The waves were soft as they rocked the Sunny, the setting sun casting beautiful rays of purple and pink and orange against the vast ocean.

Law was dying.

The War between the Navy and the Pirate King and his allies had wiped everyone out, scattered them across the seas. Gone. The Straw hats were no more, the only thing proving they lived being the whispers of everyone, talking of their recent deaths. Only the Pirate King, Monkey D. Luffy remained of the crew of dreamers. The Heart Pirates had just two members left alive after the war, and soon it would be zero.

Law was dying.

No ifs, no buts, he was going to die.

He was a doctor; he knew the symptoms of death when he saw it. There was nothing he could do either, so he was just waiting for his time to run out.

It would, very soon.

'Law. '

Law looked over to his side, where Luffy sat. They had been sitting in silence for a while now, something that was new for Luffy. They were simply soaking each other 's company in the rocking of the sea.

'Yeah? ' Law asked, his rough and weak.

'I 'm going to turn myself in. ' The Pirate King said, voice simple.

Law closed his eyes, the wind blowing at his cheeks and hair. He knew that Luffy hated being alone to the point where he thought death was better. With Penguin in a coma with no signs of waking up, Luffy would be alone when Law died. When Law died, so would Penguin because no doctor would try to help him ' not anyone nearby, and Penguin was living on borrowed time.

'I had hoped... ' Law trailed off, knowing that hope and Luffy didn 't go together.

'I know, ' Luffy murmured, gaze at the sea.

Law had been injected with a liquid version of Sea Stone. It ate at his energy, slowly but surely, until nothing remained. Until he was dead. There was no stopping it, Law had realized. His ability was still there, he could still use it, barely, but using it wouldn 't save him nor would it help his condition.

Law was a fallen Yonko, and soon he would die. And leave Luffy alone.

He hated himself, just a little, for that.

Leaving Luffy alone meant the first person ' other than Cora-san ' that Law ever loved more than himself would die. Law would kill two people he loved by being someone precious to them.

He wasn 't going to let Luffy feel alone, even if he 's going to turn himself in and allow his execution.

Law inhaled deeply and lifted his hand. Luffy 's fingers curled into his instantly, eyes harsh, 'No. '

'Let me. ' Law said, almost a plea.

Luffy 's hand fell away after a moment, and Law called up a Room. His energy lessened significantly, but he didn 't falter. He put his hand onto his chest and pulled. Luffy 's eyes widened when he realized what was happening, and moved his shirt to the side, allowing Law to take his heart as well.

'You won 't die alone, Pirate King, ' Law said, smiling.

Luffy 's eyes flooded with tears as Law placed his heart into a scared chest. The feeling was foreign, having a heart that wasn 't your own beating in your chest. Law 's fingertips brushed over the split between their skin, golden eyes taking the sight to memory before he placed Luffy 's heart in his chest.

And then Law leaned in, his hand on Luffy 's cheek and their lips met. Once, twice, thrice. It wasn 't the first time they had kissed, but it was undoubtedly the last.

And then Luffy stood, and he left.

Walking to his death, and all Law could do was watch.

? '------ {. ' '? ' '.} '------ '?

Law felt the heart in his chest slow.

Slow, slow, slow.

Until it stopped.

His heart, too, slowed.

Slowed, slowed, slowed.

His lips twitched into a smile, tears gathering in his eyes as he watched the sea for the last time.

And his heart, too, stopped.

? '------ {. ' '? ' '.} '------ '?

Law woke up, his eyes connecting to a wooden roof. Which, by the way, shouldn 't happen.

He died. He knows he did.

Law looked to his side and blinked at what was greeted to him. Portgas D. Ace 's sleeping face was way too close to his, and Law can see a familiar hair of green on Ace 's stomach. The Yonko sat up slowly, surveying the room intently.

There were four other boys in the room, all of them children and easily recognizable as people Law knew. People who Law either saw died or knows for sure their lives had ended. Revolutionary Sabo was easy to pick out, even without the scar over his eye, and maybe the top hat sitting at the edge of the room, a straw hat and Law 's hat sitting next to it, helped.

Arms and legs tangled together, pillows thrown in random directions and blankets covering little skin, Law sat in in a room full of people who should be adults and dead. Himself included.

'Mugiwara-ya! ' he hissed darkly, eyes trained on the face of the Pirate King.

Luffy didn 't stir, still drooling on Sabo 's elbow.

Law snarled under his breath, grabbing Luffy 's cheek, and pulled. His skin snapped into place, and the boy 's eyes blinked open.

'Torao...? ' he muttered, sleep thick in his too-high voice.

'Mugiwara-ya, ' Law stared at him, 'What the hell? '

'Torao. ' Luffy looked much more awake, scrambling up and staring at Law in awe.

Law went to open his mouth, but Luffy grabbed his arm and hauled him up. He was dragged out of a tree house, and to a river nearby. Luffy looked over to him, hesitance in his eyes, and Law hated it. Hesitance and Luffy didn 't mix, not now, not ever.

'Torao? ' Luffy asked softly, wide eyes blinking.

'Luffy, ' Law heaved a sigh, and sat. He had a feeling he 'd need to, 'Why are we alive? Are we alive? '

'I don 't know. ' Luffy admitted, frowning, 'I woke up here, I think we time traveled somehow! I asked Shanks to look into it, but he hasn 't found anything yet. '

'How long have you been here? ' Law asked curiously, mind whirling with any logical reason for how this could have happened.

'Hm, six months? ' Luffy asked thoughtfully, lips pursed in thought. 'You just remembered everything, right? '

'I did. ' Law agreed, leaning back.

He thought for a long moment, before he sighed. Only one reason would stick to his mind, even if it was ridiculous.

'You died with my heart in your chest, and I died with yours. ' Law said, 'That could have something to do with this? '

Luffy beamed, 'Who cares, Torao! We can redo everything! '

Law smiled slightly. That sounded appealing, but the sight of Luffy being Luffy was something he hadn 't seen in weeks ' not after Zoro fell in battle and Luffy was the last Straw Hat.

'I don 't think anyone else remembers, ' Luffy continued, 'And I 'm pretty sure they won 't. If it is because of the whole sharing hearts thing. ' he waved a hand, 'But that 's okay. They shouldn 't have to remember all that. '

Law sighed, pressing his hand to his forehead. When he imagined dying, he hadn 't thought that involved going back in time.

'How old am I? ' he asked, voice blank.

'Torao 's about, hm, almost fifteen. ' Luffy said, nodding his head. 'I 'm seven and a half! '

So Cora-san was already gone...and Law already had the Ope Ope no Mi.

A sudden memory burst behind his eyes, one of a straw-hatted boy shoving a heart-shaped fruit down his throat after taking out the men who cornered Cora-san. Said Cora-san who was usually seen with a ruffled pink apron.

Cora-san who was alive because of Luffy...

Law looked over to Luffy with wide eyes, 'You saved Cora-san. '

'Cora-san is Torao 's precious treasure, ' Luffy said simply, like that reason was good enough.

For Luffy, it always would be.

Law found himself reaching out, and Luffy met him halfway. Luffy pet his hair as Law rested his head against the other 's shoulder.

Luffy was the only person Law loved in a way that was different from everything else. His love for Luffy was infinite and vast, and he would do so much for the younger. Cora-san's place in Law 's heart was different, love a child would have for their parent, and it would always be that. He had longed for days where Cora-san hadn 't died, that he was still rooting for him and collecting bounties. Law has missed Cora-san so, so much.

But Law

loved

Luffy. And he had lost Luffy just a few minutes ago, for him at least, and he...he needed this. And he could tell Luffy wanted this too.

After a few minutes, Law composed himself, and straightened. He needed to see Cora-san, and judging by Luffy 's knowing grin, the younger understood.

'Do you remember the way to the Bandits? ' Luffy asked him.

'Yes, ' Law rasped, nodding his head.

'Okay, ' Luffy yawned, 'Good night, Torao! '

'It 's almost morning, ' Law answered back instantly.

'Good morning, Torao! ' Luffy snickered, moving back to the treehouse with a wave.

And Law bounded his way up towards the Bandit 's Hut, jumping over tree roots and dodging low-hanging branches like he 's done this so many times before. He had, in actuality, but that didn 't matter.

He threw the door to the bandit 's hut open, uncaring for startling those who were or weren 't awake, and stared at the wide-eyed and very concerned Cora-san.

Law hadn 't cried much when Luffy died because he knew he was going to be joining the younger soon enough. He hadn 't cried much when his crew fell, nor when the Straw Hats did. He was prepared for Luffy 's death, and they all knew there was a large possibility that they would die in that war.

(There had been too much to do ' trying to stay alive ' to ever mourn his fallen crew properly.)

He hadn 't been prepared for Cora-san's death. He hadn 't prepared his mind to handle the grief, and he never really had, even years and years later.

So seeing Cora-san again, alive with his makeup already on his face and that stupid pink apron, Law cried.

And cried, cried, cried.

And Cora-san clung to him in return, confused and worried, but alive and that is all Law would ever need.