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purplehairedwonder · 2 years

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Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 21

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 3,270 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, Monkey D. Luffy, Violet, Rebecca, Bepo, Shachi, Penguin Notes: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he’s 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law finds a strange connection to Monkey D. Luffy, which offers a glimpse of something he’s repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Missing scenes: Chapter 5

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

It felt like only seconds after Law had ended the call that his Observation Haki picked up Doflamingo’s approach. Both Law and Luffy looked up to the sky and watched as Doflamingo, pink coat flowing behind him, descended from the brightening morning sky above the colosseum toward the waiting pirates. Law tensed as Doflamingo landed about ten rows up into the seats. He reclined in the seat like it was a throne, resting a large foot on the seat in front of him.

Law shivered as Doflamingo blatantly raked his gaze over him, most likely assessing his injured state. Law forced his spine to straighten and lifted his chin, defiant. Doflamingo’s lips quirked upward in response.

“Well, Corazon. Don’t you think it’s time you stopped this little rebellion of yours and returned home?”

Law opened his mouth, but Luffy cut in before Law could speak. “Torao isn’t going anywhere with you!”

Doflamingo raised an amused eyebrow behind his sunglasses, which raised Law’s hackles. An amused Doflamingo was one who felt in control of the situation, and that was not good for them. “Is that so?”

“Torao isn’t yours anymore,” Luffy nearly growled. “He’s free!”

Law looked at Luffy, surprise at the venom in the other captain’s voice outweighing his annoyance at being cut off. Where had that come from? Why did he care so much?

Doflamingo reached into his coat and pulled out a small object. “So long as I hold this, I think you’ll find that to be untrue.”

It was the key to Law’s Seastone cuffs.

“Straw Hat-ya…” Law started, but Luffy had already noticed.

“The key!” Luffy exclaimed, stretching his arms toward Doflamingo and causing Law to stumble.

The Warlord easily jumped from his seat and moved a half dozen rows back, settling once more out of Luffy’s range. Luffy hissed in irritation as his arms snapped back to his body. A hand reached under Law’s elbow to steady him; Law clenched his jaw, frustrated at his weakness.

“Now, now,” Doflamingo chided.

“Give us the key!” Luffy demanded.

“And why would I do that?” Doffy asked, amused. “Corazon here is my subordinate to do with as I please, and his betrayal must be punished.”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a jerk, he wouldn’t want to betray you,” Luffy growled in reply. “A crew that doesn’t respect their captain and a captain who doesn’t deserve that respect is destined to fail.”

Law inhaled sharply as Doflamingo’s expression darkened; Law didn’t doubt Luffy’s words made Doffy think of Cora-san. Luffy had unknowingly hit a nerve, and the bulging vein on Doffy’s forehead made that apparent.

“And why do you care so much about what happens to Corazon, Straw Hat?” Doffy gritted out.

“Because he’s my friend!” Luffy replied. “He’s a good person.”

Doffy let out a bark of surprised laughter. “He certainly has you fooled if you think that.”

Law clenched his jaw, refusing to look at Luffy. He knew he had blood staining his hands; over the years, it had stopped bothering him as much as it once would have because he’d done it for the sake of his nakama. He did whatever it took to protect them from Doflamingo, including becoming a cold-hearted Donquixote Family executive.

But Luffy’s response had Law looking back at him in surprise. “No! Torao saved me. He’s good, and I won’t let you hurt him and his nakama anymore.”

“Straw Hat-ya…”

Doflamingo held up the key and smirked. “Then come and get it, boy.”

Doffy took off, using strings to run through the air toward the interior corridors behind the stands. Luffy spared Law a grin then stretched his arms in the direction Doflamingo had gone. He catapulted into the corridor and let out a whoop as he set off after Doffy, who had disappeared into the bowels of the colosseum.

-----

Luffy chased after Mingo, up one hallway and down the other. The chase stretched on and on; Luffy threw punches at the fleeing Warlord, but Mingo dodged without losing a step. Luffy sidestepped string attacks Mingo threw back at him, but none of them had much intent behind them. Luffy frowned. What was with the chase? Why did it feel like Mingo was just trying to distract him?

His eyes widened. Torao. He’d left Torao alone and exposed in the middle of the colosseum. Luffy needed to get the key and get back to Torao. He shot his right arm out; Mingo dodged, but Luffy kept stretching his arm until he grabbed onto an open doorway, fingers wrapping around the doorframe. He shot forward toward Mingo, who’d come to a halt when he saw what Luffy was doing.

Luffy slammed into Mingo like a missile, and they both went sprawling. There was a clinking as the key bounced down the hall. Both Luffy and Mingo scrambled to their feet toward the key, Luffy stretching his arm out while Mingo sent a string toward it; Luffy’s arm reached the key first, and he crowed in victory as his fingers wrapped around it.

His arm rebounded into its place, and he grinned at the scowling Mingo. He made to turn back toward the main stage—to the waiting Torao—but Mingo’s voice brought him up short.

“Is the key the only thing you want, Straw Hat?”

Luffy looked back at Mingo, uncertain. “Torao needs the key. What else would I want?”

Mingo’s lips quirked upward. “I have something I think you’ll be very interested in.”

“I don’t want anything else.” What was Mingo up to? Luffy just needed to get back to Torao.

“Not even the Mera Mera no Mi?”

-----

Law was straining with his senses to follow the chase through the corridors of the colosseum when a voice interrupted him.

“And now we can be alone, as it should be, Corazon.”

Law started and turned to see Doffy emerge from the shadows of the south entrance, his looming presence filling the space around Law. What…? His stomach dropped, but his shock gave way to recognition.

“It was a clone.”

“Yes,” Doflamingo agreed, stopping a few feet away from Law. “It will keep the riffraff out of our business. After all, this is between you and me, isn’t it, little bird?”

Law swallowed, the weight of the Seastone shackles heavy on his wrists. Between the Seastone and his injuries—without Luffy there to lean on, it was taking everything Law had just to stand up straight—he was no match for Doffy, and they both knew it. Doffy could have just grabbed Law and taken him back to the palace if he wanted.

So why hadn’t he?

There was a loud crash from somewhere inside the colosseum, and Law glanced toward it before looking back to Doffy, who was watching him with an unreadable expression.

“You trust him, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Straw Hat. Twice now you’ve betrayed me.” Doffy’s lips curled into a sneer. “And twice now you’ve put your nakama at risk. For him. For an initial.”

Law went rigid at the reference to his nakama. Doflamingo, of course, noticed.

“That’s right, Corazon. You know your nakama are the ones who will pay the price for your betrayal.”

“No,” Law said, shaking his head. “They escaped.”

“Did they?” Doffy countered, raising an eyebrow. “The three in the dungeon weren’t so lucky.”

Law’s breath caught. Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin had still been locked up when Law had last seen them. How had he forgotten? Suddenly, Doflamingo being quiet while Law was treated at the clinic felt more ominous. The other executives could be doing anything to them at this very moment.

“Besides,” Doffy went on. “Do you really think we spent the last day just waiting for you to make your move, Corazon?”

“No,” Law whispered, recognizing what Doffy was implying.

Law had sent Uni, Kani, and Iruka back into the city to find the others, who might not even be out there anymore. How many of his nakama were still safe? For how much longer? Law was such a fool.

“The longer this little rebellion of yours stretches on, the worse it will be for them.” Doffy shook his head. “It’s time to make a choice, little bird: Straw Hat or your nakama.”

Once again, it struck Law that Doflamingo could have ended Law’s little rebellion at any point during the conversation. But he hadn’t; there was something else on his mind, and Law could use that to his advantage. He might be unable to fight at the moment, but he could still protect his nakama.

“No! Torao saved me. He’s good, and I won’t let you hurt him and his nakama anymore.”

He couldn’t let Luffy keep stepping in to fight his battles for him; Luffy was only on Dressrosa facing Doflamingo because of Law, because of a weird tug in Law’s chest that made him act at a pivotal moment two years earlier.

This wasn’t Luffy’s fight; it was Law’s.

Law hadn’t been able to save that for Cora-san, but he could protect the people who mattered to him now. Because he knew that was one thing above all else that Doflamingo wanted.

“Then I propose a deal,” Law said.

“Oh?” Doffy sounded amused. “What could you possibly have to bargain with, Corazon?”

“My obedience.”

Doffy stiffened, and Law knew he was on the right track. It had become painfully obvious to Law over the last two years that what Doffy wanted most was Law’s loyalty and compliance. He held the lives of Law’s nakama over his head to force his obedience, but what Doffy truly wanted was to have Law at his side of Law’s own free will.

(After all, Law had to willingly sacrifice himself to do the Perennial Youth Operation. There was no guarantee even threats to the lives of his crew would push him to do that operation. But for Law to offer his willingness… Well, that was another story entirely.)

“I will return to the palace and perform my duties as you wish,” Law said, throat tightening as he offered his terms. Yet part of him also felt calm; he was making a choice that could protect the people he cared for and who had sacrificed far too much for him already. “I will remain loyal to you and the Family. No more betrayal, no more escape attempts. I will be yours entirely.”

“Intriguing,” Doflamingo acknowledged. His tongue swiped across his bottom lip in anticipation. “And what is your price for this concession?”

“The freedom of my nakama. You will no longer need them,” Law said. He was offering to give Doflamingo willingly what his nakama had ensured for nearly a decade. They would be furious, but Law didn’t care, as long as they were alive and unharmed. He was the one who put them in danger in the first place. “Let them leave the island unharmed.”

“That’s it?”

“And the Straw Hats.”

Doffy barked a laugh. “Oh, Corazon. Your precious nakama are one thing—they are mine to do with as I please. But the Straw Hats are an enemy pirate crew invading my island. As a king, I cannot simply let that stand.”

Law crossed his arms, shackles clanking with the movement. “The Straw Hats only came to Dressrosa because of me,” he said. “If my nakama are freed and I have made my loyalty to you known, they will have no reason to stay on the island. Our alliance will be over.”

Doffy made a thoughtful noise. “Clever boy,” he said after a long moment then his lips curled upward. Law felt a chill run down his spine as his fate was sealed. “Fine, I accept your deal.”

As Doflamingo gestured for Law to follow him, Law felt a familiar tug in his chest.

-----

“Ace’s fruit?” Luffy whispered, eyes going wide.

Mingo’s smirk widened. “That’s right. I searched high and low after Fire Fist’s execution and was recently able to acquire it. All of my executives are already fruit users, so I planned to hold a tournament in a fortnight with the fruit as the prize for the winner. But perhaps you would like it. It was your late brother’s, after all.”

Luffy’s eyes narrowed. He might not be smart like Robin or Torao, but even he could tell when something was too good to be true. “Why would you just give it to me?”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be for free,” Mingo replied airily. “In exchange, you and your crew would leave Dressrosa immediately and never return.” He tilted his head as though thinking. “That sounds like a pretty good deal to me.”

“What about Torao?”

“What about him?” Mingo sneered. “Corazon is mine. He’s been mine since he was a boy, and he will be mine until he uses his final breath in my service.” Luffy opened his mouth to argue, but Mingo cut him off. “You know nothing about him, Straw Hat. I taught him, molded him. I made him into the man he is today. I’ve seen what he looks like in pleasure, and I’ve seen what he looks like when he takes a life. I know him inside and out, and you? You barely know the boy but would put yourself in danger for him? Why?”

Luffy felt his anger rising with every word Doflamingo spewed, the possessiveness Mingo felt toward Torao making him furious; Torao deserved to be free. Freedom was everything.

He put a hand to his chest where he’d felt a pull toward Torao from the first time they’d met on Sabaody; it had reminded him of the pull he felt when he met his other nakama, a whisper that these people were important and were supposed to be with Luffy, but it was different, too, though Luffy couldn’t explain how.

Luffy’d barely had a chance to notice the pull after Marineford, being as tied up in pain and grief as he was, but looking back, he knew it was there alongside his vague memories of coming into half-consciousness with Torao at his bedside, checking his vitals and whispering comforting words before he went under again.

Luffy had been more than a little disappointed to realize Torao had left Amazon Lily before he’d gotten a chance to thank him, but seeing him again on Punk Hazard had brought that feeling back with such strength that it nearly knocked him over. Torao had stood in the swirling snow, fallen marines and some of Luffy’s own nakama down around him, and Luffy hadn’t been able to look away.

Torao was strong—and his powers were so cool!—but after they’d beaten him and brought him back to the Thousand Sunny, Luffy had been drawn to the way his sharp features had softened in unconsciousness. He looked younger, Luffy thought. And, though he wasn’t sure why, he thought Torao seemed sad.

He wanted to help, and the moment he had Torao had shaken hands after agreeing to work together, the tug in his chest had gone quiet, and he knew that this was the right thing to do.

“Because I can feel that he matters,” Luffy replied. And Luffy always listened to his feelings; he’d learned from a young age to trust his instincts. “And if taking Ace’s fruit means I have to give up on Torao, I refuse. I don’t give up on my nakama. Ace would never forgive me.”

Mingo looked at him for a long moment, and Luffy considered just turning around and going back to Torao, but then Mingo’s expression shifted into a smirk.

“How touching,” he simpered. “It’s too bad that Corazon just gave up on you.”

“What?” Luffy demanded, not understanding. Then he yelped in surprise as the key in his hand started to disintegrate. “Eh?” He looked up as Mingo started laughing, his features contorting as he also disintegrated into a pile of string.

Luffy stared at the small pile of string in his hand before dropping it to the ground. The key was a fake. Mingo had been fake, too. So where was the real Mingo? And what had happened to Torao?

“Straw Hat!”

“Luffy!”

Luffy looked up to see several figures standing at the end of the hallway. He frowned and walked toward them before he lit up in recognition. “Violet!” She had another girl with her, this one with pink hair. He glanced at the other three figures, each wearing a set of coveralls with a familiar Jolly Roger on it.

Torao’s Jolly Roger.

“You’re Torao’s nakama!”

“Torao?”

“He means Law,” Violet.

Luffy felt his eyes shining as his eyes landed on the bear. “Torao didn’t tell me he had a bear for a nakama!”

“We’ve met,” the bear said, pulling at his snout.

“Oh,” Luffy said, realizing that must have been when he’d been freaking out after waking up on Torao’s ship. He felt his mood drop at the memory.

“Sorry,” the bear said.

Luffy frowned at him curiously. “For what?” When the bear kind of curled in on himself, Luffy shook his head. Weird. Oh well. “What are you guys doing here?”

“I broke these three out of the dungeon after you took Law from the palace,” Violet said, nodding at Torao’s nakama. “I brought them here to hide since Rebecca, my niece,” she added, nodding at the younger woman, “and the other gladiators here aren’t loyal to Doffy.” She shook her head. “He undoubtedly knows I’ve betrayed him by now, too.”

“Where’s the captain?” Penguin hat said, looking right at Luffy.

Luffy’s eyes widened as he remembered what had just happened. “I left him out on the stage and was chasing around a fake Mingo to get the key to Torao’s cuffs. Then he said Torao gave up on me and, I dunno, melted,” he explained, waving his hands.

“‘Fake Mingo’?” Rebecca repeated.

“Must be a clone,” Violet said, and Torao’s nakama nodded, glancing behind Luffy toward the pile of strings.

“We need to find Law,” the redhead said, exchanging a glance with the other two. “Before he does something stupid.”

That seemed like a strange thing to say, Luffy thought, since Torao was really smart. But then again, Robin was really smart too, and she had tried to give herself up because she thought she didn’t deserve to live, and that had been pretty dumb. Luffy had helped her then, and if he had to, he’d help Torao now. That’s what allies were for.

“If Doflamingo was a clone, they might not be in the colosseum anymore,” Violet said. “We need to get moving.”

The group headed out of the hallway and into the main corridor. The others started opening doors and looking down hallways, but Luffy kept moving ahead. He could hear Torao’s Voice nearby somewhere.

“Straw Hat!”

Luffy glanced back and skidded to a halt as he saw the others looking out a window. Luffy walked up to the closest window and peered out. His eyes widened as he saw Torao, shoulders hunched forward and head down, stepping into a carriage outside the colosseum. What was happening?

“It’s too bad that Corazon just gave up on you.”

“Torao!” Luffy called, instinctively grabbing the bars on the windows. He immediately regretted it as the Seastone leeched his strength, and he let go before he melted into a puddle. When he was able to focus on the outside scene again, Torao was out of sight, but Mingo was peering up toward the windows.

When Luffy met Mingo’s gaze, the Warlord smirked before pulling himself into the carriage and shutting the door behind him. A moment later, the carriage started off into the city.

#Oh look I finally updated #I've had this chapter plotted out for a while #But the words were not coming #Trafalgar Law #Monkey D. Luffy #Donquixote Doflamingo #One Piece #One Piece fanfic #One Piece fanfiction #Caitlin's fic

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nimudae · 1 year

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Let me tell you about the little AU I've been spinning in my head like a microwave these last couple months! (with alt text commentary)

Luffy finds Law's seraph clone and decides to take the little baby murder bird with him (and names him Hoshio (or Starry if you're on the camp that thinks Traffy>Torao)) because who wouldn't want a mini Torao? Law, it's Law

Law haaates the whole situation and doesn't trust or want the kid anywhere near them or their crews when he finds out, which clashes with Luffy being in complete Cora-san mode since day 1

I call them the Lawlu Sky Family

#one piece #one piece fanart #lawlu #lulaw #monkey d. luffy #trafalgar law #one piece oc #lawlu sky family au #I've never been the type for making canon OCs but then 1059 happened and here I am with a whole ass Acciental Child Acquisition scenario #I'm even!! working on some short comics!!!! but I've got too much on my plate rn #these two at this stage would be absolute disaster parents but something about the child being a wmd makes it organized chaos in my head #this au is all about: found family. learning to love yourself. and getting two stubborn idiots to kiss and hold hands #nimud.art

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purplehairedwonder · 3 years

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Hearts With(out) Chains Prologue

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 2178 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Donquixote Doflamingo, Penguin, Shachi, Bepo Note: I'm taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won't leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song "Hearts Without Chains."

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he's 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law can't help but resent Monkey D. Luffy for offering a glimpse of something he's repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

Law meandered down the street, the docked Polar Tang and the setting sun at his back and his hands stuffed in his pockets, to meet Bepo, Shachi, and Penguin for dinner. The island they’d docked at to refuel and restock wasn’t a major port by any means, but it had enough of a commercial district that the four teens had been able to find the food and supplies that they needed.

They had split up into pairs to tackle their supply lists, with Law and Bepo tackling food and medical supplies while Shachi and Penguin had stayed in the small port to secure fuel and have a mechanic give the Tang a once-over. Once the necessities had been procured and dropped off at the ship, the four went their separate ways for a few hours of shore leave before planning to meet for dinner.

Law, for his part, had spent most of his time in the local bookstore, browsing for new medical texts to add to his growing collection as he continued his education as ship’s doctor. After making a few purchases, he’d ended up staying on the Tang, reading one of his new books until it was time to meet the other three.

Since leaving Swallow Island a year earlier—officially the Heart Pirates, complete with Jolly Roger and everything—Law had been unable to shake the feeling of eyes between his shoulder blades whenever the Tang surfaced or docked. Though Doflamingo had been named a Warlord and had recently taken over the throne of a kingdom in the New World while Law’s crew remained in the North Blue, he knew his old boss had eyes everywhere. When they weren’t submerged, he couldn’t help looking to the sky or over his shoulder for a telltale flash of pink. The other three knew some of the history there—they’d witnessed enough of his nightmares that he’d eventually filled in some of the gaps—but they could never fully understand Law’s anxiousness at surfacing when sailing underwater provided the safest passage.

Law shook his head, his shoulders slumping further as he walked. The source of his nightmares was four years buried in the snow and halfway across the world. His friends were constantly trying to get him to lighten up and drop his paranoia—and Law supposed they had a point, not that he’d admit that to them. Though those three years on Swallow Island had provided a measure of stability Law hadn’t felt since before Lami had collapsed at the festival, he hadn’t been able to shake the restlessness under his skin, the feeling of unfinished business that haunted him, so had jumped at the chance to set sail.

Once he reached the town, Law headed right for the inn they'd decided to meet at, having noted its location earlier when he’d gone to the bookstore. He opened the door and stepped inside, looking around to see if any of the other three had arrived yet. He froze, immediately sensing that something was off. There were diners at about half the tables, but it took Law a moment to realize that none of them were eating or drinking. In fact, none of them were talking or moving at all. A heavy silence weighed the room down.

Swallowing, Law scanned the room, his gaze coming to rest on Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo at a table in the center of the room—odd, as they usually opted for corner tables to avoid notice. And they were all sitting on the same side of the table, facing the door.

Facing Law.

Alarm bells rang in Law’s head as he noticed Shachi’s and Penguin’s pale features and wide eyes as they met Law’s gaze. Bepo’s hackles were up. None of them had moved as Law entered. Law opened his mouth, but words died ashy on his tongue as the figure sitting across from them rose to his impossibly tall height and turned, pink feather coat swishing with the movement.

No…

Doflamingo grinned. “Law,” he crooned, throwing his arms out wide. “It’s so good to see you, my boy.”

Law was frozen to the spot, terror warring with rage as his heart pounded in his chest. His throat constricted. He couldn’t be here. He was supposed to be in Dressrosa in the New World, not at a small-town inn on a no-name island in the North Blue.

Law wasn’t ready to face him yet.

“What, no greeting for your boss after all this time?” Doflamingo lifted a finger, and strings wrapped around Law’s arms and chest, pulling him forward into the arms of his nightmare. Law stiffened as Doflamingo’s arms surrounded him.

After an agonizingly long moment, Doflamingo let Law go and stepped back, hands still on Law’s shoulders as he looked the teen up and down, drinking him in. Law fought the urge to fidget.

“It does my heart good to see you alive and healthy, Law.” A large hand cupped his chin and turned his face so Doflamingo could examine him. “No spots. You truly cured yourself of the incurable.”

Law swallowed as the hand dropped from his face. “W-why are you here?” he finally managed, hating the shakiness to his voice.

Doflamingo looked surprised at the question. “For you, of course.” He gestured back towards Law’s friends. “I was just getting acquainted with the rest of your crew. Come, sit.”

Law was given no choice in the matter, as the strings around his upper body pulled him to the free chair adjacent to both Doflamingo and the other three. Law awkwardly sat, and the strings fell away once he’d settled himself. Law blinked in surprise. A show of good faith?

He glanced at Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo and saw the naked fear in their eyes. The man in front of them was a Warlord and far more powerful than any of them. It was one thing to hear Law talk about Doflamingo; it was another entirely to face the man in person. He nodded minutely to them before turning his attention back to Doflamingo.

“How did you know I was here?” he asked, pleased that his voice had steadied. He tried not to think about the other people in the room who would overhear the entire conversation since they were being prevented from speaking. He could only concentrate on the danger directly in front of him.

Doflamingo waved a hand toward the bar before leaning back in his chair. “I’ve been keeping my ear to the ground for any news of the Ope Ope no Mi since you disappeared, Law. Imagine my surprise when, about a year ago, rumors started spreading about a young pirate in the North Blue using that very Fruit.”

That was exactly what Law had been worried about. He’d just hoped Doflamingo’s new status as Warlord and king would keep him too busy to come back to the North Blue.

The bartender came forward jerkily, clearly controlled by strings, with a decanter of wine. She poured a glass for Doflamingo and set the bottle down on the table before retreating. The clang of the glass on the wooden table echoed through the eerily quiet dining room.

“I confess, it was difficult getting eyes on that intriguing ship of yours,” Doflamingo went on, unconcerned with—or, more likely, enjoying—the room’s mood, “but I have my ways.”

“And you came personally?”

“Of course.” Doflamingo leaned forward, his large frame encroaching on Law’s space without even trying. He picked up the glass and took a long draught of wine before speaking once more. “After four years, don’t you think it’s time to come home, Law? It’s time to take your rightful place back with the Family.”

Law wanted to snarl that he knew how Doflamingo treated his family, that he knew what the man really wanted him for, that he’d never return to the Family after Minion Island—but the presence of his friends stayed his tongue. Doflamingo didn’t know that Law had heard his exchange with Cora-san that night, and something told Law it should stay that way, so he kept his features neutral.

“Why now?”

Doflamingo’s grin turned sharp. “I need the best at my side to rule. It was no idle promise to train you to become my second-in-command. The Heart seat waits for you, Law.”

Law’s breath hitched at the reference to the seat Cora-san had held. The seat that was empty because Doflamingo had killed Cora-san for saving Law. The seat that Cora-san tried to protect Law from taking, though Law hadn’t realized exactly what Cora-san was protecting him from until it was too late. If Law went back to the Family now, Cora-san’s sacrifice would have been for nothing.

Doflamingo was eyeing Law, and Law realized he’d clenched his hands into fists. He dropped them into his lap, and when he opened his hands, they revealed bloody, crescent-shaped wounds on his palms.

“And,” Law asked slowly, “if I were to say no?”

The atmosphere at the table, already tense, curdled at Law’s words. It was as though the temperature had suddenly dropped as Doflamingo replied, “That would be… unwise.” The man’s grip on his wine glass tightened dangerously.

Law clenched his jaw but said nothing, eyes boring a hole into the table in front of him. He could feel his friends practically vibrating in their anxiety next to him.

“Why,” the low voice continued, “would you refuse to return to your Family, Law?”

“Maybe there’s a reason I never came back,” Law ground out.

Law jumped in spite of himself at the sound of shattering glass. He whipped his gaze over to see wine spilled over Doflamingo’s hand and glass shards scattered across the table and floor.

“My brother,” Doflamingo growled, flicking wine from his fingers. “It seems I was right to worry that he poisoned your mind.”

“Cora-san saved me,” Law hissed, long-held rage uncurling in his chest and refusing to be suppressed when faced with its target. “I am alive today because of him.”

“He was a traitor, and he took you from where you belong,” Doflamingo retorted coldly as the bartender returned with rags and a broom and dustpan. She was shaking as she cleaned up the spilled wine around the tense gathering at the center of the captive room. Once the mess was cleaned up, Doflamingo dismissed her with a wave of his hand, never once looking at her.

“It’s time to come home, Law.”

His frigid tone brooked no argument, but Law had never been particularly good at taking orders. He opened his mouth, but Doflamingo cut him off with a lifted finger and three gasps. Law’s gaze flew to his friends, and his eyes widened. Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo each had a single string looped around his neck.

Fuck. Law knew that string could kill his friends before he could form a Room to protect them. Doflamingo would follow through with his threat, too. Law had seen it happen many times in his time with the Family.

“I told you, defying me would be unwise, Law.”

“They have nothing to do with this.”

“You were the one to bring them into this,” Doflamingo countered. “When you made them part of your crew.”

Law’s mind spun, running through one scenario after another but not coming up with one that didn’t end with his friends dead or him reclaimed by the Family—or both. After several tense moments, Law’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

“If I return with you, they will be unharmed?”

“Law, n—” Penguin’s objection was cut off by the tightening of the string, drawing blood. He grimaced, and Law shook his head. The danger his friends were in now was entirely Law’s fault. If going back to the Family could save them, then he’d do what he had to.

“If you do as you are told, they will be unharmed,” Doflamingo agreed.

Law took a breath, eyes shutting briefly as the fight went out of him. “Fine.”

“What’s that?” Now the bastard was just gloating.

“I’ll come,” Law gritted out. “Now let them go.”

The strings fell away from Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo’s throats, and they let out relieved breaths. The tightness in Law’s chest loosened the tiniest bit at the sight, though mostly he just felt hollow as what he’d agreed to started to sink in.

“Excellent. We leave for Dressrosa in the morning.” Doflamingo’s lips twitched. “I have an eternal pose for Dressrosa you four can use.”

Law jerked his gaze back to Doflamingo. “What? No. That wasn’t the agreement. I agreed to come back to the Family, so let them go.”

“The agreement,” Doflamingo corrected, “was that as long as you do what you’re told, Law, your friends will be unharmed.”

Law’s stomach sank as he realized the trap he’d walked into in his emotional state. He’d just damned Shachi, Penguin, and Bepo along with himself.

“Consider their lives collateral for your good behavior.” He turned to the other three, who were watching the exchange in shock. “Welcome to the Donquixote Pirates.”

Next Chapter

#Caitlin's fic #I know I have another WIP #but my brain demanded this be written #I actually have a good idea where this one is going #unlike the other one #Trafalgar Law #Donquixote Doflamingo #Heart Pirates #One Piece #one piece fanfiction

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purplehairedwonder · 3 years

Text

Hearts With(out) Chains Chapter 7

Fandom: One Piece Rating: PG-13 Pairings: Gen (eventual Lawlu) Words: 3324 Characters: Trafalgar Law, Monkey D. Luffy, Nico Robin, Usopp, Franky, Zoro, Chopper, Nami, Sanji, Smoker, Tashigi, Vergo Note: I’m taking my turn at the Corazon!Law AU because my brain won’t leave me alone until this is written down. Tags will be updated as the chapters come out.

The story title is based on the Ellie Goulding song “Hearts Without Chains.”

Summary: Law is reclaimed by the Family when he’s 17 and, with Doflamingo holding the lives of his crew as collateral for his good behavior, eventually becomes the third Corazon. Years later, trapped by his impossible situation, Law can’t help but resent Monkey D. Luffy for offering a glimpse of something he’s repeatedly had ripped away from him: hope.

Previous chapters: Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Read also at AO3 / FF.N

“Oi!” Straw Hat called. “What’s going on?”

“Luffy!” the cat burglar and tanuki cried in relief.

“Straw Hat,” the mangled parts of the G-5 soldiers groaned.

“Luffy, look,” the long-nosed one said. “It’s the guy from Sabaody.”

“Corazon,” Nico Robin said, immediately taking a defensive posture. “This must be one of Donquixote Doflamingo’s operations if his second is here.”

Straw Hat blinked at Law then smiled widely. “It’s you.”

Law inclined his head. “Straw Hat-ya. I see you made it.”

“He saved me at Marineford,” Straw Hat, still smiling, said to his crew, who exchanged glances.

“Things change, Luffy,” Pirate Hunter Zoro said, hand going to the blades at his hip. “I don’t think he’s here to help us now. He already got the love cook.”

Straw Hat’s gaze went to where Black Leg had fallen, and his expression darkened. “Sanji!”

“He’s alive,” Law said. “For now. I’m afraid I can’t let any of you leave.” This would be more complicated with all of his targets in one place; part of him thought that he should have brought backup after all, but he quickly dismissed it.

“Chopper,” Straw Hat called. “Come look at Sanji.”

The tanuki started to move, and Law lifted Kikoku but suddenly had three swords to parry as Zoro charged him. A distraction. No matter.

Law and Zoro traded blows with their blades until Law lifted a hand and switched Zoro with a snowflake among the amputated parts of the G-5 soldiers. The pirate hunter yelped in surprise before gaping at the moving and talking body parts.

“What the hell kind of power is this?!” he demanded.

“Super freaky, right?” the cyborg asked. “As long as we’re in this circle, he can do what he wants.”

Law’s lips twitched, but his haki flared and he dodged a shot from the sniper’s slingshot. Law swung Kikoku in his direction, but arms sprouted around the sniper and pulled him out of the slice’s path. Boulders in the distance split in two, and Long Nose gaped like a fish.

Law Shambled out of the way of another blast from the cyborg and had just enough time when saw the skeleton approaching to swap him with a rock on the other side of his Room. The skeleton sputtered in surprise, but Law ignored him, turning his attention back to the people in front of him. He tried to raise Kikoku again but couldn’t move her. He frowned and looked down to see hands sprouting from the blade. When he looked back up, he met Nico Robin’s gaze. He smirked and Shambled away once more. She was startled enough by the motion to drop her powers.

With a bit of distance between them now, Law surveyed the scene. He was on the defensive and couldn’t keep Shambling around to just avoid the Straw Hats’ attacks; it was taking a toll on his stamina. He was already starting to feel the effects of prolonged and consistent use of his abilities. He needed to get on the offensive and end this.

But the Straw Hats weren’t going to make it that easy for him.

He was casting around for something he could use to his advantage when his haki prickled once more. He side-stepped just in time to see a fist fly by his head then return to its owner. When Law looked backed, Straw Hat was eyeing him with a frown.

“I don’t want to fight someone who saved my life,” he said.

“I have orders to get rid of all trespassers,” Law replied. “You and your crew are trespassing, Straw Hat-ya.”

“Shishishi, that’s what pirates do,” Straw Hat replied with a laugh.

“I’m a pirate, too,” Law reminded him. “And pirates also protect what’s theirs.” Or their boss’s, who controlled the fate of his crew. Whichever.

“So, this is Doflamingo’s operation,” Nico Robin mused. “What is he doing here in a place that is supposed to be off-limits to everyone?”

“None of your concern.”

“Luffy,” the cat burglar called. Straw Hat glanced over at her. “They’ve taken kids,” she said, gesturing toward the group behind her and Kin’emon. “We have to help them!”

Straw Hat’s expression darkened, and Nico Robin’s lips quirked. “I think we just made it our concern, Corazon.”

Law shrugged. “So be it.”

He turned toward the G-5 ship that had anchored just in front of the lab—and inside Law’s Room—and lifted a finger. With Takt, the ground began to shake as the ship rose out of the water.

The cat burglar looked around, alarmed. “What’s that noise?”

“Why is everything shaking? Earthquake?” cried the G-5 soldiers.

“T-the ship!” Long Nose yelped.

“Woah, cool!” Straw Hat declared, delighted.

Once the ship was high enough, Law sliced Kikoku through the air, and the ship split into quarters, debris raining down from the sky. Law flicked his fingers, and the debris started flying toward the others. Zoro and Kin’emon jumped in front of the children to cut down boxes and boulders while the cyborg bolted to the tanuki and Black Leg, using his huge body to cover them as the tanuki treated a woozy Black Leg. Straw Hat blew himself up like a bubble—Law raised an eyebrow at that—and bounced the threats off to protect Nico Robin and Long Nose. The skeleton dodged as he made his way back toward his crew, and the G-5 soldiers tried to use one another to shield themselves.

As the debris fell, Law slammed the pieces of the ship against the various rock formations in the area, fusing them together. There would be no escape via ship for the Marines now.

With the ship out of commission, Law turned his attention back to his targets. He planned to use the chaos of the debris to disguise his attack, but when he made to jump into motion, he couldn’t move. He looked down to see hands sprouting of the ground, wrapped around his ankles. When he glanced back up, Nico Robin had her arms crossed in front of her and a knowing smile on her lips.

Then she said something to Straw Hat, and he looked over at the immobile Law. Before Law could think about switching with a piece of debris, Straw Hat had deflated and thrown his arms out directly at Law. He hissed as Straw Hat’s rubber arms wrapped around his chest multiple times, and Kikoku fell from his grip as his own arms were restrained.

“Gotcha!”

His hands were still free, though, so he prepared to Shamble out of Straw Hat’s and Nico Robin’s grips—

His eyes widened and he grunted in pain and surprise as something slammed into his back. The strength leeched from his body and his Room fell around him. The pieces of ship and ocean debris that were still swirling in the air were no longer being directed so crashed into the ground, forcing people to dodge. He glanced behind him and saw Smoker, Seastone-tipped jitte driven into his back above Straw Hat’s rubbery limbs. The vice admiral’s gaze was sharp.

“I want my heart back, pirate,” he growled.

“Zoro!”

Law’s gaze flew back in front of him to see Zoro rushing toward him, and Law was completely helpless. Shit.

“Don’t kill him!” Straw Hat called as the pirate hunter neared.

Law tensed as Zoro raised his sword and swung down. There was blinding pain in his temple and then nothing.

-----

Vergo watched from his hidden perch as the pirate hunter swung his sword and Corazon—no, he would always be little Trafalgar Law, traitor to the Donquixote Family—crumpled. Straw Hat Luffy released his hold on Law, easing him surprisingly gently to the ground. Smoker reached down and searched through Law’s pockets until he found his heart. He straightened and slid it back into his chest. Too bad; that would have been a good way to get rid of Smoker for good. Oh well. There were plenty of hazards on this island Vergo could take advantage of.

With Law’s Room down, the G-5 soldiers started piecing themselves back together with varying degrees of anatomical correctness (they truly were the Marines’ most inept). Captain Tashigi collected herself and joined Vice Admiral Smoker as they looked at the gathering Straw Hats. The tanuki had gotten Black Leg back to his feet, though he was moving with some deliberation. An argument between Smoker and Luffy ensued, seemingly over Law as they both gestured at his unconscious form.

The cat burglar then spoke up, gesturing toward the children behind her. This caught Captain Tashigi’s attention, and she turned an impassioned plea to Smoker, undoubtedly to help the brats. Vergo frowned; he’d gone to a lot of trouble to get Caesar those subjects, so it wouldn’t do for them to be taken away now. Caesar was doing important work for Joker, and those test subjects were necessary.

After some further arguments and discussion, the pirates and Marines split into two groups, with Smoker, Tashigi, and G-5 following the cat burglar, samurai, cyborg, pirate hunter, tanuki, and skeleton inside—likely because Law had taken out the Marine ship so there was no way to get them out without calling for backup. That was something Vergo could work with as the base commander for G-5.

Before she started walking off, Tashigi offered something to Straw Hat Luffy, though the long-nosed sniper ended up taking it. He then bent over and—ah, they were Seastone cuffs. He fastened them around Law’s wrists. So, they weren’t as dumb as they looked after all.

Straw Hat then picked up Law and threw him over his shoulder. The pirate hunter handed Law’s blade over to his captain before joining the group going inside the lab. Nico Robin, Black Leg, and the sniper followed Straw Hat in the opposite direction, likely to their ship.

Vergo found his lips curling upward as he watched Straw Hat Luffy carry an unconscious and powerless Law back toward his ship. Perhaps it was finally time to put the brat in his place.

-----

The first thing Law felt as consciousness returned was the throbbing in his head. The second was the telltale weakness in his body that came from Seastone. Memories flooded back in, and his eyes flew open. He was staring up at a wooden ceiling rather than a gray, snowy sky. Confused, he glanced down to see he was on a bed, and his wrists were shackled in Seastone cuffs.

That… was not good.

“You’re awake.”

Law started at the voice and looked over to see Nico Robin sitting on a stool across the room. She had a book in hand, but she marked her page and set it on the desk. Law’s gaze slid past her and took in the rest of the room—an infirmary, not a brig.

Nico Robin let him take in his surroundings and waited until his gaze turned back to her.

“Welcome to the Thousand Sunny,” she said.

Law frowned, but when she made no other move, he sat up slowly, careful of his aching head, and scooted back to lean against the wall. They both knew he was a minimal threat to her in these cuffs.

“Your ship?” Law finally asked when his companion (no, guard) remained silent. He wasn’t sure if this was better or worse than a Marine brig—though he supposed with no little satisfaction the Marine brig was fused to a rock somewhere outside. Either way, his capture was a complication in his mission, which meant it was a danger to his nakama back in Dressrosa. The sooner he took back control of the situation, the sooner he could finish his mission and assure their safety.

She hummed in agreement. “Smoker wanted to arrest you, but Luffy wouldn’t let him.”

Law blinked at that. “Why?”

Not that Law was worried about being arrested; Doffy would never let Smoker take Law in. But it would have been yet another complication in his operation, and Doffy hated complications.

Nico Robin studied him for a long moment, her gaze unsettling—as though she could see through Law. “Isn’t that the question going around today?”

Law narrowed his eyes. What was that supposed to mean?

He opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by the infirmary door slamming open. Straw Hat stood in the doorway, and Law’s breath caught, that tug in his chest returning stronger than ever, as if it refused to be ignored. Straw Hat’s eyes traveled around the room, brightening when they landed on Law.

“You’re awake!”

“And apparently a prisoner,” Law replied dryly, gesturing with the cuffs.

Straw Hat’s expression fell. “That’s not—” He stuck his lips out in a pout. “I just wanted to talk. Would you stay if we took them off?”

“Long enough to kill you, then I’d be gone.” Law was here on a mission, after all. He briefly wondered where Kikoku was but decided it didn’t matter; once he got these cuffs off, he’d open a Room and find her.

“Why would you want to kill me?” Straw Hat asked. He didn’t sound worried about Law’s threat, just confused. Nico Robin had risen to her feet during the exchange. Nothing in her posture said she was poised to attack, but Law had a feeling she’d act in an instant if Law showed any sign of threat to her captain. “You saved me two years ago.”

“You know who I work for,” Law replied with a shrug, aiming for casual and in control despite his predicament. “I’m here on his orders.”

“And you’re a loyal soldier, aren’t you, Corazon?” Nico Robin said. “You follow your captain’s orders without question.”

There was enough give in the shackles for Law to cross his arms. He said nothing in reply, though. His actions at Marineford sat heavily on the air among them.

“I heard about your exploits over the last two years,” she continued. “You’ve made quite a name for yourself, Surgeon of Death.”

Law remained silent. He didn’t care about the Demon Child’s judgment or her use of the epithet he had earned. He did what he had to do. Besides, he was a pirate, and he acted like one.

Nico Robin walked over to the door and put a gentle hand on her captain’s shoulder, a softness to her tone that had not been there moments before. “Be careful.”

Straw Hat nodded, and she smiled at him before leaving. She closed the door behind her, leaving Law and Straw Hat alone. Law would have been annoyed at being underestimated like that, but the Seastone rendered him essentially useless.

This boy, Law thought as they regarded one another, was the reason he had made a selfish choice that resulted in Shachi losing his arm. Why had he done that?

What was it about him that tugged on Law’s chest, drawing him into the boy’s orbit?

It couldn’t just be that initial that they shared, a mysterious legacy Cora-san had sacrificed everything to protect Law over. But what was it?

Straw Hat crossed his arms. “I don’t think you want to kill me. Or my crew.”

Law raised an eyebrow. “Oh?” he said. “You might want to ask Black Leg his opinion on that.”

Straw Hat frowned. “Sanji’s okay, though. You didn’t kill him.”

“Only because you interrupted me,” Law drawled.

Straw Hat made a frustrated sound. “No.”

Law blinked. “No?”

“No,” Straw Hat confirmed. “I don’t believe you.” He started pacing, and Law followed his back-and-forth movements with his eyes. “I wanted to thank you. For saving me that time,” Straw Hat said.

“You don’t need to thank me,” Law replied, the same lie falling from his lips that he’d repeated over the last two years: “I acted on a whim, nothing more.”

Straw Hat shook his head. “Jimbei said that you’d be in trouble with that Mingo guy for helping us, and I was worried.” He paused and looked at Law. “Were you? In trouble?”

Law suppressed the urge to touch his throat. “I fail to see how that matters.”

Straw Hat stared at him, seeming to read something in Law’s non-response. “But you helped me anyway. And I’m grateful!” He nodded, as if confirming something to himself. “So, you’re a good guy. No matter what anyone says.”

Law flinched. “No, I’m really not. You should listen to Nico-ya.” His hands were soaked with blood, including that of his own nakama. And if he didn’t complete this cleanup mission, there would be more blood on his hands.

“Nope,” Straw Hat stubbornly decided, as though he knew Law. But if he actually knew him, he wouldn’t want anything to do with Law. He shouldn’t want anything to do with Law. “I can feel it. Right here,” he said, touching his chest.

Law’s breath caught, his protest dying on his tongue. He was touching the same place Law felt the tug in his own chest when Straw Hat came up. Did he…? Did he feel it too? Whatever it was?

Straw Hat suddenly flopped down onto the end of the mattress, bouncing Law slightly. Law grimaced as his head protested.

Straw Hat looked over at Law curiously. “What kind of name is Coradone anyway?”

“Corazon,” Law snapped, still feeling a bit off kilter. “And it’s not my name. It’s a title.”

Straw Hat perked up. “Really? Then what’s your real name?”

Law looked away. “It doesn’t matter. I haven’t gone by my name in years. No one uses it.”

Though Law wasn’t looking at him, he could hear the frown in Straw Hat’s voice. “That sounds lonely.”

Law blinked in surprise. There was something to what Straw Hat was saying. Though the Family treated becoming an executive and earning the title as the highest honor one could achieve, Law had learned over the last six years that it also acted to dehumanize the wearer of the title. Law was no longer Law; he was Corazon, the second in command of the Donquixote Pirates. He was defined entirely by his station in the Family. Though Law had been with the Family for over a decade, he didn’t know the real names of the other three executives—their identities were their titles.

(The irony of Law continuing to remember Rosinante as Cora-san, a diminutive of his title when he’d been undercover, was not lost on him.)

“Anyway!” Straw Hat said cheerfully, letting Law’s silence be response enough, “Smokey wanted to arrest you, but I wouldn’t let him. But while the Marines are here, you should probably stay out of sight, especially after what you did to their ship. That was so cool, by the way! Sanji’ll get you food,” he added, as if that was the most important detail.

Law looked back at him and raised an eyebrow. “So, I’m your prisoner, Straw Hat-ya?”

Straw Hat shrugged apologetically. “I mean, I’d take the cuffs off, but—”

Law smirked. “You don’t want me to kill your crew.”

“Not that I’d let you,” he said, smile turning cheeky.

Law couldn’t help a small laugh. “You think you’re stronger than me?”

“I did beat you,” Straw Hat pointed out.

“That was four-on-one,” Law reminded him. And Law had only gone down when Smoker had surprised him with the Seastone.

Straw Hat’s smile widened. “Let’s find out sometime.” He jumped up off the mattress. “I need to check on my nakama, but I’ll be back.” He crossed the small room and opened the infirmary door.

“Trafalgar.” Straw Hat paused and looked back at him curiously. Law hadn’t realized he’d spoken until Straw Hat had frozen. “Trafalgar Law,” he said again, unsure of why he was telling Straw Hat. “That’s my name.”

Straw Hat’s face lit up into a blinding grin, and Law’s chest tightened. “I like it. Trafal— Tragal— Torao! I like it, Torao!” he beamed before heading out and shutting the door behind him.

Law was in so much trouble.

Next chapter

#This chapter has the scene I've been waiting to write!#Trafalgar Law #Monkey D. Luffy #One Piece fanfic #One Piece fanfiction #Caitlin's fic

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