"Fufufu, that is quite the interesting power, Traffy-kun.", laughed Robin as the doctor finished explaining his powers to her. "Thank you for answering my questions, I've been curious ever since we first saw your powers on Saboady and I'm afraid the books I've read on the Op-Op fruit don't have the same effect as an actual user describing it to me."

"No problem, Nico-ya. It's rare that someone wants to hear about my powers, they normally are too scared of me to even think to be curious about the nature of my fruit.", responded the doctor, giving the woman a pleasant smile.

"I understand, I ate my fruit at a rather young age as well. It frightened the other children so much that they refused to come near me except to taunt."

"Kids are idiots. And your powers are by far one of the most versatile of the Parmecia Type devil fruits, if I didn't have my Op-Op powers, your Flower-Flower fruit would definitely be one of the ones I would be after.", said Law with a smirk.

"Fufufu, thank you, Traffy-kun. Although, looking back I wouldn't want things to change.", said the archaeologist, her cerulean eyes drifting out onto the rolling waves as she leaned against the ship's side. "This power, it saved my life many times throughout my years running from the World Government, and now it's helped preserve the lives of the people who rescued me from the darkness that had followed me all my life. Even with all the pain it cause me by driving people and forcing me to be alone as a child and having to live with the constant fear of water, I'm happy that this power is mine alone. The grief it's brought me has more than been repaid with the times it's allowed me to save the lives of my precious nakama."

"Well spoken. I'm afraid I can't really even consider not having my power since the alternative would have been my death as a child. The boy who wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn after he lost everything was forced to live in the wretched world with the ultimate healing power no less. Ironic don't you think, Nico-ya?", asked the surgeon the same far away look in his dark orbs that his companion had held just a moment ago.

"No more so than the 'Demon Child of Ohara' becoming the 'Angel of the Revolution'.", responded the woman. "And I believe that you are here for a reason, surviving and gaining your powers were no mistake."

"Oh, so believe my life is an act of fate, that this was destined to happen regardless of my desires."

"No, but someone obviously tried very hard to make sure you could keep living, and I don't think that that kind of love and sacrifice can ever be counted as a fluke."

His questioning eyes raised up to meet her smiling azure ones, trying in vain to read her as he fought to keep the curiosity off his features as he studied her. Could she really infer all that from what little I've told her and the rest of the Straw Hats about my past? This woman, she's sharper than I ever considered, I'll need to remember that., thought the surgeon. She could be even more useful than I first thought.

"Law.", said Robin gently, pulling the tattooed man out of his inner musings as he locked his dark eyes on her, letting her know she had his full attention once again.

"For so long I thought that the only reason I survived was because of the dream my mother and fellow archaeologists had left me, that without that, my life was all but worthless. I held no value to anyone in this world except the information I carried on from my home, it was suffocating. Realizing how meaningless all of your struggles are when in the end you know that you'll end up dead, that the things that made your life hold some semblance of value will fade with no one there to more the loss of you as a person."

He watched the solemn expression, one he was sure she had worn for years based on the tragedy she had survived, fade as a beautiful smile tugged at her supple lips.

"But I realized that all those years I was alone, they weren't meaningless. It was just the waiting before I finally found them, the ones who gave me a purpose in life and made me want to survive if for nothing else than to get to spend one more day in their presence.", said the raven-haired woman, turning to face the doctor now. "I think that you're alive for a reason, Law, and that those powers are yours for a reason as well."

"How can you be so confidant in that? You don't know what I've done up until this point, Nico-ya, and I aligned myself with you and your friends so that I could take a man's head and throw a country into chaos.", asked Law as the historian walked away from.

She paused, "You saved Luffy's life.", she said simply. "That act alone saved not only the life of one competing for the same title as you, but also the lives of everyone in the crew. Luffy believes that there is something good in you and he has that mysterious power of turning his enemies into allies.", continued the archaeologist before turning to look over her shoulder.

'Tell me you want to live!' "Regardless of what you think, you're a friend to him and the rest of us, Traffy-kun, Luffy doesn't know how to take no for an answer.", finished Robin before continuing to walk towards the deck door leading inside.

Law stood leaning against he rail once again, watching the crashing water splash against the wooden side as he considered the historian's words. Maybe she's right. If I'm able to survive after taking his head, maybe I'll be able to see if this life of mine is something worth living.

"Hey, Traffy! Come play Hide-and-Seek with us!", yelled Luffy from the upper deck, stretching his arms to grab a hold of the doctor's coat and send him flying towards him.

"Straw-ya, release me now!", he shouted right before smacking painfully into the deck at the other captain's feet.

"Shishishi, sorry, Traffy, but come on, everyone's waiting for us, let's go.", said the straw-hatted man sounding more excited than apologetic.

"I'm not in the mood for games, Straw-ya.", said Law, rising to his feet and dusting himself off.

"Come on, you have to play, Traffy.", pouted Luffy.

"Why's that?"

"Because all of our friends are playing, so I can't leave you out here all sad and alone.", said the rubber-man matter-of-factually. "Now let's go.", said the man, grabbing the surgeon's wrist and pulling him towards the deck's door.

"Fine, fine, just let go, Straw-ya. I can walk on my own.", acquiesced Law as he tried in vain to retrieve his arm from the laughing captain.

"Shishishi! You're pretty funny, Traffy, I'm glad I made you my nakama.", said the man, giving Law his normal bright smile.

If I survive after this, maybe I can stay with them just a little while longer, and finally understand what his power truly is. Monkey D. Luffy, I wonder what the thing you see in me that Nico-ya spoke of is. Or this familiar feeling that makes me want to stay with you, I haven't felt it since back then, with Cora-san. Maybe, these powers weren't just meant to spare my life, but also yours and the bond you've created with these people you claim as nakama. Perhaps, my saving you was more than just my whim., thought the doctor as he was pulled through the wooden entrance to see the rest of the Straw Hats gathered together. After we defeat Doflamingo, I'd like to see what becomes of this alliance, my friend.