whisper-shrieked, "Ikakku! Shut it!"

"What?! We all know it!"

"Yes, but he currently doesn’t even remember—"

“Bepo, what does she mean by ‘true feelings’?” Law demanded, his irritation mounting.

Bepo, shuffling nervously, responded, “Captain, she just means that ever since you formed the alliance with Luffy, you’ve had romantic feelings for him—and we all support you fully! It’s just something you should know before meeting him in person again without your memories.”

Law felt himself growing pale, then rapidly feeling his face turn red. This whole ordeal was getting worse for his health. Absolutely not. Law doesn’t do romance. He doesn’t do relationships. Ever. With anyone.

He started to seriously push through the crowd of Heart Pirates, determined to make it to the outward hatch and get this over with. “If this were true, I would have definitely remembered—move, Shachi—being in love with another pirate—move! Shachi! I mean it!”

He shoved a few crew members to the side, who were desperately trying to block him with worried looks on their faces.

“Captain, you two have been through so much. We should catch you up on events so you don’t seem like you forgot your memories! If the Straw Hats find out something happened to you, they will never let us have a moment of peace! Especially Luffy!” Shachi implored.

“Well, you can tell me on the way. What could possibly have led to me apparently losing my mind?” Law started pressing some buttons on the control panel to ascend the sub, trying to shrug off the whole conversation. However, Bepo wasn’t done with him yet.

“He defeated Doflamingo for you,” Bepo blurted out.

Law’s hand twitched and stopped mid-task. He turned to look up at Bepo. “He... did? No, that’s not true. Doflamingo was defeated by…” He stopped mid-sentence, the memory foggy. The face of the person wouldn’t come to mind. “He defeated that pink bastard… for me?”

“Exactly. Just because he wanted to,” Bepo confirmed.

Law’s hands shook as he digested this information. He turned to avoid Bepo’s gaze, focusing on moving the lever to open the final hatch. “I still... I still don’t fully believe you,” he said calmly, making his way to the hatch ladder. “Jean Bart, can you bring the artifact to me? We need to get to the bottom of these missing memories and... romantic relationship.”

Jean Bart nodded and disappeared to fetch the object. Law ascended the ladder and released the hatch, landing on the bright sunny top deck of the Tang. They were floating calmly beside the Straw Hats’ ship, still attached firmly by ropes. Law squinted to observe, but no Straw Hats were milling around on deck. Bepo and Penguin climbed out to join him on the platform.

Penguin was fidgeting. “Captain, I know it’s not my place, but I think we should really try to pretend everything is normal with you. Luffy cares about you a lot, and you two have a very strange yet adorable relationship.”

Law found this whole problem ridiculous and was still suspecting it was a prank by the crew. However, acting like everything was fine was starting to appeal to him. He didn’t particularly enjoy letting others know his personal issues. This could be something they could keep to themselves as a crew.

“So I’m begging you, just try to act like you do normally around him?”

“Please enlighten me, Penguin. How exactly am I supposed to act when I can’t remember a single moment of meeting this man?”

“Oh, um. Right. I would say, you care about him quite a bit. You have been through many battles, and you always stitch him up afterward. He hugs you a lot, so prepare for that. And also… uh…”

Bepo chimed in, almost getting too excited to try and coach his captain. “And you stare into his eyes and smile! Sometimes you hold hands at dinner, but that might just be to protect your food from being stolen…”

Law’s face was heating up. This much PDA was expected? He was starting to believe he’d lost quite a bit of his memories if the crew knew this much detail about his daily interactions.

“This is insane. I don’t act this way with anyone! Are you implying Luffy is” Law internally winced at the thought, “- like a boyfriend?”

Bepo and Penguin opened their mouths to immediately interject that not exactly -. However, the doors of the Sunny’s kitchen opened to reveal a bouncing man, two elegant women, and a swordsman entering the deck. Luffy took two seconds to lock eyes with Trafalgar and launched himself as close to the railing as possible to lean over and greet Law. Law was amazed at how wide the dark-haired man could smile and how far he was leaning over the railing without falling in. Since he didn’t know this person, he concluded that this must be “Luffy.”

Law’s first impressions of this mystery crewmate were mixed. On one hand, he was certain he had never met this pirate in his life. On the other hand, the stranger looked overly happy  and friendly and was, in a weird way… cute. The opposite of Law’s demeanor in every way. It was enticing; he wanted to know more.

Law straightened his posture, wanting to make a clear first impression. Well, maybe not first, but it felt odd meeting someone new who supposedly knew all about him.

“Traffy!!” the Straw Hat man called.

“Who?” Law thought but quickly put it together that it must mean him. An awful, shortened version of his name. Was he making fun of him? Is this what they did?

“Hello, Luffy.”

Both Penguin and Bepo shot him a death glare. He had said something wrong.

“I mean, Luffy-ya.”

Two big thumbs up beamed at him from his peripheral. Penguin whispered, “Too stiff!!”

Law took the correction and tried to smile a bit. Okay, Luffy was looking at him eagerly. Was he expecting some other greeting? What would Law with memories do usually? He shifted his sword and sidestepped onto the gangplank to board the Sunny. In a few strides, he would be beside Luffy on deck. He pondered. Luffy seemed casual, yet beaming with interest. His eyes had not left Law as Law boarded the ship. There was definitely something Law felt in his chest, like a skip in his heartbeat. Maybe his previous memories did include... some sort of feelings .

Law was standing close to Straw Hat now, staring nervously at his adorably innocent face. He quickly stole a glance back to Bepo and Penguin for reassurance. Bepo was giving him a “go-ahead motion” and Penguin was mouthing “remember!”. Neither was helpful. 

He turned back to Luffy. In the moment, he couldn’t stop thinking that even without a memory of who this was, there were feelings in his chest he had not felt for a long time. Relief, anticipation, adoration. His mind reviewed what his crew had told him, but he was starting to make his own connections. Luffy and he were… romantic? That seemed right. He had to keep up appearances that he was normal no matter what. And so the correct thing to do- the obvious thing Luffy was waiting for…

Law leaned over and kissed Luffy on his lips. “It’s nice to see you, Luffy.”

Everyone on the ocean seemed to suck in a breath. Luffy's eyes widened in surprise.

"Torao?” Luffy for the first time looked embarrassed, his face blushing wildly as he searched Law up and down as Law pulled away.

Penguin and Bepo clutched their faces in shame, they would be dead by morning.

Chapter Text

The Straw Hats were becoming great onlookers, a mix of shock and curiosity.

Was this Trafalgar's confession, or a new way of greeting Luffy they never knew about? Knowing Law, this was quite abnormal behavior.

Nami raised an eyebrow. “Traffy, what’s gotten into you?”

Zoro smirked. “Didn’t think you had it in you, Surgeon.” 

Sanji lit a cigarette, looking intrigued. “I didn’t know you were into men- I mean, Luffy like that.”

Law felt the weight of their scrutiny, realizing his mistake. He had fucked up, somehow. The fact that the crew didn’t know- Oh god.

They weren’t in a relationship were they?

His mind raced, trying to find a plausible explanation. He decided to go with what his crew had advised him. He backpedaled hard to recover the situation.

“Well, it’s not like it’s a secret,” Law forced a casual tone. “Luffy and I have always had... feelings for each other. I just decided to finally do something about it today.”

Robin smiled knowingly. “Really? That’s quite a development.”

Usopp excitedly chimed in, “Luffy and you? So you’re saying you’ve been secretly in love with each other all this time?”

Law nodded, trying to keep his composure. “Yes, something like that. I’ve always admired Luffy’s strength and spirit. Today felt like the right moment to... express it.”

Luffy, still blushing, looked at Law with a mixture of confusion and excitement. “You’re really serious, Traffy? You really like me?”

“Yes, Luffy. I do,” Law nodded. Fuck.

“Well, I think I love Traffy! I guess it is that simple, I never thought of it like that! Guys, Traffy kissed me! Isn’t that awesome?”.

The Straw Hats erupted into a mix of cheers and teasing remarks, patting Luffy on the back and congratulating him. Sanji gave Law a scrutinizing look.

“Well, this sure is sudden, Trafalgar. Just make sure you treat him right. Luffy’s important to us,” Sanji said. 

“I will,” Law responded seriously.

Franky was crying “Young pirate love is just so rare and beautiful. The two captains, in love !”.

Law felt a pang of guilt and fear. He liked all the Strawhats, and didn’t enjoy deceiving them. It was true Luffy was… attractive. But he has known this man for 5 seconds, there were no real feelings involved. But seeing the shorter man smile in that small way that meant it was genuine and meant just for him . It made Law’s brain stutter in its tracks. 

He decided at that moment he would do anything to keep Luffy happy and to make sure he didn’t hurt him. And that meant pretending to remember all their history. His memories would come back eventually, right?

The memories were not coming back. 

Law sighed deeply, staring at the shattered pieces of the artifact lying on the table. The crew were maintaining a healthy distance of 5 feet away from him at all times, chewing their nails in anxiousness as they explained that Law had unfortunately shattered the thing last night. 

Bepo tried to reassure him, “We could glue it together, Captain!”.

Law’s frown deepened. “ I don’t think that will work.”

Shachi scratched his head, looking concerned. “Maybe we can find another artifact? There’s gotta be something out there that can help.”

Clione nodded in agreement. “Yeah, we can’t just give up. There’s gotta be a way to fix this.”

Law was trying his best not to shout. “It’s not that simple. These artifacts are rare for a reason. And even if we find another one, there’s no guarantee it will work the same way.”

The crew was trying to lighten the situation. Ikaku cheered “We’ll do whatever it takes to help you get your memories back! And even better, after you erm- kissed him, Luffy doesn’t suspect a thing, you even made him happier than usual!”

Sighing painfully, Law pulled his hat over his eyes. “Don’t even remind me. Maybe I can erase all my memories of today by sticking a shard of that thing through my head”.

“Captain, don’t be overdramatic. You haven’t done anything wrong!” Bepo stroked his hat comfortingly. “Are you sure you’re okay? No other side effects, right?”

Law sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I’m fine, Bepo. Just... dealing with the stress of the situation.” He couldn’t shake the feeling of isolation. He was living a lie, pretending to remember a past he couldn’t recall, all while trying to keep up appearances.

Shachi broke the silence, “Well all you can do is keep trying to jog your own memory. Now think really hard… What did you first think of Luffy when you met him? Were the feelings familiar?”

Law stiffened, caught off guard by the question. “I... I don’t really know. I know so little about him. He’s… nice. And he seemed to like me, and was quite comfortable around me. That’s something noticeably ab normal about him” He gave a sad chuckle to that,  “I don’t understand it myself. How could someone like me, with my appearance, my past, my personality... How could Luffy even be romantically interested in me? We’re opposites from what I can tell”.

Ikaku dismissed his rambling “Luffy sees people for who they are, not what they look like or what their past is.”

Ciclone nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Captain. Luffy’s not the kind of guy to care about appearances or history. It’s all about what’s inside.”

Law shook his head, still struggling to comprehend it. “But I’m not... I’m not an easy person to like. I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I don’t see what he sees in me.”

Bepo placed a reassuring paw on Law’s shoulder. “Maybe you should ask him yourself, Captain. Talk to Luffy. He’s the only one who can truly tell you why he likes you.”

Law looked at his crew, their supportive faces giving him strength. “You’re right.” 

Law slumped into the nearest chair, burying his face in his hands. “Oh my seas, I kissed a man I don’t even remember meeting.”

The Heart Pirates exchanged glances, unsure of how to respond. Shachi finally broke the silence with a snort, trying to lighten the mood. “Well, at least he didn’t punch you for it.”

“That’s not the point,” Law muttered, voice muffled behind his hands. “I’ve been pretending... pretending like I know him, like I have these feelings that I don’t even understand.”

Bepo patted his captain’s back in a comforting way. “But you’re doing your best, Captain. You’re just... adapting.”

Bepo’s paw remained steady on his shoulder, offering silent support, but the worry on the bear mink’s face was hard to miss. Law felt a sting of guilt; his crew didn’t deserve this mess.

Shachi leaned back against the wall, trying again to keep things light. “Hey, we’ve seen you fumble worse, Captain. Remember that time we tried to help you call a girl on the Den Den Mushi? I thought you were gonna toss us all overboard.”

Law let out a half-hearted chuckle, but the exhaustion was palpable in his voice. “This feels worse.”

The crew fell into a thoughtful silence, none of them quite knowing what to say. They were are all just relieve that their heads were on their shoulders for the time being.

Bepo, still at his side, offered one last piece of advice. “Just rest tonight, Captain. You don’t have to figure it all out right now. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

The night was quiet as the Heart Pirates disbanded, giving Law the space he needed. As he made his way to his quarters, he couldn’t shake the gnawing unease that clung to him like a shadow. He lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling, replaying the events of the day over and over in his mind. 

Kissing Luffy felt.. Right. Like something that was on his to-do list was finally complete. But no matter how hard he concentrated, no shared memories of the pirate came back to him. When had he developed real feelings for another pirate captain?

But, eventually, exhaustion took over, and the rhythm of the ship lulled him into a restless sleep.

Tomorrow , he thought drowsily, closing his eyes. Tomorrow, I’ll deal with it.

The next morning, Law stood on the deck of the Polar Tang, hands resting on the railing as he stared out at the horizon.

He knew what was coming. Luffy had been nothing but warm and open ever since they... whatever it was they were doing now. A relationship, apparently. Even though Law still couldn’t grasp how that had happened, he had to keep up the act. Maybe he could politely break up with the captain of the Straw Hats, let him down nicely that he was just experimenting with kissing him?

A familiar voice cut through the quiet morning air. “Traffy! You up early?”

Law tensed, recognizing Luffy’s voice immediately. He hadn’t been ready for this. He turned slowly to find the Straw Hat captain bounding across the deck towards him, a grin stretched wide across his face.

“Luffy,” Law greeted, trying to keep his tone neutral. His chest tightened as Luffy approached. 

Luffy stopped right in front of him, hands on his hips, still beaming. “You didn’t come by the Sunny this morning, so I thought I’d come see you instead!”

Law nodded stiffly. “I’ve been... busy.”

Luffy didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness in his voice, or if he did, he didn’t care. “You should’ve said something! We could’ve hung out.”

The words were so casual, so simple. But Law felt the weight of them like a rock in his stomach. Hanging out. It was supposed to be natural, easy. But nothing about this felt easy to him.

Before he could reply, Luffy reached out and took his hand without hesitation, his grip firm but casual. Law stiffened, his whole body going rigid at the contact. It was such a simple gesture, one that probably meant nothing to Luffy. Now that they were… in love.

Law hesitated before answering. “Luffy-ya, I wanted to apologize about what I did yesterday... kissing you on deck, in front of everyone. I didn’t even think about how you felt—” He paused, his mind racing. “What... do you feel?”.

“Kissing?” Luffy tilted his head.

“No, about me,” Law clarified, his heart beating a little faster.

Luffy’s grin softened into a creeping blush, and a rare awkwardness bled into his voice. “Well, uh—I’ve always thought you were cool... as a captain. But I’ve been keeping a secret from you, Torao. Even from my crew.”

“A secret?” Law raised an eyebrow, curious despite himself.

“Yeah,” Luffy continued, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I sometimes wanted to kiss you too. After a really good fight together, or sometimes when I saw you again after a while of being apart. I wasn’t ever going to tell you, ‘cause I thought for sure you weren’t interested. But then you kissed me! And I knew right then we had to be together. And definitely kiss again.”

The straightforwardness of Luffy’s words hit Law like a punch to the gut. He stared, dumbfounded. This man... was in love with him? Apparently for a while? His mind scrambled to make sense of it all. His grumpy, unapproachable self had an attractive pirate in love with him—and he never even noticed? Lost in a whirlwind of confusion and frustration with his past self, Law stumbled to reply.

“It’s not that simple,” he muttered, trying to steady himself. “I don’t even remember... how we got here.”

Luffy tilted his head, confused but not deterred. “Huh? What do you mean?”

“I don’t understand why you like me,” Law admitted quietly, avoiding Luffy’s eyes. “I’m not... I’m not like you.”

“I like you because you’re you, Torao,” Luffy said simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I saw you come up with a plan to take down one of the strongest pirates, even though he gave you nightmares all the way to Dressrosa. You stayed by my side when I went unconscious and none of my crew was around. And I like how nice you are to your crew, even though you’re a worrywart all the time.” He laughed, his usual carefree chuckle, making Law’s chest feel both tight and strangely lighter at the same time.

Luffy’s hand was still firmly gripping his fingers, warm and steady. Without realizing it, Law found himself squeezing back. I don’t remember... any of that.

“We’ve been through a lot together?” Law asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

“A lot of fighting,” Luffy grinned, eyes bright with excitement. “And it’s the most fun I’ve ever had, Torao!” His face was close to his, their lips inches apart…

Law’s mind was still reeling, but Luffy’s simple, earnest joy was infectious. He couldn’t help but feel a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Come on,” Luffy urged, pulling on Law’s hand. “Let’s go do that planning you wanted to do yesterday! And then we can kiss more! Zoro says boyfriends should kiss lots!”

Before Law could protest, Luffy was already dragging him toward the Sunny. Law didn’t pull away this time, the warmth of Luffy’s hand grounding him in the present, even as his mind struggled to catch up.

Chapter Text

Law was starting to convince himself that the relationship, although fake, would work with Luffy. But the crucial key point he missed is that good things never happen to him. And it started with a splitting headache at dinner.

Law gritted his teeth as he led his crew aboard the Sunny, navigating the chaotic dining area where both crews had gathered. The Straw Hats had gone to great lengths to accommodate everyone, stacking barrels, buckets, and extra stools around the table so everyone could sit down.

The lively chatter and noise from Sanji working in the galley filled the room. The lively atmosphere grated on Law’s nerves. His crew jabbered away about frivolous nonsense, including teasing remarks about marriage and “When’s the engagement, Captain?” He ignored them, scanning for a seat.

He tried to settle near the middle of the table beside Zoro, but the swordsman’s sharp glare stopped him in his tracks. Reluctantly, he moved to sit beside Luffy instead.

Luffy was rocking in his seat, waiting eagerly for the food to arrive. He turned to Law with a wide grin. “Hey, Torao!” he said, cheerful as ever. Law gave him a curt nod, unsure how to respond.

He watched Luffy out of the corner of his eye, trying to decipher the man’s easy confidence. Around the table, the Straw Hats chatted loudly, he remembered each of them. The Straw Hats were, maybe unwillingly at first, some of his friends. Which was really quite rare in the life of a pirate. He remembered so many moments with this crew. Battles, partying, drinking with the wild group. 

But where there should have been countless memories of the Captain —his supposed partner in this alliance—there was a blank space. The problem sat heavy in the back of Law’s skull.

He wanted to make a good impression on the man sitting next to him—the one he had met only yesterday.

Someone he needed to figure out quickly. Someone that was staring at him, unblinking. Has Luffy figured it out? He sweated.

“Torao,” Luffy asked, breaking his thoughts, “do you remember that time we fought those guys with the gas masks? You had this crazy plan!”

Law blinked, caught off guard. “Gas masks…?” he repeated, stalling.

“Yeah!” Luffy grinned, his enthusiasm undeterred. “It was awesome! You were so serious, and everyone was yelling!”

Law shifted uncomfortably. He had no idea what Luffy was talking about. “Right… it was... efficient,” he muttered vaguely, hoping it was enough to satisfy him.

Luffy laughed. “It was cool.” He leaned in. Why were is eyes so bright?

“Torao, do you think we’d win if we fought Kaido again but as boyfriends? I think if you kissed me again, my heart would beat so fast I could get Gear 5 so much quicker-” Luffy asked suddenly, leaning closer, his curiosity as unfiltered as ever.

Before he could open his mouth to answer, his attention was drawn to an escalating argument between Zoro and Sanji, their voices rising in volume as they began hurling food at each other.

Just as Sanji barked something particularly sharp, a bowl of potatoes flew through the air, striking Chopper squarely on the head. Mashed potatoes dripped from his fur. 

The little reindeer let out a startled yelp, his big, watery eyes brimming with distress. “Ow…” Chopper whimpered, his voice shaky as he pawed at his head.

Law immediately pushed back his chair, rising to help. “Hold still,” he said, inspecting Chopper as the reindeer sniffled.

He was about to use Shambles to clean him up when Luffy piped up from behind, grinning. “Torao, can you use your power to clean Chopper? That would be so cool!”

Law froze, his jaw tightening. Slowly, he turned to Luffy. “I understand we’re in an alliance,” he began, his voice low and measured, “but giving me an order like that makes it look like I follow your every command. I was going to do that anyway!”

The room fell quieter. 

Law clenched his teeth, his frustration bubbling over. Still, he flicked his fingers, and in an instant, the mess on Chopper’s head was replaced with a sponge. “There,” he said shortly, turning back to Luffy. “But let me make one thing clear—I am not your subordinate. ”

Luffy frowned in shock, “Hah!? Why would you care about such a thing?”

The words hit Law like a lightning bolt. His breath caught in his throat, and a sharp, piercing pain erupted behind his eyes. He clutched his head as memories surged forward, crashing into him like waves.

“We’re equals, Luffy-ya,” his own voice echoed in his mind. “Don’t treat me like your subordinate!” The image of them standing together against Kaido in Wano flickered vividly—Luffy’s unwavering grin, the chaos of battle, and the annoying twinge of Luffy’s unceasing carefree attitude.

The pain intensified. Law gasped, his shoulders rising as he struggled to keep upright.

“Traffy? What’s wrong?” Luffy asked, leaning forward, concern written all over his face.

Law stumbled to his feet, gripping the edge of the table for support. “I... I’m fine,” he managed, though his voice was strained. “I just realized something—I need a moment.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and staggered out of the dining area.

The room was silent for a moment before the murmurs began. The Heart Pirates exchanged worried glances, and the Straw Hats looked at each other in confusion.

Bepo stood abruptly, the table rocking slightly under his weight. “I’ll go check on him,” he declared, hurrying after his captain.

Zoro leaned back in his chair, chewing thoughtfully on a drumstick. “I sure hope he’s okay,” he said, his tone as casual as ever. “That guy sure likes to keep things to himself.”

Once Law reached a safe distance from the noisy kitchen, he leaned his back against the wall and slid down to sit on the deck. The sharp pain in his head had dulled, but his mind was still racing.

The sound of familiar paw steps approaching made him look up. Bepo’s worried face loomed over him.
“Captain! What’s wrong?”

Law sighed deeply, pressing a hand to his temple. “I… I remembered something. A memory about Luffy.”

Bepo’s ears perked up in surprise. “What? What did you see?”

“It was blurry,” Law admitted, his voice low. “But I think we were fighting Kaido in Onigashima. We were yelling at each other. I was… pissed off at him.”

Bepo’s expression shifted to cautious excitement. “Captain, that’s great! Maybe you can actually regain your memories on your own!”

“No, Bepo, this is bad ,” Law said, his voice tinged with panic. “It means I did know him, but I just… forgot everything. And now I have all these feelings getting in the way, complicating everything—” He gestured wildly with his hands, his tone growing more frantic.

Bepo blinked at him, then a small smirk crept onto his snout. “Wait… Captain is having feelings ? What kind of feelings?”

“What? No!” Law shot back defensively. “It’s just that I’m missing so many pieces, and this memory was only a fragment of our history together. It doesn’t make any sense why I would be—”

“In love with him?”

“No! I’m not!” Law snapped, glaring at Bepo. But Bepo held his gaze firmly in a silent standoff. Eventually, Law’s shoulders slumped in defeat, and Bepo shifted to sit in front of him. The fight had drained out of him.

“How… how can I have feelings for him ?” Law muttered, his voice quieter now. “He’s absolutely insane, irrational. What happened to all of my plans?”

Bepo chuckled. “He ruined all our plans! But it sure was exciting. Hey, Captain, when did you first start falling for him? Maybe thinking about it will help jog your memory.”

Law shrugged, staring off into the distance. “I don’t know, Bepo. He’s just… when I first saw him, he’s—”

“You loved him at first sight!” Bepo interrupted, pouncing on the thought. He scooped Law into a massive bear hug, nuzzling his fur against the captain’s face. “You never told us this, Captain! And it’s happening again! This is great news! And this time, you know he likes you back—at least a little bit.”

When Bepo finally released him, Law opened and closed his mouth several times, but no words came. He was utterly flustered.

Luffy likes him back. The thought sank in like an anchor.

Before Law could process it further, he realized too late that Luffy had joined them on the deck, his cheerful presence cutting through the cool night air.

“Who likes who?” Luffy asked curiously, tilting his head.

“Nobody!” Law blurted out, glaring at Bepo, who simply smirked.

“You like Law!” Bepo said, his voice far too loud for Law’s comfort.

Luffy grinned. “Of course I like Law. He’s on my ship right now, isn’t he?” His expression shifted to one of concern. “Law, are you feeling okay?”

“This doesn’t concern you, Luffy!” Law snapped, his voice sharp.

“Of course it does! It’s upsetting to see you upset,” Luffy replied earnestly. “My stomach does all these bad flips when I see you like that.”

Law hesitated, running a hand over his face. “Luffy, do you remember us fighting together in Onigashima?”

“...Yesss?” Luffy replied, drawing the word out as if uncertain. “Is that important?”

Law considered this for a moment before nodding slightly. “I guess it was important… to me.”

He stood up, brushing himself off and facing Luffy directly. “You’re quite a nuisance sometimes, you know that?”

Luffy chuckled, unfazed. “Torao, can I give you a kiss?”

Law stiffened, his face heating up. “M-Maybe… a kiss on the cheek.”

Without hesitation, Luffy leaned in and pressed a quick, warm kiss to Law’s cheek, his facial hair tickling Luffy’s lips.

Law’s face turned beet red as his eyes avoided Luffy, desperately looking for anything on the ship that wasn’t Luffy’s face. Meanwhile, Luffy stood there, grinning as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Thank you, Luffy-ya. I'm going to head in for the night. Goodnight.” As he quickly shuffled away and headed to his quarters.

“Goodnight Torao!” Luffy called after him. 

“Goodnight ~Torao~” Bepo mocked. Law raised his hand to flip him off before disappearing.

Chapter Text

It was strange, being around someone everyone insisted you knew well, yet feeling none of the familiarity. It was like pretending to remember someone’s name when they clearly remembered yours.  

Law’s usual brooding on the deck of the Sunny was interrupted by the ship’s bell ringing. Usopp’s voice called down from the crow’s nest, “Ship on the horizon!”  

Both crews scrambled to the ship's side to see the approaching vessel. Law adjusted Kikoku on his shoulder, grateful he had decided to wear his long blue cape. If a fight broke out, he could launch into action instantly. However, judging by the way Luffy was nearly tipping over the railing with excitement, the straw-hatted captain would undoubtedly get there first.  

As the ship drew closer, Law realized two very important things: one, the ship was making a beeline straight for them, and two, it was the Kid Pirates . God fucking damnit.

The large vessel pulled up parallel to the Sunny, and none other than Captain Kid hung off a rope, grinning like a maniac. “Yo! Shitty Straw Hats! How’s it going, losers?!”   

Law felt an eye twitch. “Oh, joy,” he muttered, leaning slightly toward Luffy. “Listen, Luffy-ya, I’ve met Captain Kid before, and he’s a loose cannon. Let’s try to stay calm—”  

“Yo! Jaggy!! Where’ve you been, buddy?!”  

Law blinked. Shit. Luffy already knows Kid? When did this happen? To his knowledge, the two had never met before. He closed his mouth as Kid let out a booming laugh.  

“Straw Hat! I heard some exciting news and figured I’d drop by. So, is it true?”  

Luffy tilted his head. “Is what true?”  

“You and Trafalgar are lovers now! I knew you two had something funky going on!”  

Law’s grip on Kikoku tightened so much his knuckles turned white. “Who. Told. You?” If there was anyone he didn’t want this rumor spreading to, it was the Kid Pirates.  

“Killer told me!” Kid jeered.  

Killer, adjusting the blades strapped to his hands, shrugged nonchalantly.  

Law’s gaze turned sharp. “And who told Killer?”  

Killer shifted slightly. “I call Zoro sometimes on the Den Den Mushi.”  

Every head on board snapped to Zoro, who stood with his arms crossed. He looked completely unbothered. “Yeah, we chat. So what? You didn’t say it was a secret.”  

Law’s teeth ground together audibly. “I’m going to kill him.” He took a step toward Zoro, but Luffy’s arms shot out, holding him firmly in place.  

“Luffy, let go. I’m going to kill your swordsman.”  

Luffy giggled, a wide grin plastered across his face. “No, you won’t!”  

Kid’s voice rang out again, full of amusement. “Hahaha! Acting like the married couple you are. Aw, should I get Trafalgar a wedding dress?”  

Luffy laughed harder, still holding onto Law. “Bahahaha! Torao in a dress—that would be awesome!”  

“Haha! I bet you’d like that, you little freak,” Kid said, sneering. “You guys probably have some kinky shit going on. Hey, Law, let’s fight, and if I win, you have to wear the wedding dress!”  

Law’s list of people to kill grew longer by the second. “Did you sail all the way here just to torment me?”  

Luffy interrupted before Kid could answer. “Nuh-uh! Why do you get to fight Torao? I want to fight Torao!”  

“Fine, Straw Hat. If I beat you, I get to marry Trafalgar. Bet that would finally knock you down a peg.”  

Luffy’s expression darkened, his mouth curling into a pout. “No way in a million years! I get to marry Torao and only me! He kissed me, so it’s already decided!”  

“I’m gonna do it!” Kid shouted.  

“No, he’s mine!” Luffy yelled back.  

Law buried his face in his hands, exasperated.  This felt all too familiar. He groaned, muttering under his breath, “Someone should muzzle both of you.”  

The second the words left his mouth, he froze. That line. He had said it before.  

He turned his gaze to watch Luffy, who’s eyes was blazing with fury, ready to fight. This bickering between the three of them, it was all so familiar. He had been here before, Luffy was just the missing piece.

Wano? No, he had vague memories of them fighting together now. But back then… when he had met Kid, and thought he was an asshole, but Luffy….

There was a warm feeling in his chest watching Luffy fight about him . When he had first met Luffy, he was so focused on the marines after punching that celestial dragon. Deep down, he had wanted Luffy’s attention on him. He was such an interesting pirate.

The pain came swiftly, stabbing at his temples. Law stumbled, gripping Kikoku for support as fragmented memories flashed before his eyes. The three of them—Kid, Luffy, and himself—

The marines had been closing in. Luffy stood in front of him, eyes blazing. He had punched that Celestial Dragon square in the nose without hesitation. Law felt his heart lurch, though at the time he hadn’t understood why.  He wanted so badly.

The memory faded, and Law’s knees buckled slightly. He cursed under his breath. What the hell is happening to me? So Luffy has been there with him on Saboady. That was their first ever meeting with the famed Straw Hat captain. That explained a lot, actually. 

His vision was swimming a bit as his mind readjusted to reality. In front of him, he was seeing double views of Luffy’s concerned face. 

“-Hey, Torao!” Luffy was patting his face gently. 

“What?” He scowled a bit, holding Luffy’s hand away from his face. If I just let the memory fade, I’ll be fine.

“You were mumbling” Luffy said quietly, as if afraid to break him. Law’s heart dropped a bit, and he felt like kissing Luffy again right there. Kid was watching, though.

“It’s fine- don’t worry-“ Law had to stop mid sentence, Luffy was giving such an open and concerned expression. It was filled with so much care it took Law’s breath away. 

“You don’t look fine,” Luffy said, frowning. “And you have been saying weird things”. Before Law could protest, Luffy scooped him up and hoisted him over his shoulder like a sack of rice.

“Luffy, put me down!” Law barked, trying to struggle free, but his limbs felt weak and uncooperative.

“Nope,” Luffy said cheerfully. “You’re acting weird, and I don’t like it. We’re getting you fixed up!”

The sudden movement and closeness sent a surge of memories crashing into Law. Straw Hat had done this so many times to him. Memories flooded back in vivid detail: the desperation in the streets of Dressrosa as they raced to save the factory, Luffy throwing him onto his back to escape as his wrist were shackled, and the moment when Luffy declared him an piece of his crew, promising to defeat Doflamingo together.

The images came so fast and so intensely that Law’s body couldn’t keep up. His mind felt like it was splitting in two, and before he knew it, the overwhelming rush of memories dragged him under. He stammered “Hhng-“. His vision went black.

“Luffy… wait…” was all he managed to say before his body went limp over Luffy’s shoulder.

“Oi, Torao?!” Luffy’s voice wavered as he adjusted his grip on Law. Moving his body into a princess carry.

“Uh, what the hell just happened?” Kid asked, his loud, brash tone breaking through the tension.

Luffy turned to him, his expression unusually serious. “I don’t know. He was fine, and then he wasn’t. Maybe he’s sick or something.”

Kid crossed his arms, scowling. “Doesn’t look like a normal sick to me. Did he eat something weird? Maybe Chopper should look at him.”

“Don’t tell me what to do with my boyfriend!” Luffy shot back, his voice full of protective heat.

Kid smirked, but his eyes narrowed as he studied Law’s unconscious form. “You better figure it out, Straw Hat. Don’t want your fake husband dying on us.”

Luffy ignored the jab, looking down at Law’s face. Even passed out, his features were tight with pain.

“Torao… please…” Luffy whispered, readjusting Law’s weight. Chopper would know what to do.

Law blinked awake, the familiar ceiling of the Sunny’s infirmary coming into focus.

Nearby, Luffy was chatting anxiously with Chopper, but Law’s attention was drawn to the warmth covering his hand. He glanced down to see Luffy holding it firmly. The unexpected comfort made him squeeze back reflexively.

Luffy turned immediately, his eyes lighting up. “Torao! You’re awake!”

“I am,” Law groaned as he shifted to sit up. The pain in his head was gone, but the memory of fainting in front of Luffy lingered, embarrassing and fresh. “How long was I out?”

“Only about ten minutes,” Luffy replied, though his worried expression hadn’t eased. “But tell Chopper what’s wrong!”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Law said quickly, glancing around for his hat, which sat neatly on the bedside table. “I just… felt dizzy.” It was a weak lie, and he knew it.

“No way!” Luffy protested, his grip on Law’s hand tightening. “You looked like you were in pain. Please, Torao, tell me what’s going on.”

Law hesitated, his mind racing. It felt wrong to keep brushing Luffy off, especially when he was this worried. Luffy was his ally. He felt Luffy’s hand snuggly wrapped around his. Well, maybe more than an ally now. 

Chopper, noticing the tension, spoke up. “Maybe Traffy just wants to talk to you, Luffy. I’ll leave you two alone.” He padded out of the infirmary, the door clicking softly shut behind him.

Luffy’s gaze stayed locked on Law, his concern unwavering. Law, meanwhile, struggled to piece together what he should say.

Before he could decide, Luffy leaned forward. Law froze, holding his breath as Luffy reached up hesitantly. With a gentle touch, Luffy tucked a stray strand of hair behind Law’s ear. His hand lingered, resting against Law’s jaw, the warmth of his palm spreading across Law’s face.

Law’s heart jolted. “What are you doing, Straw Hat-ya?”

Luffy climbed onto the bed, sitting closer, his eyes never leaving Law’s. “It’s what you used to do to me when I was in the infirmary.”

Law’s eyes widened. “I… did that?”

He couldn’t believe it. His past self must have been far closer to Luffy than he had realized.

“What else… would I do?” he asked cautiously, his voice low.

Luffy smiled, the kind of soft, genuine smile that always caught Law off guard. “When you thought I was still asleep, you’d do this.”

Luffy leaned in, pressing his forehead gently against Law’s. Their faces were only inches apart, the warmth of the contact sending Law’s thoughts into chaos.

“I’d keep pretending to sleep,” Luffy admitted, “because I liked being close to you, Torao. And one time, you whispered, ‘I can’t lose you, Luffy-ya. I don’t like seeing you like this.’”

Law’s breath hitched. His face burned with embarrassment. “I… said that?”

“Mm-hm.”

Law couldn’t look away. If what Luffy said was true, then maybe—no, definitely—he’d been in love with Luffy far longer than he’d realized.

He had to say something. “I didn’t think you were aware… I did that.”

Luffy broke the tension, placed a small kiss on his forehead, then leaned backwards. 

“It’s okay,” Luffy said softly. “I didn’t want to talk about it back then. I didn’t want to admit that… I liked you caring about me.”

“Really?” Law’s voice came out quieter than he intended, laced with awe and a touch of disbelief.

Luffy grinned, his eyes warm and steady. “But now we’re together, officially. So, you have to tell me what’s wrong with you!”

The shift in Luffy’s tone was immediate, his expression turning serious as he gave Law a light smack on the side of the head.

“You were in pain yesterday! And I had to carry you to the infirmary today! And most importantly—”

Luffy grabbed Law’s shoulders, his fingers gripping firmly but not harshly. His brown eyes bore into Law’s, filled with determination. “Why were you acting like I’d never met Jaggy before? Do you seriously not remember all the times the three of us fought together?”

“I—I…” Law faltered, cursing inwardly. Shit.

“Look, Luffy, there are a few things I’m… having trouble remembering. Nothing major, just—”

“And!” Luffy cut him off, barreling forward with his thoughts. “You’ve been acting so different toward me! Is it because we’re boyfriends? Before, you would sit with me on the deck after dinner, smile at me, and laugh at my jokes—”

“That doesn’t sound like me—” Law began, defensive, but the hurt in Luffy’s eyes stopped him cold.

He sighed, feeling his chest tighten. “I mean… It’s just sudden, that we’re, you know… lovers.” His voice dropped to a softer tone, his confidence wavering. “Which is mostly my fault.” He cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to steady himself.

“But Luffy-ya, please believe me,” Law said firmly, furrowing his brows as he grasped Luffy’s hands in his own. “I do have feelings for you. I just need time to adjust to…”

Luffy’s full attention was on him now, his wide brown eyes filled with an innocent sincerity that made Law’s heart ache.

“…to knowing you like me back,” he finished, feeling a pang of guilt at the lameness of his words. He couldn’t bring himself to confess the full truth about his lost memories—not yet. Instead, he reached up and gently ran his fingers through Luffy’s hair.

Luffy leaned into the touch, his cheek pressing against Law’s hand. His warmth was grounding, and Law could feel the rapid thrum of his own heartbeat echoing in his chest.

“Okay,” Luffy whispered, his voice softer now. But then, without warning, he surged forward, pressing his lips to Law’s in a kiss.

Law froze, caught off guard by the unexpected yet familiar warmth of Luffy’s lips.  Luffy’s lips were warm and soft. And if he was going to be honest with himself, he had been thinking about their kiss on deck for days. Law’s chest tightened.

And then, he let himself go. Leaning into Luffy, Law returned the kiss, their lips moving together seamlessly. He slid his hand to the back of Luffy’s neck, pulling him closer, while Luffy’s fingers clutched the front of his shirt.

Every part of this felt right. God, in every river of Law’s body this felt right . He knew he had wanted Luffy for so long . He deepened the kiss, and the small noise Luffy made in response nearly undid him.

But before the moment could continue, a sharp knock on the door jolted them both back to reality.

“Luffy? Is Law okay? Do you guys want to come help prepare food?” Chopper’s voice called through the door.

“Uh—” Law stammered, pulling back and looking between Luffy and the door. His mind scrambled for composure.

“Yes! We’re coming!” Luffy shouted back, leaping to his feet and hastily straightening his clothes.

Law took a deep breath, willing the heat to fade from his face. “Woohoo! Food!” Luffy cheered, running out of the room with his usual energy.

Left alone for a moment, Law exhaled heavily and ran a hand down his face. He needed a second to collect himself before following Luffy out.

Chapter Text

Law wanted Kid gone as soon as he could. He had insisted that there was nothing interesting going on. Just Heat Pirates and Straw Hats idling by. But nope, Luffy decided Kid should totally stick around .

Under normal circumstances, Law wouldn’t have given a damn. But Luffy and Law were in full swing of a fake, pretend relationship that Luffy was fully taking advantage of. Law could handle kissing moments in secret. But…

But nicknames ? He hadn’t seen that one coming.

“Torao” had been fine. He had long since accepted it. He had even gotten used to hearing it shouted across battlefields, across decks, across every damn island they set foot on. But for some reason— some reason —Luffy had decided that wasn’t enough.

Law was sitting on the deck, enjoying a rare moment of peace with a book, when Luffy came barreling toward him and flopped down at his side.

"Law-Law!"

Law turned the page without looking up. "No."

Luffy grinned, undeterred. "Traffie Sweetie!"

"Absolutely not."

Luffy rolled onto his back, hands behind his head, staring up at the sky like he was pondering something deep. Then he smirked. "Babe."

Law’s entire body seized. His fingers twitched around his book.

Slowly, he turned to Luffy, his expression completely unreadable.

Luffy just kept grinning. “You like that one?”

For a moment, Law considered all his options. He could ignore him. He could pretend it never happened. Or—

He stood up, set his book down with terrifying patience, and—without hesitation—grabbed Luffy by the back of the shirt and threw him overboard .

There was a loud splash.

"CAPTAIN OVERBOARD!" Usopp screamed from the crow’s nest.

Sanji looked up from lighting a cigarette, barely concerned. “He’ll be fine.”

Zoro didn’t even glance over. "He deserved it."

A second later, Luffy shot up from the water, flailing his arms. “HEY! TRAOOO—”

A massive metal claw yanked him out of the sea.

"Can’t believe I have to be the one saving your dumb ass, Straw Hat," Kid grumbled, dragging Luffy onto the deck with his mechanical arm.

Law groaned . Because of course Kid was still here.

While Law was trying to recover from literal amnesia, he was actually on the damn ship , eating their food, getting into shouting matches with Luffy, and generally making Law’s life more unbearable than it already was. Oh, he definitely remembered working with Kid.

And, apparently, now he was playing lifeguard.

Luffy beamed, water dripping from his soaked clothes. "Oh, thanks, Jaggy!"

"Don’t call me that!" Kid snapped.

"You’re a lifesaver!"

"I should’ve let you drown !"

Luffy, completely ignoring him, shook himself off like a dog, sending water everywhere. Kid cursed and jumped back as Law wiped a stray droplet off his face with barely contained irritation.

Then Luffy turned back to Law, grin way too smug .

"So. Babe—"

Law lunged at him.

Luffy yelled and took off running.

Lunch time was sandwiches served on the deck, with Sanji serving double the platters to both crews. Minus the Kid Pirates, as Killer insisted they have their own picnic.

Law chewed silently on rice, still angry about his situation. An angry headache was forming at his temples again. His mind returned to all the times he had to fight with Kid against Big Mom. The guy never listened. He had to get the fight done so he could check on Luffy who was on the roof all alone and-.

“Argh…” Law clutched his head, dropping his fork. Luffy’s hand shot to his shoulder comfortingly. 

Law opened his eyes to Luffy’s face. “It’s nothing, Luffy” He muttered. 

But something about staring into Luffy’s face set off a dull pain at the back of his skull. He should remember by now, he was half way there. 

"Your head still hurts?"

Luffy was sitting way too close—so close that Law could feel the heat of him, the way he always ran a little warmer than most.

Law scowled. “It’s fine.”

Luffy hummed, clearly not convinced. His eyes scanned Law’s face like he could physically see whatever was wrong with him. Then, without warning, he reached out and—

Poke.

His fingertip pressed right into the center of Law’s forehead.

Law blinked. " What the hell are you doing?"

"Healing you," Luffy said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. His expression was dead serious.

Law pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re an idiot—”

Before he could shove Luffy away, the rubber menace was already leaning in to poke him again .

Law caught his wrist, intending to hold him back. 

But Luffy lurched forward—

Law jerked back—

Their foreheads knocked together with a dull thunk . Luffy was pushing, then smiled.

And before Law could react - Their lips collided. Heat rushed to Law’s face and froze. Luffy leaned back triumphantly. 

“Eeeee! You two are adorable. A weird couple, but cute.”

Nami’s voice rang out like a gunshot to Law’s brain.

Law turned his head—slowly.

The entire crew had stopped eating. 

Robin… Robin was smirking .

Luffy finally pulled back, tilting his head. “Huh. That was kinda—”

Law slapped a hand over his mouth, hard .

“We will not be- kissing ever in front of your crew” he said, voice tight. Luffy just started giggling harder under his hand.

“Luffy!” Law snapped, pulling his hand away, though Luffy was still grinning like an idiot. “You— this is not funny .”

Luffy blinked, then shrugged innocently. “What? It was just a kiss! It’s not like it’s a big deal, right?”

“Oh, it’s a big deal,” Law muttered, rubbing his temples as if trying to stave off the headache forming at his temples. The ship was silent, save for the muffled clink of silverware hitting the table. Everyone seemed frozen, waiting for someone to react.

Nami, from her spot at the table, raised an eyebrow. “I’m guessing this is a regular thing between you two now that you are official?” She leaned to Robin, “At least we know the bickering will never stop”.

“No!” Law said, a little too quickly, before forcing himself to take a deep breath. “I mean yes, I erm- Love. Luffy. But we are taking things, um, slow.”

Sanji snickered. “You weren’t expecting Luffy to like you back so much? Well, here on our ship we saw this coming a loooong ways off. Captain is obsessed with you”

“Sanji!” Luffy blushed.

“Really?” Law’s eye were wide as he turn his head to Luffy. “How long?”

Luffy reached to grab more food, avoiding Law’s gaze. “I dunno, probably since after Punk Hazard. Having the Caesar guy made it awkward. And I didn’t know if the crew liked you yet. But you stuck around for a long time, and I kept thinking about you more and more. And… yeah. Punk Hazard.”.

Law couldn’t look at any of them anymore. Instead, he focused on the table, hands clenched into fists. He didn’t know how to handle this. 

Punk Hazard? He remembered living there, but Straw Hat didn’t take Ceasar. The Straw Hat pirates were there, but no captain-.

“When would you have fallen for me at Punk Hazard? You weren’t even there, the crew met me-” He stopped. He realized the mistake. His stupid memories were gone.

“Huh?” Luffy cocked his head, confused. Some hurt swirled in his eyes. “Traffy, don’t lie”.

Without another word, Law pushed himself up from the table, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. “I need to get back to the Tang,” he muttered. He couldn’t stand to be here any longer, especially with the whole crew watching him like that. He needed to ask Bepo some serious questions about the past.

“Wait!” Luffy called after him, but Law didn’t stop. He didn’t trust himself to say anything more. Every word felt like a lie at this point, and if he stayed any longer, he might just let it all slip.

Luffy’s voice softened, though. “Torao…”

Law paused at the doorway. For a long moment, he didn’t move, his back still to Luffy and the crew. His fingers gripped the doorframe tightly. "I’ll see you tomorrow," he said, his voice low. He Shambled  to his room.

The Tang creaked softly in the calm of the night, waiting for him. The lights from the Sunny flickered in the distance, and Law stood for a moment, staring out at the vast ocean. The world seemed so big, so endless. But here, alone on his ship, he couldn’t escape the gnawing sense that the very thing he’d been trying to avoid was catching up to him.

Luffy .

Sighing, Law started to head towards his room. He had avoided Sunny for half the day, but he still wanted to talk to Luffy. He liked being with the other Captain.

 He hadn’t meant for things to get that far—hadn’t intended for Luffy to get so close, or for the kissing to happen at all. He was suppose to end it. It felt like everything was slipping out of his control, and the worst part was that, deep down, he was too tired to care anymore. He liked Luffy. He liked kissing Luffy.

He boarded the Sunny. He stopped in front of Luffy’s door and hesitated.

He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to feel right now. But there was something gnawing at him, something that made him feel like he owed Luffy an explanation—or at least some form of clarity.

Taking a deep breath, Law knocked lightly.

“Who is it?” came Luffy’s voice from inside, groggy but curious.

Law gritted his teeth, his fingers twitching slightly. “It’s me.”

A pause. Then the sound of footsteps before the door creaked open, revealing Luffy standing in front of him, still in his sleeping clothes—his hair all tousled, shirtless with shorts.

Law felt a pang in his chest at the sight. He hadn’t seen Luffy like this in… well, never.

“Come in, Torao,” Luffy said, stepping aside, his tone softer now.

“Thanks,” Law muttered, stepping inside and closing the door behind him.

They both stood awkwardly for a moment.

Luffy stared at him for a long while, his brow furrowing as if weighing something in his mind. “So… about earlier…”

Law winced, bracing for the inevitable conversation. He didn’t know how to explain what had happened on deck. He couldn’t even explain it to himself. How could he possibly put it into words for Luffy?

“Look,” Luffy began, sitting up, his voice uncharacteristically serious. “I know I can be… pushy, sometimes. But I really need to know what’s going on, Torao. I don’t get it. You’re acting different, and I know you’ve got stuff you’re not saying.” He paused, his gaze softening just a bit. “I just wanna understand. We’re… we’re supposed to be together , right?”

Law swallowed hard, feeling the knot in his throat tighten. “Yeah,” he finally managed to say, the word tasting foreign on his tongue, though it was the truth. “But it’s not that simple.”

Luffy didn’t respond immediately. He just stared at him, his eyes wide and earnest. Then, slowly, he slid off the bed and walked over to stand in front of Law.

“I don’t care about the complicated stuff,” Luffy said quietly. “I just want to be with you. Even if your avoiding me, even if it’s hard, I just want you to stay.” He looked up at Law with that familiar, unyielding confidence in his gaze. “You confessed to me. ”

Law’s chest tightened. His hand instinctively reached up to rub the back of his neck as the weight of Luffy’s words hit him full-force.

“I’m not an easy person to date.” he muttered, his voice cracking slightly. "It’s hard… My mind is… messy."

Luffy stepped closer, placing a hand on his arm, the contact warm and solid. “Are you sick?”

The sincerity in Luffy’s voice was almost too much for Law to bear. His chest felt tight again.

"Hey, Torao," Luffy said, watching the sea. "Do you remember when you saved me? And gave me surgery" His hand drifted to his chest. The scar light in color.

Law frowned. “Which time?”

Luffy’s expression didn’t change. “From the Battle of Marineford.”

Law hesitated. It was too brief, but it was enough .

Luffy turned to him fully. “You don’t remember.”

Law gritted his teeth. “That’s not—”

“You’re lying,” Luffy cut him off. His voice was still steady, still Luffy , but there was something underneath it. Something raw.

Law exhaled sharply, pressing a hand over his face. His head was starting to ache again.

“I’ve loved you for a long time Torao. You were the first pirate who saved me. Out of your own will. But maybe-  I thought those memories were special to you too.”

“No Luffy, of course. I just do a lot of surgeries on a lot of pirates. But it was special because it was you-”

“No. I was being silly Torao. I thought it was a big thing to you, but I was wrong”

“Those moments meant nothing to you,” Luffy said, his voice quiet. “Marineford. Punk Hazard. Dressrosa. But they meant everything to me.”

Law froze. Luffy wasn’t angry. He wasn’t shouting. But there was something raw in his voice that Law couldn’t ignore. It hit harder than any punch ever could.

“…Luffy,” Law began, his voice strained.

Luffy stood up, shoulders slumped. “I’ll stop bothering you—”

“Luffy, please!” Law blurted out, reaching out to him.

Luffy hesitated but didn’t turn around. “It’s okay, Torao. I know you don’t like serious stuff. I won’t make it harder.”

Law sighed, his heart pounding. He couldn’t run anymore. He needed to say it. “I’ve developed amnesia,” he said, voice heavy with the truth.

“Huh?” Luffy blinked, confused.

“It’s some kind of targeted amnesia,” Law continued. “My crew found an object that struck me, and it’s messed up my memories. I’ve been trying to figure it out, but it’s… hard.”

“Torao, amnesia?” Luffy repeated, looking stunned.

“Yes. And I didn’t want to tell you because… because the crew implied we were already dating. And you seemed happy,” Law explained quickly.

“You don’t remember anything?” Luffy asked, his voice quieter now.

“Not everything,” Law admitted. “I remember some things, but… a lot of the memories of you, Luffy, are fuzzy. I’m still trying to piece it all together.”

Luffy stood still, taking it in. “So when you kissed me, you didn’t even know who I was?”

Law winced, his stomach twisting. “I knew you… sort of. But I didn’t know all of you. Not yet.”

“So you had no feelings for me from the start?” he asked, voice breaking.

The question hit Law like a punch to the gut. 

Before he could find the words, Luffy’s fist connected with his chest, sending him crashing through the wall and into the hallway. Wood shattered around him as his breath was stolen and he reeled from the shock of being sent through a wall. 

Law grunted, dazed but still standing. “Luffy—”

“Don’t you dare,” Luffy growled, fists clenched. “Don’t you dare say you didn’t feel anything.”

Law pushed himself to his feet. He couldn’t stand to see Luffy like this. “Maybe not at the start-” He coughed, dust flying. The crew definitely heard that. “But I do now-”

“You lied and pretended. Leave!” Luffy eyes were shining as he breathed harshly. 

Law knew he couldn't’ defend himself. He lowered his hat over his eyes, and snuck away. He shouldn’t have told him. Maybe the Tang’s metal hull could shield him from the shame he felt.

Luffy didn’t stop him, but the look in his eyes lingered in Law’s mind as he walked away.

Chapter Text

Breakfast on the Polar Tang was painfully quiet.

Law sat alone at one end of the dining room, staring into his bowl of oatmeal like it had personally wronged him. His spoon sat untouched, his appetite long gone.

On the other side of the room, the rest of his crew huddled together, whispering.

“You talk to him.”

“No way! Bepo’s better at this. Ask him!”

Shachi leaned in. “I heard Straw Hat punched him through a wall last night.”

“Yes, Shachi, that’s what we’re worried about. Keep up.”

“He definitely told Straw Hat about the memory loss.”

“So… did they break up?”

“No way! They were so perfect it was disgusting.”

The murmuring stopped when Bepo stood up like a saint walking into the light. “When we’re sad, Captain always comforts us and pats us on the back! We should do the same for him!”

A collective murmur of agreement spread through the crew as Bepo marched forward, determined.

Law didn’t look up as the mink sat beside him.

“Captain,” Bepo started gently, “as your first mate and best friend, you should tell us what happened last night.”

Law didn’t respond at first. Then, in a clipped tone: “Nothing. Me and Straw Hat fought. He doesn’t want to see me anymore. Story over. Finish your breakfast and get ready for work.”

Bepo frowned. “But, Captain… what did Luffy actually say? He’s usually pretty forgiving.”

Law’s spoon hit the table with a dull clink. He finally looked up, his golden eyes sharp. “I told him I lost all memory of him,” he said, voice steady but hollow. “He was upset. Understandably. I started a relationship with him under false assumptions. Which is fair. I wouldn’t want to date a man who had no feelings for me either.”

Silence.

Bepo shifted in his seat. “Maybe try apologizing again?”

Law exhaled sharply through his nose, rubbing his temples. “It won’t change anything.”

“Well… we could leave for a bit,” Penguin suggested from across the room. “Sail to another island?”

“No,” Law said immediately. Then, quieter: “…I would… The alliance…”

The words caught in his throat. He didn’t know how to finish the sentence.

Bepo studied him carefully. “You would miss him.”

Law swallowed, gripping his spoon like a lifeline. His head dipped slightly under the brim of his hat, and for the first time, he looked… lost.

“I would miss him,” he admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

Law let out a slow breath, slumping forward to bury his face in his hands.

Bepo didn’t say anything. He just wrapped his arms around Law, pulling him into a warm, steady hug.

“It’s going to be okay, Captain,” he murmured. “At least you were honest.”

Law stiffened at first, but Bepo didn’t let go.

“He just looked so mad, Bepo,” Law muttered, voice strained. “And I’ve known all this time… even before the memories started coming back… that I cared for him. I-” His breath hitched. “I wanted him to like me too, and-”

His fingers curled into the fabric of Bepo’s fur. His face scrunched up, and the words tumbled out before he could stop them.

“ Fuck. I love him.” Law looked like he was going to cry.

The room went still.

Law squeezed his arms around himself, jaw clenched. “And I’ve just ruined any chance I had.”

“That’s not true, Captain!”

Law’s head snapped up to see his entire crew staring at him with wide, emotional eyes.

Shachi slammed his fist on the table. “No way! This is breaking our hearts! As Heart Pirates, we gotta make sure Straw Hat sees the truth!”

“No-” Law sneered, reaching for Kikoku, which had been resting lazily on the breakfast table. “You will not get involved! This is my personal business!”

“Nuh-uh!” Penguin grinned. “You admitted you love him! That’s basically permission for us to meddle.”

Jean Bart crossed his arms. “And we did find the object that zapped you.”

Law barely had time to react before the Heart Pirates stormed past him, tripping over themselves. Law chases them through the Tang’s hallways, up through the deck doors. A group of them were rushing to cross the gangplank to the Sunny.

" Get back on the ship now or I’ll have you dismembered! " Law roared, unsheathing Kikoku.

But his threat was useless.

“ STRAW HAT! ” Shachi bellowed. “ WE HAVE IMPORTANT INFORMATION! ”

" Hey! Wait! " Law snapped, scrambling for any way to stop the inevitable. He was outnumbered, outmaneuvered.

"LUFFY! IT'S NOT LAW'S FAULT—"

Ikaku's shout was cut off as Law tackled her to the floor, pinning her down.

" Shut it! " he barked. But as he looked up, his entire crew had already flooded into the kitchen.

He let out a sharp breath through gritted teeth. Traitorous crew. Awful.

By the time he got to his feet, Ikaku had already squirmed out from under him and sprinted after the others. Law cursed and dashed after them, his boots slamming against the wooden deck.

He skidded into the Sunny’s kitchen, breath short—only to find his entire crew huddled around Luffy, who was unbothered as ever, casually stuffing his face with bacon.

The Heart Pirates were all talking over each other, a chaotic, overlapping mess of voices.

"Captain lost his memories-"

"-only about you, though!"

"He didn't know you two hadn’t talked about your feelings yet!"

"But he's totally in love with you, so it's fine!"

"And it's our fault making him lose his memories!"

"Yeah! We found this weird artifact and-"

" SHUT UP! " Law barked, marching into the room. He grabbed the closest Heart Pirate—Penguin—by the collar and yanked him back. " Not another word! "

Luffy, still chewing, blinked at him.

Law's grip on Penguin’s collar tightened before he shoved him back with a frustrated sigh. He set Kikoku down on the table with deliberate care, exhaling sharply through his nose. His eyes darted across the room. God, why did this have to happen in front of everyone ?

But he wanted to fix things with Luffy. And this might be the only chance he could get before Luffy kicked him out forever.

This was it.

Just tell him.

How much worse could he make it?

Law forced himself to meet his gaze. "I know I’ve said a lot of things I didn’t mean," he started, voice low. "And I pretended to remember things I didn’t."

Luffy’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes watched him closely.

"But even without all of my memories of… you" Law swallowed. "I still want you. I like you more than any other pirate I’ve ever met. I’m sorry I don’t remember everything right now." He sucked in a breath, hesitating.

Luffy was quiet. Too quiet.

Law risked a glance at him.

Luffy was thinking . Which was always terrifying.

“…You didn’t remember me,” Luffy finally said, voice unreadable.

Law swallowed "Yeah . "

"I still don’t like that you lied, that’s not the Torao I know." Luffy admitted, blunt as ever.

Before either of them could say another word, wood splinted off the kitchen. Canon fire.

The ship shook. Dishes clattered, a few Heart Pirates yelped.

"What the hell-" Sanji snapped, already pushing past them toward the deck.

Luffy barely hesitated before grinning, eyes sparking with adrenaline. "Torao!" He grabbed his hat and bolted for the door. 

Law groaned, snatching Kikoku. "Fucking hell."

"Enemy ship!"

Nami’s voice rang through from outside. "No, three enemy ships!"

A heavy silence fell over the crew. Then, a familiar boom in the distance, the sound of a cannon firing.

The Sunny rocked violently as a cannonball crashed into the water just meters away. The crew scrambled away from the table, preparing for battle.

"Shit- " Law’s grip on Kikoku tightened as he turned toward the door.