Let's just say that I like to write to entertain people, and since Law is so serious, and his reactions around the Straw Hats so entertaining, I decided to torment Law some more by writing this fic. It's mainly Law watching the Straw Hats get into mischief, and then getting drawn into it against his will.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from One Piece.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Trafalgar Law was displeased. Things were not going at all the way he had envisioned…and it was all Straw Hat's fault.
The Thousand Sunny was anchored off a tiny island for an unexpected stop. Law's protests went unheard as a number of the Straw Hat Pirates, Luffy included, went ashore.
Law shook his head, and, weapon in hand, leapt off the ship to the dock. He was going to have to at least make sure that Luffy and the others didn't draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. The Heart Pirate hadn't bargained for this sudden detour, though he supposed the ship would need to be stocked at some point. He just didn't know why they had to do it now, when they were on such a tight schedule. Any delays could jeopardize their mission.
Law stopped mid-step, his eyes widening ever so slightly as he spotted a gang of pirates blocking the Straw Hat's path. Law almost felt sorry for them as Luffy went barreling forward, showing absolutely no sign of stopping.
Law was at a complete loss. The look of resignation on the Heart Pirate face could only begin to describe how his alliance with the Straw Hats was affecting him mentally. Law's carefully thought out plans were rapidly falling to pieces around him through the utter recklessness of the Straw Hat crew.
Law watched in horrified fascination as Luffy made an incredibly loud nuisance of himself as he plowed through the low rung pirates like they weren't even there. Even as far back as Law was, he could hear Straw Hat yelling at the top of his lungs loud and clear.
"Meat! Where's the meat?!"
The rest of the crew followed after their captain, as Zoro and Sanji took care of any of the pirates who had managed to remain upright. It was quite a pitiful sight.
Law soon all alone, speechless with what he had just witnessed. The Heart Pirate decided that there had to be something seriously wrong with all of the Straw Hats, and he really didn't want whatever it was rubbing off on him.
"Hey, you! You're friends with that Straw Hat guy, aren't you?"
And there went one reason why Law did not want to make a detour. Complications with local pirates who thought they were big shots.
Law half turned, unsurprised that the previously bowled over pirates were now surrounding him. Law could tell that they were trying their best to appear intimidating despite their now ragged appearance. Law stared at the speaker, not inclined to speak, as he was more concerned with the racket Luffy was making. The Heart Pirate hadn't thought that restocking the ship would be such a noisy production.
The pirate who had spoken, the captain of the group, puffed up indignantly at the blank stare Law was giving him. The pirate decided that the expression was one of fear and the reason that Law wasn't responding was because he was afraid. This bolstered the pirate captain's confidence, "Well, I'm not hearin' any denial. Isn't that right boys?" The gathered pirates let out shouts of agreement, and the pirate captain grinned crookedly, "I hope you're ready for the consequences of messin' with me and my crew. We'll add in extra punishment for your friends that ran off."
And there was yet another reason why Law didn't want the Straw Hat Pirates to act without thinking things through. Now he had angry small fries to deal with.
Law's gaze swept the circle of pirates, unimpressed with the gathering. Just from a mere glance, he could tell that none of them were a threat. Weapons were being drawn by now, and Law let out a light sigh. The trouble he was getting into while around the Straw Hat crew...If he wasn't careful, he would get caught up in their hectic pace as well.
Law lifted his left hand and uttered, "Room." A clear dome appeared all around the pirates, enclosing them inside the circle it made, and subsequently opening them up to Law's manipulations. He would finish this quickly, and catch up with the Straw Hats. He needed to ensure that they weren't doing anything else to draw attention to themselves.
Murmurs went throughout the gathered pirates, some of them lowering their weapons as they looked in puzzlement at the thin dome that surrounded them. A few of the smarter ones realized just who they were harassing, and how stupid it was of them to do so.
Law twisted a few fingers in the direction of the pirates directly before him, "Shambles." As soon as he heard exclamations of surprise, he turned around and drew his sword. Law swung the sword several times at the other half of the gathered pirates, slicing them into pieces in mere moments. Law twisted his fingers again, and the body parts moved, piecing together in different ways and causing even more confusion amongst the pirates.
Law sheathed his sword with a clink of metal, and rested it against his shoulder. Satisfied that he had dealt with the minor threat, Law decided to make one thing very clear. His eyes bored into the cowering pirates as he grated out, "I am not their friend." Law just happened to have an alliance with them that he thought would be convenient. He hadn't expected the craziness that had come with that decision.
Law strolled off, unchallenged. A look of consternation passed over the Heart Pirate's face. Law wondered, not for the first time, why in the world he had thought that an alliance with Luffy and the rest of the Straw Hat crew had been a good idea. The potential benefit outweighed the bad for the time being, so he chose not to think about it. Law headed down the street that held food and supply shops, and when he didn't see any of the Straw Hats, went on to the next place he could think of. A tavern.
Law went into the loudest tavern, and stood just inside the building. He took in the scene, immediately disturbed by the sight. The noisy, jolly crowd grated on his nerves. Law spotted the Straw Hats, and instantly about faced like he had just witnessed a murder. He was leaving, and leaving now, while his sanity was still intact.
That was when it happened.
Law felt someone grip his shoulder, preventing his departure. Law's hand slid up to the hilt of his sword, when he realized that it was Luffy. The other's arm was obviously stretched out, and that was what was preventing him from fleeing the noisy gathering. What did Straw Hat think he was doing?
Law kept his eyes on the entrance to the tavern, wanting nothing more than to remove himself from the situation, "I should go and make sure that those pirates don't go telling others that they've seen us. We're trying to keep a low profile." Law would have tried to say more, but knew that Luffy would have none of his excuses, especially once the other had decided on something. That something right now being the prevention of Law leaving, even though it was obvious he didn't want to be there. At all. Of course, the Heart Pirate's feelings on the matter were not consulted, and would have been completely ignored in any case. It just didn't seem fair that Law had to be subjected to Straw Hat's whims.
Law heard Luffy laugh, and he had no idea whether it was at his words or just because Straw Hat was in a good mood. The next thing Law knew, Luffy's grip tightened, and Law was suddenly flying through the air, propelled by a powerful tug. Law's impromptu flight ended abruptly as he landed across what felt like another person. Orienting himself, Law glanced up and realized that he had ended up across Robin's lap.
Robin glanced up from her book and offered a thin smile at the sight of the Heart Pirate's utterly floored expression. "Nice of you to join us."
Sanji appeared out of nowhere, livid, "Hey! Get off of Robin's lap, you bastard!" The blond's demeanor abruptly changed as he sighed longingly, "Ah, Robin's lap would be so wonderful to lie on."
Law wordlessly slid away from both Robin and Sanji, not interested in getting into a senseless argument and/or fight with the Straw Hat's cook. At least it seemed that Sanji had forgotten about him as he tried to get on Robin's lap. The Heart Pirate watched as Robin pushed her chair backward, and Sanji missed his mark, causing him to crash to the ground roughly. He didn't seem to be too put out by this setback. Law blinked and backed away some more. The cook had the weirdest obsession with women Law had ever seen.
Law slumped down onto the nearest empty chair against the wall, his mood not improved as the noise around him came back into focus. The seat he had chosen ended up giving him a front row seat to the chaos. Law eyed all the Staw Hats suspiciously, wondering if this was some new scheme of theirs to make use of their alliance. From the looks of things, however, it was more than likely they were just having a good time.
Law scanned the rest of the crowd. There were a few people giving the Straw Hat crew perplexed looks. A few were even laughing at their antics. Law stiffened as spotted a few marines that were seated at a table on the far end of the tavern. They hadn't yet bothered to see what all the fuss was, because no damage was being done. Yet. Law let out a sigh. Good. It would be just his luck if Straw Hat and the others attracted the attention of the marines. It would be an unneeded complication.
Law turned his attention to Luffy, who was nearest to him, and muttered, in a low and urgent tone, "Why are you all making such a racket? You're going to get us spotted before the time is right!"
Luffy took a bite out of the meat in front of him, not as concerned about cover as the Heart Pirate was. He offered a grin to the startled Law, "It'll be fine. If we're spotted we can just knock them out, right?"
Law watched, speechless, as Luffy went back to the meat with gusto. Law couldn't believe how carefree Straw Hat was. Knocking people out wouldn't prevent them from passing on information once they were conscious again. The Heart Pirate observed the marines warily, but they were still unaware of their presence. Law eyed a nearby bottle of wine on the table next to him. What the hell, why not? It didn't seem like he was going to be leaving the tavern any time soon. Law reached out, glaring back at Zoro as he grabbed a bottle of alcohol off the table between them.
His plans temporarily changed, Law took a sip of the wine. He figured that his plans were already going to hell at this rate. A little alcohol wouldn't hurt. Besides, with the way things were going, Doflamingo wasn't even going to have a chance to kill him, if it came to that. The Straw Hat Pirates might beat the other warlord to it with their recklessness and utter disregard for any definitive plan. More importantly, if Law was going to have to bear witness to the people he made an alliance with make fools of themselves, he wasn't going to be entirely sober. He would never survive the madness with his sanity intact.
"Oh? Are you going to have a drinking contest?"
Law glanced to the side. Sanji had wandered over to the table between himself and Zoro, and seemed to be expecting a response. The Heart Pirate gave Sanji a perplexed look. Why would he participate in such a thing? Being drunk would just be asking for trouble. He'd only planned on getting a little buzzed.
After seeing the look thrown his way by Law, Sanji answered his own question, "I didn't think so." Sanji began to heckle the green haired swordsman, "You're just going to share the booze, moss head? That's a surprise."
Zoro was not in the mood to rise to the bait. There was plenty to drink anyway, "Go away, you shitty cook."
Sanji glanced between the two, an idea forming in his mind of how to get more time with Nami and Robin. An idea that involved the majority of the tavern's patron's attention being diverted to the two before him. Sanji gave Zoro a belittling smile, "I bet the Heart Pirate here can drink you under the table and take the rest of the booze from you."
Law was about to protest the claim, when nearby patrons, overhearing Sanji's words, suddenly began to pile bottles of alcohol on the table, excited at the prospect of having a drinking contest take place. Even Luffy began banging on the table and chanting along with the other patrons, "Drink! Drink! Drink!"
Nami rolled her eyes at the level of immaturity going on around her, focused on something far more important. Money. Nami figured she could make quite a good amount from the drunks in the tavern. A drinking contest didn't seem like all that bad of an idea now. It might even be profitable. A warlord of the sea vs a skilled swordsman. The drunks would be throwing cash her way. Nami's eyes took on a terrifying gleam.
Law had recovered by the time more alcohol appeared on the table, and he began to rise. This was not something he was willing to do for an alliance. It was a complete waste of time, and it was below him to participate in such a…
"Are you running, Surgeon of Death? Afraid to lose?"
Law paused, locking eyes with Zoro, "I am not taking part in this. It has nothing to do with our shared goal, and it would take away time that could be used more efficiently..."
Zoro took another drink from his oversized mug, a faint smile dancing across his face at the sight of Law clenching his teeth, "A pirate, backing down from a challenge?"
Law gritted his teeth. He refused to give in to this. It was utterly pointless, and he didn't agree to an alliance with these people only to play stupid games that had nothing to do with...
Law gasped as someone shoved him back down and forced a mug into his hand. Law looked up sharply, and nearly came face to face with Nami, who was beaming at him, albeit in a scary way.
"It won't take that long." Nami lowered her voice, "And I can make good money from the betting pool."
"Betting pool?" Law was being thrown for a loop, and after more heckling and pressure from the crowd and the Straw Hat crew, (Usopp, Brook and Chopper, who had also gone along, had joined in) Law finally broke down and gave in. He downed the mug, drawing a look of amusement from Zoro. Law placidly grabbed a wine bottle and eyed Zoro challengingly. He wasn't going to take this lying down. He was going to have some choice words with Luffy and the others after this. He wasn't doing this for fun.
Not. At. All.
A half hour and four drinks later…
Law was ready to call it quits. The alcohol was quite strong, and his head was already swimming. Zoro was still calmly drinking, apparently not yet affected by the amount he had consumed.
Law made as if to rise, when he found himself unable to. Law blinked down at his waist, and saw two arms encircling it, preventing him from leaving. Where had those come from? Dazedly, Law looked around for a few seconds before he spotted Robin nearby, her arms crossed with the book she had been reading earlier on the table before her.
A hand jostled Law's shoulder, which made his head throb painfully in response. Law tilted his head woozily, and saw that Nami was standing at his side.
Nami let go of the Heart Pirate's shoulder, and cracked her knuckles, smiling unsympathetically, "Keep drinking. These people aren't dishing out their money only to have one of the contestants back out." Nami swatted the back of Law's head as she finished with a threatening hiss, "I am going to make a profit from this, so do your part and don't you dare stop until you're finished!"
Law leaned away as he swayed dangerously in his seat, and only remained there thanks to the arms Robin had wrapped around him. The navigator could be quite terrifying, in her own way. The Heart Pirate stared at the freshly poured mug before him with trepidation. He couldn't remember the last time he had ended up drunk, but it most certainly hadn't been forced upon him like this. Law felt the mug pushed into his grasp, and he stared at it as if it were magical and had gotten there on its own.
Trafalgar Law would be a little grateful for the fuzziness the alcohol provided to his mind, because it limited his memory of the event. Otherwise, the Heart Pirate would have been tempted to murder everyone as soon as he was sober.
Two hours later…
"And then, he went…went on a'head, all confident and stuff, ignoring the...the plan..." Law slurred, leaning heavily against Zoro for support as he waved his mug in the air, morosely telling the swordsman his woes.
Zoro patted his shoulder sympathetically, even as he used Law similarly to keep himself upright as he slurred back, "Don't worry 'bout it. The captain always does what he wants. You get used to his whims after a while."
Law slumped weakly against Zoro, blinking blearily as he tried to force his fuzzy mind to work, "What were we talking about before?"
Zoro drained the remainder of his mug in one gulp, frowning, "I don't remember. Something 'bout whales…" Zoro watched with vague interest as Law slid off his shoulder and collapsed to the ground.
Law was confused as to why he was suddenly on the ground when he hadn't been before. His vision was making him nauseous, so he closed his eyes, struggling in vain to remain awake as he mumbled, "Whales? Wasnit about Do…Doflamin…go?"
Zoro settled on the ground nearby, unable to remain standing without the other's assistance. He eyed the mug still clutched in one of Law's hands, "You gonna finish that?"
Law mumbled something incoherent. His head was spinning as he quietly muttered, "Make the noise stop. Too loud. Gonna be heard."
Zoro inched closer to the Heart Pirate in an attempt to understand what the other was saying, "What?" Zoro ended up face down on the ground next to Law with a grunt, but figured it didn't matter, since he could make out Law's drunken murmurs now.
"Gonna be found…marines make a ruckus…Dofl…flamingo finds out our...our plan…" Law opened his eyes briefly as he reached out and grasped a handful of Zoro's clothes with his free hand, "Get killed, if they find us…here…" A peculiar expression crossed Law's face, and any concerns he had fled as something suddenly became much more important. He shook Zoro lightly, miraculously keeping the mug in his other hand from spilling, "Why are the damn whales making so much noise?!"
Zoro watched as Law lost his grip on him and collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Zoro waited until he heard soft snoring, before he pushed himself up a bit and snaked a hand over Law's back to get to the mug that still hadn't spilled. Zoro drank it, propped up on one elbow as he muttered to the unconscious man next to him, "I'll deal with the whales. Just don't let the booze go to waste..."
After another few drinks, Zoro ended up falling asleep alongside the Heart Pirate, snoring uproariously. Both of them were deaf to the cheering patrons, who were amazed at the amount of alcohol consumed between the two.
-x
Law's head ached terribly when he finally woke up with. Law doubled over with a small groan, wondering just how much alcohol he had consumed to completely knock him out. His memory was hazy. Law ran a hand through his hair, the hat missing. The last thing he remembered was entering a tavern to make sure that the Straw Hat Pirates weren't blowing their cover. After that, it was foggy. Obviously it had involved alcohol, as Law felt absolutely wretched due to the massive hangover he was currently sporting. What in the hell had happened?
"Ah! Tra guy's awake!"
Law winced at Luffy's ridiculously loud voice, and groaned again, this time a little louder. Taking a deep breath, Law raised his head. He immediately regretted it as the sunlight stabbed into his eyes, sending him back to the ground in fetal position. Why was it so bright out? Just how long had he been out? Law made a noncommittal sound when someone poked him in the shoulder. Probably Straw Hat.
"Hey, don't go back to sleep. We need to get to the ship." Zoro showed no sign of having a hangover.
"That coming from you? You were dead asleep a minute ago, you useless swordsman!" Sanji was still disappointed that he had been unable to spend time the previous night with either Nami or Robin.
Luffy laughed, finding the situation entertaining, "You guys are funny!"
Law tilted his head to stare at a laughing Luffy, irritated, as it was obvious that the other captain had never been drunk in his entire life. Otherwise Straw Hat would have perhaps tried to be a bit quieter. Law's eyes narrowed at the hand that Luffy was slowly inching toward his shoulder, no doubt to shake him in what he thought would be a helpful way.
"Leave him alone for now, Luffy. He's going to need a bit of time to recover. He did drink quite a lot."
Law turned his gaze in the direction the voice had come from. It was the navigator's, and Law noted that she was perched on a table, counting a large pile of money. She looked extremely pleased with herself, and smiled at the Heart Pirate when she noticed his eyes were on her.
Nami waved a handful of cash, grinning happily, "You and Zoro sure came in close with the bets. I'm glad it all worked out."
Law blinked as bits of his fuzzy memory from the previous night slowly began to piece themselves together. Money. Bets. Alcohol. The green haired swordsman. The navigator taking bets. Loud cheering. Then it all came rushing back to him, and the horror of what he had done the previous night hit Law harder than the alcohol had.
The Heart Pirate's horrified expression must have been unexpected, because Luffy tilted his head, looking concerned, "What's wrong Tra guy? You gonna be sick?"
No. No no no no no. Law had let the Straw Hat crew successfully distract him. He hadn't escaped from their madness. No, he had participated in it, and now had a hangover as a result. Law stumbled to his feet to go retch in a nearby restroom of the tavern, not caring if it ruined his image. He had other things on his mind.
When he emerged, Law wordlessly accepted his weapon from Zoro. A silent understanding seemed to pass between the two. Law was teetering on the edge, and he wasn't sure what he was going to do. Words seemed to be useless when dealing with Luffy, so maybe a brief scuffle would get things through to the other. Law retrieved his hat from Robin, and stumbled a little as he settled it back on his head.
Before Law could decide on a course of action to take, the tavern doors burst open, and the mismatched and switched members of the pirate gang from the day before piled in, livid and out for blood.
"Damn you, Surgeon of Death!"
"Change us back!"
"Trafalgar Law!"
A crazed gleam appeared in Law's eyes as he kept himself upright by using his sheathed sword as a makeshift crutch. His head was pounding, and it was hard trying to make a rational decision when people were making so much noise. He could solve that by stopping it himself. Law lifted his gaze to the pirates, a terrifyingly dark smile stretching across his face.
Zoro held out a hand to prevent Luffy from joining in on the fun, "Don't. Let him handle it."
Luffy produced a hunk of meat, "Okay."
Nami hastily began stuffing money into a bag, sensing a rather nasty fight in the making.
Law's crazed smile would have been enough to defeat the pirate gang, but he wouldn't have that. He needed to work out his pent up frustration now. Law raised his left hand.
"Room."
-x
Law was back on the Thousand Sunny with the rest of the Straw Hats, by himself and currently in shock. He couldn't believe he had done that. Law could still hear the screams. Why had he gone that far? That pirate gang had been so far beneath him that he needn't have even bothered with them. They would have been easily scattered if he had just glared at them.
Law clutched his sword close to his chest, growing more horrified by the minute. He was acting like one of them. He'd tried so hard to not get swept up in the Straw Hat's hectic, manic pace, but it seemed to have caught up to him anyway. Where had he gone wrong?
"I can't stay with them for much longer like this. I'm going to go insane…"
Later…
The Straw Hat Pirates found Law in a dark corner of the ship, a curled up visage of misery. He was muttering under his breath, apparently so deep in his own thoughts that he didn't notice those that gathered around him.
Luffy poked the prone Law, and after getting no response, looked up at the rest of his crew, specifically Chopper, "What's wrong with him?"
Zoro closed his eye and leaned against a nearby wall, smirking, "I think you broke him."
"Eh?! How?!" Luffy seized Law by the front of his sweater, lifting the other man partially into the air as he shook him frantically, "Don't die, Tra guy! We'll fix you! I'll give you meat!"
Law, being jostled back and forth, took the sudden shaking stoically. He didn't know whether he wanted to die or just run far away, as fast as he could. Not that either would do him any good around these people. The shaking was beginning to hurt his head and a headache was beginning to form, so running it was. Law freed himself from Luffy's frantic attempts to help him, and ran. Moments later, he was pursued by the Straw Hats with Luffy in the lead.
"He's sick! That's what's wrong! Chopper, fix him!"
Law dodged Luffy's stretched out lunge, before he had to face the more attack like attempts from the rest of the crew.
Sanji swung a leg at the Heart Pirate, "Where are you going?"
Law ducked beneath the savage kick, before he leapt into the air as the cook went for a low sweep. Law narrowly avoided being tripped as he hit the deck running. The Heart Pirate went into a low roll to dodge a seed, and subsequently questing vines, that Usopp slung at him, and twisted to the side as he lunged to his feet once more. Law half drew his sword in time to block a lunge from Brook's blade. Law parried a few more thrusts, before he managed to get past Brook, heading across the ship deck.
"Yo ho ho ho! He's headed your way Franky. I see him!" Brook stopped his pursuit of the other pirate captain as realization struck home, "Only I don't have eyes to see with!"
Law found the skeleton to be quite disturbing, but put it from his mind as he dropped flat to the deck in order to avoid being hit with the shipwright's fist. The "Super!" Franky shouted grated on Law's nerves, but he wasn't willing to actually get into a fight at this time. Law headed higher up onto the deck, placing some distance between himself and the crew members he'd already avoided.
Law's eyes narrowed as he sensed someone headed his way, and acted swiftly. Law spun about, his expression grim as he completely drew his sword from its sheathe in time to block a downward slash from Zoro.
Law's jaw set as he worked hard to bring his sword up in time to parry each of Zoro's thrusts and slashes. Law knew the other man wasn't serious about the sudden fight, as he only had one weapon drawn. Law's eyes widened as Zoro drew a second katana, and the Heart Pirate cursed, twisting his blade up to block the double downward slash. Straining against the blades, Law raised his eyes to meet Zoro's, only to be completely dumbfounded when he saw that the swordsman grinning.
"Feeling any better?"
Law blinked in surprise, gasping as Zoro back stepped away. The reason behind the action became apparent when Luffy came flying through the air out of the blue, wrapping his arms about Law's middle and shouting triumphantly.
"Chopper! I got him!"
Law lowered his blade, his face blank as he glanced down at Luffy and the sight of Straw Hat clinging to him with a determined expression. Sighing, Law sheathed his sword and spoke tersely, "I am fine. Besides…" Law rested the sheathed blade against his shoulder, "I am a doctor. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself."
Luffy let go of Law as he grinned cheekily at Zoro, "You fixed him!"
Law drifted away from the chattering Straw Hat Pirates, and shook his head as he stared out at the sea. He was trying very hard not to smile at the absurdity of the whole situation. Though they may not have outright stated it, the sudden flurry of attacks had been the Straw Hat crew's own peculiar way of trying to cheer him up in the face of another of Luffy's random whims. Law ended up losing the battle to keep a straight face as he smiled wryly.
No matter how much Law wanted to escape their carefree pace, he was slowly finding himself falling into it. It made the Heart Pirate think that the Straw Hat's unpredictability would be an asset after all, should they have to move against Doflamingo directly. If things worked out how he thought they would, then losing a little of his sanity wasn't such a bad thing.
There was only one thing left to do.
Law turned and drew his sword, gaining the other's attention instantly. He was going to have that talk after all. He would do anything to shorten the number of unnecessary side trips.
The Heart Pirate lifted his left hand, and as he did, another faint smile lit his features.
Trafalgar Law was going to enjoy this. He would have some say in the alliance, as he had been the one who had suggested it in the first place. The word he uttered to the Straw Hat Pirates before him was laced with vindictive pleasure.
"Room."
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I hope I was able to keep the characters as IC as possible, as that was my intent. I hope it was amusing. It just kept getting sillier as I wrote it.