Where North Meets East

A/N: I was hit with this idea after reading and rereading various One Piece fanfictions (for the umpteenth time) such as Scales and Whitebeards by BlueMoonChaos, Home by Girl of Darkness 10, LASL Brotherhood! By ASLlover23, and The Brotherhood of D by Narya Anima – all fairly good and/or awesome. I thought to myself, why not take a few of the premises of these stories and combine them? I've only read a few good LASL stories on , so I thought I try my hand at the cliché. I thank all these authors for inspiring this story. Hope you all enjoy.

Still on hiatus on everything else, though. My muse wills what it wills. Please tell me what you think. I have the first and shortest part finished (their childhood), and I'll work on the other part…meh, depends how I survive the three exams next week and everything.

For this story, I think I'll follow the unmarked shifting character perspectives style most stories follow.

"Dialogue"

Thoughts

Attacks

*Sounds*

/ Flashback /

- Significant Temporal/Spatial Changes -

Narration, messages, etc.

- Foosha Village, Dawn Island, East Blue –

"Marine ship!" cried on villager from the docks.

Luffy sprung from his place on the barstool as word spread throughout the tiny village, partly in excitement, partly in fear. After all, the only marine ship to come to Dawn Island was the one belonging to Grampa and his 'Fists of Love.' But Luffy would head obediently to the docks to meet him every time (there was no hiding from Grampa. Ever.).

Sure enough, as soon as the ship docked, Luffy heard rumbling laughter followed by the bulky figure of Marine Vice-Admiral Garp. What Luffy didn't expect was the surly teenager dragged behind him.

Luffy smiled wide in evident glee. Maybe he'll be my friend! Luffy, despite his carefree attitude and easy laughter, was very lonely. He lived with Makino and sometimes the grouchy Mayor Woop Slap, but they were adults. He didn't have any siblings, and the village kids thought he was weird and would make fun of him. He bounced over almost as soon as the two walked onto the dock.

/ "I love you, Law." /

Cora-san's smiling face had haunted Law's dreams for these past few months. The thirteen, almost fourteen, year old had spent the odd few months honing his newfound powers and gradually extracting the deadly amber lead from his system. The white patches had stopped spreading, and the waves of pain had fallen in intensity. He still was pretty sick, but these were the first clear signs of recovery he had since the disease had first manifested. He constantly reminded himself that Cora-san's sacrifice would not be in vain. One day, he would avenge Cora-san's death and stop Doflamingo in his place.

The tragic boy from the White City never factored in the stubbornness and foresight of his patron. Then again, Cora-san was a marine spy. He wasn't a total fool like he always portrayed (mostly). Apparently, sometime after talking with his commanding officer, Cora-san sent a message out to another trusted friend of his while Law slept. Specifically, their location and a promise to find Law in case Cora-san failed to survive their mission on Minion Island. And Law couldn't exactly leave the area very easily or quickly on his own.

One day while practicing, this guy suddenly came out of nowhere. Law lost control of some snow he was manipulating and it all came down on top of him. Once he cleared off the snow, the youth looked up to see a gray-haired and large marine laughing boisterously above him before lifting the boy off the ground.

Garp ranted about a promise to Cora-san to watch over him and before he knew it, the crazy vice-admiral had forced him onto his ship. He also insisted Law would become a marine like Cora-san. Ridiculous! And over his dead body. He's been a pirate for three years, no idiot of a marine would make him be otherwise. Not even a friend of Cora-san. On that note, Law made himself a reminder to avoid reminding Garp of that fact. His head and body ached from what the marine vice-admiral called his 'Fist of Love.'

And now a month later, they were in East Blue, the weakest of the four Blues. Garp mentioned something about his grandson living on his home isle of Dawn Island. Law could care less. The moment the opportunity presented itself, the young pirate would escape and then return to North Blue.

Suddenly, a little boy in a white shirt with "Anchor" across the front barreled into them.

"Hi! Who are you? Why are you all white and stuff? Why do you have dark marks around your eyes? Will you be my friend? Oh, you have a really fluffy hat! Can I touch it?"

"Luffy!" chuckled the old marine. "Training hard to be a strong marine?"

Ah. Monkey D. Luffy. Garp's grandson. The secret D eyed the other D with contempt. What a headache. The boy certainly acted like Garp – annoying, loud, and reckless.

"Who's this?" inquired the six-year-old.

"This is your new big brother, Trafalgar Law!"

…WHAT?! Law knew the vice-admiral wanted him as a grandson for whatever reason and kept pestering him to call him grandpa, it didn't even the implications totally bypassed the normally astute boy.

"Not happening," deadpanned the teenager.

"Nonsense! You're my grandson now, Luffy's my grandson, you'll be brothers and fine marines one day!"

Law wisely said nothing. He would rather stay conscious a while longer, even if the world was going crazy.

- One week after –

Luffy. Was. Driving. Law. INSANE. Garp only stayed long enough to settle the teenager in Foosha Village before setting sail on another mission. The little boy didn't look a bit perturbed from the marine's sudden departure. Then again, considering the marine was a vice-admiral with frequent long-termed missions (and he threw both of them into the forest to fight a bunch of psycho monkeys), it was understandable. But the boy would not shut up for more than 30 seconds if Law was lucky. Were all other D's like this? Law certainly acted nothing like the shrimp. After Law severed Luffy's head from his body with his Amputation technique, Luffy did stay quiet for a few minutes due to shock. Then he started yelling and crying. Which was worse.

/ "WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" screamed the decapitated but living head. "How am I alive? What's going on?! Torao-niisan, am I going to be okay?! Torao!"

"Stop calling me that Luffy-ya. It's Trafalgar, not Torao! And I am not your older brother no matter what Garp-ya says. Stop yelling. You're giving me an even worse headache than before. You're not going to die, either. I just severed your head with my devil fruit ability."

Luffy's eyes went wide. "You did this?! How? What's a devil fruit? Will I be headless forever? Torao?" blubbered the still hysterical child. Law really regretted showing off his powers.

"Shut. UP! Yes, I did this. A devil fruit is a special and unique fruit that grants those who eat them special powers and abilities. I ate the Ope Ope no Mi, so I'm an operation man. Anything in the blue space you were too busy talking to notice is subject to my power. I'm a doctor, and you became my patient. No, you won't be headless forever if you would just stay quiet for a moment I will put your head back on your body." /

And Law really had no choice. Makino-ya would not be happy to find the talking severed head of Luffy. And Law respected anyone who can stand Garp or Luffy a for extended periods of time.

Despite experiencing his terrifying powers, Luffy somehow became even more enamored with the Ope Ope no Mi user. The little boy thought his "mystery powers" were "awesome." The little brat became a constant hazard, tagging along Law's footsteps wherever he went.

Finally, the teenager snapped. It had been three weeks since he first arrived. Law had just bartered for a new medical text from a visiting trader. The absolute silence lulled the teen to lower his guard on the assumption of losing his annoying shadow.

"Hi! What's that?" Startled, Law fell from the tree, his book tumbling into a puddle from the recent rainstorm. His body ached from the sudden collision, and his new book was ruined.

He lost it. "Why won't you listen?! What is wrong with you? I. Do. Not. Want. To. Be. Your. Friend! Or your brother. You're so annoying and weak! I hate weak people. I hate annoying brats. And you happen to fit both descriptions! So just get lost and leave me alone because I'll be gone the moment I can find a boat off this island."

*Sniff*. During his rant, Luffy's naturally owlish eyes expanded even further. Now glistening tears tracked down his face. Unconcerned, Law picked up his spotted fur hat and shoved it back over his head. He gave a disdainful glare at the younger boy. Luffy sniffled some more, turned, and ran blindly off into the forest.

…

What was that? Did he, Trafalgar Law, seasoned pirate of the Grand Line feel…guilt?

"Damn weak pest. Good riddance," muttered the teenager.

… Law sighed. The mayor and Makino-ya would not be very happy if the idiot got killed by some of the freaky animals of the forest.

- Forest –

"Luffy-ya!" shouted Law. The teen eyed the dark confines of the forest warily. Luffy disappeared hours ago, and night fast approached. And with night came the predators.

*Distant cries*. Law tilted his head, trying to locate the source of the cries.

He carefully picked his way over various large roots to a clearing. Several particularly bloodthirsty wolves surrounded the base of a tree. Clinging to a lower branch was Luffy. The boy barely had a hold, his feet dangling just beyond the snapping jaws below. Law wanted to groan. If he wanted to keep Luffy from being wolf food, the devil fruit user had to be careful. He had to save Luffy the moment he used his power.

"Room." A light blue dome expanded out. Sweat began to trail down his forehead from making such a large field. Without wasting anymore time, Law Shambled Luffy for the wolves. Their bodies smacked into the earth with a dull thud, falling around the shocked D. That would only stun them for a moment. One more time… Luffy once more blinked away, this time to the teen's side. Law grabbed the six-year-old's hand and began to run.

"Torao?"

"Quit talking and run faster!"

The two managed just barely to lose the ravenous wolves. They burst from the forest's edge just as the sun nearly set under the horizon. Both boys huffed. Law turned to Luffy.

"What were you thinking? Makino-ya told us to stay away from this part of the forest if Garp-ya is not with us. You would have ended up digesting in those wolves' stomach in several little pieces," scolded the older boy.

*Sniff, sniff. Tremble, quiver*

Joy. More tears.

"I-I-…I thought you would want that."

…Did Law hear that right? Granted, Law did lose his temper, but he did not want the kid to die, just to leave him alon…oh…

"If I die, then you won't have me to annoy you all the time."

Law pinched the bridge of his nose. He once more cursed the bastard marine for leaving him with a sensitive six-year-old child.

"And what would Makino-ya, Mayor-ya, and Garp-ya think?"

Luffy's lower lip trembled. "…I hate this."

Law drew a blank, "Hate…hate what?"

"This!" cried Luffy with his arms gesturing around. "I don't have any friends. The other children say I'm stupid or weird or annoying. Everyone who does like me is an adult. I'm alone. I only wanted to have someone my own age, maybe even an own older brother who would like me."

Law wasn't imagining it. Guilt sat in his chest like a stone. What would Cora-san think of you, yelling at a little boy. One not much younger than Lami, whispered that traitorous voice of the conscience he thought he buried years ago.

Law thought hard. Neither boy had much of a childhood. Law's ended in blood and fire when he was only ten. Losing his entire family left a hollow in his heart, a void where hate and a disregard for his own pathetic life grew. And Luffy already felt like this at age six. Like he wanted to die. And he nearly did.

He did something very uncharacteristic of himself, something he would deny to his dying day. Thirteen-year-old Trafalgar Law gathered the little boy in his arms and held him close.

Days passed. Things didn't exactly change overnight. But change they did. Slowly, Law learned to tolerate the younger boy. And Luffy learned to restrain himself a bit more. He stayed quiet and found things to preoccupy his attention when Law wanted quiet for a few minutes.

One night, the anniversary of his sister and parents' death, in fragmented pieces Law told Luffy of the tragedy of Flevance, of the disease still painting several small white patches across his body. Eventually, he would tell Luffy of his time with the Donquixote Pirates and Cora-san. But first came the newest arrivals to Dawn Island.