Chapter Text
The Roger Pirates did everything quickly and in swift succession while trying to enjoy it as much as possible. Time was a luxury they didn’t have, and so their adventures were always fast as they wanted to see as much as they could. But, despite that, there were days on the sea that was slow, much like this day.
They were a week, at the least, away from their next stop, and the wind wasn’t being helpful with the long wait. It meant more chores for Shanks and Buggy and more whining from their Captain. Slow days were something that Shanks held onto, something that he enjoyed.
Don’t get him wrong, he enjoyed their adventures, but he couldn’t enjoy them to the fullest extent when they were hopping from one island to the next with the snap of fingers. He wanted to take his time to enjoy what his adventures offered, but, again, time was a luxury. One Captain, and therefore the crew, didn’t have.
Despite this, slow days sometimes were too slow. Like today. With his chores done, the crew fixated on whatever they were doing, Shanks didn’t really have anything to do. Captain was in the infirmary, in the middle of his daily check-up, Rayleigh was napping, and no one dared wake the First Mate up when he actually went to sleep, Buggy was off reading, and the rest of the crew was playing poker. Shanks normally would join, but even that didn’t seem all that interesting today.
He liked watching the ocean on lazy days, like feeling the breeze in his hair and the smell of salt flooding his nose. It was nice, relaxing. It wasn’t often that they had relaxing days, spending most of their time like they only had a day left to live; partying, fighting, exploring and sailing.
Shanks, one day, was going to make his own crew. And he was going to have slow adventures.
It wasn’t that he didn’t love this crew or their adventures, but Shanks liked having the ability to enjoy something instead of rushing with it. Every day was another battle, another party, another island. It was exhausting, and Shanks knew that they could have more fun if they slowed down. But they couldn’t, so Shanks would have slow adventures when he gathers his own crew.
With a small sigh, the red-haired apprentice leaned back onto his hands, watching as the seagulls dipped and sang, as the waves rocked against the Oro, inhaled the salty breeze. Shanks thinks it’s a wonderful day for a nap. He flopped onto his back, tugging his precious straw-hat up to cover his eyes, and smiled in content.
And just as he was about to doze off, a wave of energy hit the boat, knocking the Oro to the side roughly. Everyone snapped up, weapons drawn and eyes wary as they looked for what had ruined their peaceful day. Shanks felt adrenaline take hold as he saw what looked like two people falling from the sky, the clouds stained in a mix of dark blue, deep purple, and a sharp red.
Conqueror’s Haki, Captain’s Haki, hit them all like a brick, the air around them charging with the will of a King. Even Shanks could tell that whoever this Haki belonged to didn’t have control, the Haki jumping and vibrating, not attacking anyone but heavying the air.
They all heard the scream, gut-wrenched, horrified, and full of rage as the two people falling were suddenly torn from each other, one getting shot into a different direction and the other heading for the Oro Jackson.
“Law!”
Captain shot forward just as Rayleigh did, both of them tackling the man out of the air before he could hit the deck and, no doubt, hurt the ship. The Haki disappeared, the waves steadying, and everyone looked to the unconscious man in their leaders’ arms. The sword that had been rested in his hand fell, tumbling onto the deck with a loud clank and everyone snapped to attention with it.
Tan skin, spotted clothes, shaggy black hair hidden under a white hat, they all stared at a lanky man who looked like he hasn’t slept in months, what looked like smears of black under his eyes. He also looked ill, breaths slow and shallow, and by the way Rayleigh frowned after placing his palm on the man’s forehead, he was probably burning up as well.
“Who the hell is this guy?” Roger asked no one in particular, staring at the sky in interest.
“I’d assume this was the ‘Law’ the other guy yelled for.” Rayleigh said, “That was some strong Haki.”
“Sure was!” Roger agreed cheerfully, “Crocus, can you check this guy out?”
The doctor made his way over, and quickly looked the man over, frowning. “He seems fine physically, a bit underweight and exhausted, but overall, nothing life threatening.”
“But,” Rayleigh said, catching the ‘although’ like everyone else.
“But I think he’s been poisoned.” Crocus said, for once answering quickly, “I’ll need to check his bloodstream, and we can work from there!”
It didn’t take long for Roger to carry the man to the infirmary, and it took less time for the doctor to leave the room, a glass tube in his hands. “I believe I’ve found what was in his blood.”
“Well, what was it?” Buggy asked the question of the day.
There was a long pause.
“Hurry up and explain, old–”
“A liquid version of Sea Stone,” Crocus explained, cutting the scowling teenager off.
“What? They make that now?” Rayleigh asked with wide eyes.
“Seems so,” the doctor agreed after yet another pause, “I managed to get some of it from his body, though not enough to stop the affects.”
“And what are the affects?” Rayleigh prodded, frowning.
They all expected the short pause, sighing slightly.
“It’s killing him,” Crocus said, “He has a Devil Fruit, no doubt, and this stuff is taking all his energy and not giving it back but taking more.”
Roger pursed his lips, that was…it had to be a terrible death. Roger would hate to go out that way! “Is there a way you can get it all out?” he asked, tilting his head.
Crocus was one of the best doctors they’ve ever met, and if Crocus couldn’t do it, no one could. The ship’s doctor pursed his lips and looked thoughtful for a long moment.
“I think I can get enough of it out to prolong his death.” Crocus finally said.
“Then what are you waiting for!” Roger laughed happily.
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Rosinante looked at the man in front of him warily, biting at his lip as he tried to find something to say. The man had dropped down in front of him out of nowhere, destroyed some (read: a lot) of the training ground the marine-in-training had been in, before collapsing and crying about someone named “Law.” and being weak.
When Rosinante patted his back and tried to console him, the man hadn’t reacted. When he carefully offered an apple, the hatted man who didn’t seem older than twenty teared up again and grabbed him in a hug while eating the apple, core, and everything.
And that brough Rosinante to his newest predicament. He had called his adoptive father, Sengoku, and told him about the mysterious man who just fell from the sky and landed in front of him. Sengoku had told him to wait, and a few hours later, the marine showed up with his friend (though he often denied it) Monkey D. Garp.
“Oh,” the hatted man said when he laid eyes on them, “I’m dead, good to know,” he said, nodding firmly.
“Ha? Why’d you be dead, squirt?” Garp squinted at him.
“Well, you two died like months ago, Gramps!” was the instant response, “So I have’ta be dead too!”
“Was that a threat, boy?” Sengoku asked darkly, but he still took another bite of a rice cracker.
“Bwahaha! What’s your name kid?” Garp asked loudly.
“Monkey D. Luffy!” the newly named Luffy said.
Garp squinted, “Come again?”
“I didn’t know your hearing was that bad, Gramps.” Luffy picked at his nose, “Where’s Law?”
“Gah, what did you call me!?” Garp whacked his head, and Luffy whined loudly.
“Stop hitting me! You always hit me!” Luffy’s eyes looked teary again and Rosinante feared there’d be another tear-fest.
“I’ve never met ya before, let alone hit ya!” Garp yelled back.
“Liar! You used to always throw me into the monkey pits at Foosha!” Luffy yelled back, “And you always hit me with Haki! Unfair! Shitty Grandpa!”
“Gah, you twerp–”
Rosinante startled when they both started to snore. Sengoku blinked at the exchange in surprise, looking calculating.
“Wake up, you moron!” Sengoku barked, hitting Garp in the head.
“Oi! Who said you could sleep!?” Garp yelled at the young man still snoring, like he hadn’t been sleeping a second ago.
“Oww! Stop hitting me, Gramps!”
⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰
Law felt strangely light. He’s gotten used to his limbs weighing like bricks, and he’s gotten used to the struggle it was to open his eyes. When he woke up, he did so easily, his fingers moving and arm raising like they weighed like feathers instead of tons. He felt well-rested, and he hasn’t felt this rested since before he was injected with Sea Stone some months ago.
The second thing Law recognized was the fact that he didn’t know where he was. Then he realized there was several strong presences on the ship he was on, the ship that wasn’t the Sunny. And then he remembered Luffy’s panicked Haki, his arms trying to grab him but missing by just a hair, and he scrambled up.
He didn’t feal heavy and he didn’t fell the pull of exhaustion.
Law inhaled deeply and lifted his hand.
“Room.”
A room, so small it only surrounded him, raised. Law closed his eyes, and he felt something bubble up when the room didn’t fall after a second passed like it had for months.
“Scan.”
There was still Sea Stone in his system, but most of it had been removed. How that was even possible was beyond Law, but whomever did it had his gratitude.
“Shambles.”
The Sea Stone that’s been weighing him down, slowly killing him, for months dropped onto the floor next to him, and Law watched it blankly. He let his Room fall, and carefully swung his legs off the bed. His sword wasn’t near him, which he sorts of expected, being on an unknown’s ship. Law grabbed his hat, one placed next to a tray of medical supplies, and placed it atop his head before exiting the room.
He couldn’t sense Luffy.
“Ah, our visitor’s awake!” the cheerful shout sort of reminded Law of Luffy but he instantly decided that he didn’t want to think that as Gol D. Roger stopped in front of him, hand gripping his sword, obviously ready to fight, but smiling, nonetheless.
Law stared.
“How’re you doing, buddy? Not dying on us, eh?” Roger asked, staring at him expectantly.
Law blinked.
“Am I dead?” he asked blankly.
“I’d hope not! I worked hard on removing that stone from your body!” a…flower man barked at him.
Law’s mind slowly caught up, “You removed it? How? I tried everything I could think of.”
There was a long pause, Law’s eyebrow twitched.
“I removed it by taking your blood and hooking you up with more when I was finished!” the man shouted.
Law closed his eyes, inhaling deeply. Why hadn’t he though to bleed it out of him? That was so simple, he could’ve managed it just fine.
“Of course, with the Sea Stone in my veins, removing it with the blood is genius.” He said to himself, frowning.
There was a laugh from the King of the Pirates, but not the one Law knew, a “shishishi” missing from his ears. “What’s your name, stranger?”
“Trafalgar Law.” Law introduced. “Was there someone else with me?”
“You fell from the sky with another man, but he was blown away,” Rayleigh said, crossing his arms and watching him intently.
Law frowned, clicking his tongue, “I see.” And then he turned to look at the Pirate King, “You’re dying, aren’t you?”
Law didn’t even flinch at the weapons suddenly aimed at him. Roger frowned; all friendliness gone.
“I can cure you,” Law said simply.
“It’s incurable,” Roger said, scowling, and his blade bit into Law’s neck just a bit more. Law felt the skin tear, blood dribbling out of the wound.
Law smirked slowly, “I’ve cured the incurable before,” he said, “I doubt you’ve heard of the White Lead disease?”
“What is it–”
“White Lead?!” the flower guy interrupted; eyes wide. “That illness isn’t seen often but it is incurable, anyone who has it dies!”
Law stared at him intently, “In most cases, you’re right. But you’re looking at a survivor of White Lead.”
Cue a jaw-drop.
“What’s White Lead, Crocus?” Rayleigh demanded.
A long pause and a scowl from Rayleigh.
“White Lead is a poisoning that is home to Flevance, it’s not common, but those who get it die from it. It’s…a painful way to die.” The doctor trailed off. “How did you survive it?”
Law tilted his head down slightly, grinning, “I cut it out using this,” he lifted his hand, making a show that he wasn’t going to attack anyone, and called a Room to existence. “Room.”
“A blue dome? How unflashy,” A kid with a blue nose – who Law recognized as Buggy – said dryly.
Law then proceeded to rip his own heart out.
Cue more shock, and jaws dropping.
His heartbeat in his palm, slowly, steadily, and Law looked back up. “I ate a Devil Fruit, you’ve no doubt deduced, in the hands of a doctor it can cure just about anything.”
“And you’re a doctor,” Rayleigh finished.
“Yes,” Law said anyways, “I’ll cure you,”
“And what do you want in return if you do?” Roger asked, frowning seriously.
“You lot tell me all you know about time travel,” Law said, “And help me find Monkey D. Luffy.”