Chapter Text
Part 1
Law’s heart felt as if it was going to jump out of his chest. He had gotten a call from Heat and Wire. Kid and Killer… they were badly injured, and the Kid Pirates’ doctor had died in a battle a while back. Who had they battled? None other than Akagami no Shanks and his pirate crew! Why? Because they wanted to become the new Yonko crew! With the death of Whitebeard almost a year prior many rookies had gained ground and gotten cocky. With Shanks being the youngest Yonko, many doubted his skills and power… Kid was one of them. Law had told him to not go after Shanks alone. Had told him it was too dangerous… but Kid had gotten too cocky. He had secured so many victories in the New World that he now had about a dozen islands under his command. He had grown too strong too quickly and now he paid the price. Law had told him. He. Had. Told. Him. He had told him not to go after Shanks, because Shanks was stronger than Kid thought. Kid had just laughed it off. Law had not expected him to disregard his warning like that.
What Law didn’t understand was why Casper had not told Shanks, Benn and Cora to take it easy on the Kid Pirates. He was sure his best friend would have told them who Kid, and Killer really were if Kid ever attacked them. Wait… had Casper told them and that’s why they beat the Kid Pirates up so badly? It was a possibility. After all, they had threatened to murder Daz whenever his name was mentioned for sleeping with Law all those years ago. Was this their way of telling Law and his lovers that they did not approve? Law chewed on his bottom lip nervously. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand gripped his gently. He turned his head and looked at Ikkaku. She smiled at him. Law gripped her hand back tightly and tried to calm himself.
“We will reach their destination in half an hour, Captain,” Jean Bart called from the helm.
“Understood,” Law replied.
“Do you want us to ready the theater for you?” Shachi asked and Law nodded.
“I very much doubt the Kid Pirates’ infirmary can compete with mine,” he told his crew. “Also… homefield advantage.”
“If the battle is still going on or your family is chasing them, what will we do?” Penguin asked and looked at Law. Law sighed.
“To keep the illusion alive, we will have to attack them,” he replied and smiled. “But don’t worry. With the crew they have now they will soon be known as the strongest crew in the world.”
“Your face when you realized Marco and some of the Whitebeards had joined them was priceless!” Clione sniggered. Law smiled. That had been a surprise. About six months ago Law and his crew had run into the Red Hair Pirates. Well… the Red Hairs had not realized it since Law and his crew had been below the surface. When Law had called them up to ask if they wanted to rendezvous his Baka Dad had been shocked to realize he was there. Law and his crew had surfaced and Law had been shocked to see his Marcodad ascend from the deck of the Red Force to swoop down and hug him. Ignoring Shanks shouting about cheating.
“I never expected Marcodad to join them just like that,” Law told his crew. “My Baka Dad’s face must have been hilarious. He refuses to tell me and whenever someone did try and tell me he intervenes. I swear that man has a sixth sense when it comes to things like that.”
“I thought it was cute to see Aji asking Hongo to train him,” Ikkaku teased, and the polearm wielder blushed and flipped her off. Ikkaku just laughed. Law smiled. It had been funny to see Ajisashi slowly walk up to Hongo, looking at his feet and quietly ask him for help. Hongo had just laughed. Not in a mean way, more in the same way Ikkaku just laughed. Then he had slung an arm around Ajisashi’s shoulders and asked:
“How about I teach you how to take down guys as big as Jean and Gab with one poke?” The smile and glow in Ajisashi’s eyes had been beautiful. If Law didn’t know better his crewmate had just gotten adopted by Lime and Hongo.
“While you are busy with your lover boys do you want Kujira and me to take a look at the rest of the crew?” Raichō asked and smiled at him. Law was insanely happy that Raichō turned Garp down and stayed with them. It had been hard for the young swordsman to turn his hero down, but he wanted to stay where he, in his own words, truly belonged now.
“That would be appreciated,” Law told them. “All of you, minus the Pirate Empress, better help out.”
“Stop calling me that!” Ikkaku said and slapped him on the arm.
“But you are our queen and empress,” Law teased, and she stomped on his foot. “Ow!”
“You know how much I despise Boa Hancock and her… ‘beauty’.” She spat the word beauty with disgust. “She is just using her looks to get what she wants, and I hate stuff like that! She should work as hard as the rest of us to get what she wants! Stupid bitch!”
“Who do you think would win in a fight,” Shachi whispered to Penguin, Clione and Unagi. “Our Empress or the Pirate Empress?”
“Ikkaku,” the other three said. “She is way scarier.”
“I heard that!” Ikkaku shouted and the four squeaked and hid behind Mippei and Shinzo. Shiroi sniggered. “Oi! Don’t teach Shiroi bad habits!”
“He takes after Captain, you and Okojo already!” Shachi objected. “It’s not as if any of you are stellar role models!” He gulped when said three role models glared at him. “I meant that in the most complementing way possible!”
“Shachi, I will cut you to pieces and leave them spread all over the Tang and this time I won’t tell you where I will hide little Shachi”, Law commented dryly. The crew laughed and Shachi paled. Bepo walked closer to Law and wrapped his arms around him. Law melted into the warmth and felt his body relax. Ikkaku smiled. Bepo always knew when Law needed hugs to chase away his fears, even when no one else did.
The door opened and Kujira entered with a cup of tea. He handed it to Law, with a look that meant he was not going to take no for an answer. Law took the cup and started sipping the contents. He looked over to Remy who was working their Den Dens, the sonar, and the radar to make sure they didn’t run into something unpleasant. He smiled as he thought of their crew. This past two years all of them had gotten bounties and epithets! Some were hilarious! Others made perfect sense and others were just plain boring. But everyone was happy with theirs, and their bounties… well except Bepo. He was still only viewed as a pet. Law kept assuring him that one day the Marines would show his true worth to the world. Law himself was worth 800 million. His part in the war, his escape from it, his “name” and his refusal to join the Warlords had raised it… as well as them sending most of the Marines coming after them packing… or in pieces.
The entire crew had gotten much stronger, and Law was getting exceedingly powerful! It helped that they kept running into his various family members and they all helped him train. Law was quickly becoming a living legend and Ikkaku had heard people refer to him as the fourth emperor at times. Now that was something she could live with. Yet Law didn’t claim any territories for himself. He did however claim islands in his stepdads’ names. Some islands he “gave” to Crocodile and others to Mihawk. It kept the charade of him being their son alive. Law was enjoying that immensely. His real dads and other stepdads… not so much. Which was probably why Law enjoyed it so much.
“Captain, I have a visual on the Victoria Punk!” Shiroi called from the periscope.
“What does she look like?” Law asked, sounding calm, but Ikkaku could feel his hand trembling.
“Bad, Captain… Ikkaku, Mippei, Shinzo and Uni have their work cut out for them and… uh oh.”
“Uh oh?” Bepo asked. “I don’t like uh oh. What do you mean with uh oh? It’s never good when someone says uh oh.”
“I-I think some Marines are following them.” Shiroi turned to look at Law worriedly. Law sighed and walked out of the bridge.
“Surface!” he ordered. “And Karibū, Clione… greet them properly.”
Heat hated this situation. They were being chased by a Marine Battleship. Usually that wouldn’t really be a problem. But their ship was in a bad shape and he, Wire, Killer and Kid were all injured. Killer and Kid worse than anyone else… but they were all pretty banged up. Too banged up to deal with some Marines led by Vice Admiral Dalmatian. Heat chewed on his bottom lip. They had called Trafalgar a few days ago… but he still hadn’t arrived yet. Was he too far away? Would he get there on time? Heat hoped he would. Yet another cannonball sailed over his head and hit the water on the other side. They needed to do something… and soon.
“Where is your captain,” Dalmatian called and looked smug. “Is he too afraid to come out and talk to us even?”
“Shut up!” Heat shouted. “Boss is not afraid of anything!”
“Then where is he? Or… has he abandoned you?”
“Shut up!”
“Awww are you worried about him? If I were you, I would worry about your-AH!” his taunt turned into a shocked yelp at the Battleship was hit by something and careened violently from side to side. A few Marines lost their footing and toppled over… a select few fell overboard. Heat stared at the ocean as it bubbled. What was it now? A Seaking? Then he saw a familiar yellow sheen and relaxed.
“Trafalgar,” he whispered in relief. The Polar Tang surfaced between the two ships and a blue sphere appeared around all three ships.
“Don’t tell me,” Dalmatian groaned.
“Tell you what Spots-ya?” an amused voice asked from the rigging of the Battleship. Dalmatian sighed, the Kid Pirates grinned and the Marines looked terrified.
“Dracule,” Dalmatian growled and raised his clawed fists.
“In the flesh,” Law smirked.
“What are you doing here?”
“Harvesting.”
“Harvesting?” Dalmatian asked and then paled when Law pulled his sword. Law and Kikoku had developed a new tactic over the past year. Whenever Law pulled the blade Kikoku would start to emit cursed energies, visible to those with Observation Haki. It looked like a dark purple mist and whispers could be heard. A voice whispering threats of pain and death right into your ear. Dalmatian shivered. Law smirked and raised his blade above his head.
“Hearts, Spots-ya,” Law said and gave his most sadistic smile. “Yours if you don’t get out of the way.”
“Retreat!” Dalmatian roared and Law swung his blade, sending a flying slash at the Marines. All of them tried to get out of the way, but Law cut a couple of them in halves… living halves. The Kid Pirates laughed. Law calmly jumped down to the deck and started cutting up Marines left and right, looking slightly bored. Dalmatian and his squad scrambled to turn the ship around before running off. Law teleported onto the Victoria Punk, right next to Heat.
“Where are those two knuckleheads?” he asked and then his eyes widened in shock as Heat hugged him.
“Thank you, Trafalgar-san,” he whispered. Law blinked. “I thought we were done for.”
“Not on my watch,” Law said. “Now… take me to my patients.” Heat nodded and grabbed his arm, dragging him across the deck in a sprint. Law’s crew boarded the Victoria Punk and started looking after her crew while their captain looked after her captain and Fuku Sencho.