Truffy Twine 2

Hello everyone! Welcome to Truffy Twine 2: "I played cards for the first time and suddenly we're worlds apart!" This Twine, like the previous one, was made by members of the Truffy Fest Discord server, this time, for Luffy's Birthday. In order to navigate through the story, please click on the blue texts, it will lead you from one part of the story to the next. If you would like to go back, click on the back arrow at the top left of the text. As this is an interactive story, you will sometimes have to choose what Luffy will do. To do so, choose the blue text option you prefer and click on it. Some parts of this Twine require trigger warnings, but in order to avoid spoilers, we decided to let you choose whether you want to see those warnings or not. If you want to see those warnings, click here! [[Trigger warnings]] (set:$finishedTwineOnce to false) (set:$readDevilEnding to false) If you don't, or if you've already checked them out, you can go ahead and start reading the story by clicking here! [[Start]]

When Luffy chose the hanged man he thought the card looked funny somehow. Like a game. The fortune teller had said the cards don’t show what will happen in the vision. So Luffy was not bothered that the man looking a little bit like a clown was hanging on strings. It could have been a puppet hanging limply in its puppet master's hands, ready to be played. However, it was not, the card was the hanged man, implying death in its name, and the vision is way too close to the card’s name for Luffy’s liking. The soles of his sandals are being painted more red with every step by the blood soaked snow. Right in front of him lies a tall man in a dark feather coat. Luffy quickly leans down and tries to cover his bleeding wounds. "What happened to you? Hey are you ok? Can you hear me?" The person is not reacting at all, no twitch or sound, and luffy tries to wake him by hitting his cheeks. [["Hey, you hear me?"]]

Luffy asks again, his hand brushes the other's skin and he stops suddenly and leans back. The man is smiling despite having several bullet wounds in his chest. His lips are painted in a dark red similar to the hat he is wearing, which has long strings, one ripped off, one with a heart attached. His skin is almost as cold as the air surrounding them. Even without the medical knowledge Chopper has, Luffy knows there’s too much blood. And he knows that the grayness of his face beneath the paint is not a good sign either. Nor is the limpness and heaviness of his body in Luffy’s grip. Luffy inhales a shaky breath as he realizes that the man is not going to wake up. [["Who did this to you?"]]

He feels anger, anger towards whoever shot the man and left him lying here like this. Balling his hands to fists, he gets up and sees footsteps in the snow, red with the blood of the dead man, and follows them. The bloodstains stop after a few steps but there’s still a trail in the snow he can easily follow. He does not have to walk very far to see the coast in the distance, at the bottom of the mountain, and the ship that just set sail. It’s only small because of how far away the ship is but Luffy is still able to make out the pirate flag. He recognizes it instantly, because it’s one he will never forget after everything that happened in Dressrosa. [["Doflamingooo!"]]

Luffy screams in anger, remembering the pain the other pirate caused so many of his friends. He looks around trying to find a spot to catapult himself on the ship before it’s out of reach. Just when he gets into position to yeet himself off, he’s stopped by a sound coming from the mountains behind him. The cry sounded pained, like someone needed help urgently. Luffy does not think twice and hurries there. For a moment he doesn’t know where to go when another desperate cry resonates, even louder this time. Luffy quickly runs to where he thinks it came from. At first, he sees nothing but then he notices a dirty looking spot in the snow. When he gets closer he realizes it’s a little boy. The boy is kneeling on the snowy ground, pressing his arms against his chest and forehead into the snow. [["Hey."]]

Luffy announces himself because the boy is crying so heavily he cannot hear him approach. He watches the boy tense, the shaking of his shoulders stops and he gets as still as the rocks around him. "Don’t worry, I’m not with Mingo." "Are you a Marine?" The boy asks and the sudden upcoming wind was almost too loud for Luffy to hear his question. Luffy should be shivering with the freezing breeze but his anger about Mingo and worry for the little boy make him forget about the low temperature. "No, I’m going to be the pirate king." Luffy blurts out, like he always does, and the little boy turns around at his words, looking at him. He is about to open his mouth to say something but Luffy is faster. [["Tora...Law?"]]

Luffy knows instantly when seeing the boy’s tear and blood-smeared face that it’s him. The hat has the same spots like the one he wears as an adult, only the shape is different. The boy has lighter spots on his face that look like his face lost all color there. Those are gone now that Law’s grown up but Luffy can still recognize him, the yellow eyes and furrowed brows are just the same. And while he looks at little Law, his own Law’s voice suddenly resonates in his mind. *"Thirteen years ago Doflamingo murdered someone that I loved." "His name was Corazon." "He was the one who gave me my life." "He was Doflamingo’s younger brother."* [[The dead man was Doflamingo’s brother, Luffy realizes, the one Law said Doflamingo took from him. The reason why he wanted to take down Doflamingo so badly.]]

"How do you know my name?" Little Law looks at him with distrust. "I know because you’re my friend." Luffy says calmly, much calmer than he feels inside. "Liar, I don’t have any friends. I’m alone." Little Law curls in on himself again and Luffy suddenly remembers emotions he had long forgotten. He never dwells much on the past, but little Law is just as alone as he was before meeting Ace and Sabo, and he just lost the one person who was family to him. He must feel the same way Luffy had felt after losing Ace, when he thought both of his brothers were dead. Luffy walks over to him and sits down next to little Law. "I know how that feels. But you aren’t. He died because he wanted you to live." Those words hurt, Luffy feels a lump in his throat and swallows it down. *"Thank you for loving me."* Ace’s last words. [[Luffy has to hold back a choking sound with the intensity of the memories hitting him.]]

Another memory follows, the one of Law sitting next to him after Luffy woke up, full of terror with the knowledge that his brother had died protecting him. That his brother, the person he loved the most, was gone. He had not cared about Law back then, had not minded him enough to really look and see. But now that he remembered, Luffy could see and hear it. The pain on Law’s face while he looked at Luffy. The tremble in his voice when he spoke. "He died because he wanted you to live. Don’t let it be in vain." "Don’t let it be in vain." Luffy repeats, mumbling more to himself. Little Law next to him suddenly jumps up. [["How would you know? don’t talk about stuff you don’t understand!" Little Law shouts at him, while tears are streaming down his face.]]

Luffy can’t help the sad smile those words cause. They are too close to what Luffy had thrown at his Law too, back then after Marineford. He had shouted those words right before he ripped all the tubes off and stormed out, ignoring Law’s advice to not move too much and reopen his wounds. *Did Law feel the same way back then as I am feeling now?* Luffy wondered. "I do." Luffy mumbles quietly. But little Law is only looking at him like a hurt animal in a corner, ready to fight its way out. Luffy’s eyes fall on his right hand, he’s clutching something tightly. It looks like a heart with a string attached. The edges were roughly ripped off. The missing string of the hat. [[The one little Law is holding is soaked in blood, just like the shirt of Corazon had been, Luffy can see drops of blood being pressed out of the fabric onto little Law’s hand, while he’s holding it tighter.]]

"You know nothing. You’re just a filthy pirate like Mingo. Marines, Pirates, they’re all the same. Only Cora was my family, only Cora loved me for who I am and saw me as a human, and he’s gone." Luffy raises his hand to reach out for Law, to calm him and to tell him that all will be fine but he stops in midair. The words all stuck in his throat. There’s no use. Little Law right now is not able to believe him, just like Luffy could not believe his Law after Ace died. Did Law feel just as helpless when Luffy shouted at him and stormed out? When he could do nothing but fight and make things worse or let him go and deal with his pain alone? It hurts being unable to help, being pushed away, Luffy notices all this now, while he watches little Law run away from him. [[Luffy understands now that Law had already known the same pain back then after Marineford, and that Law had never pushed him, had never tried to talk him out of feeling all he needed to feel.]]

Law allowed him to shout out his grief. He saved him and he was there at his side. Not once reprimanding him or judging him or telling him what to do. He sent Jinbei because he knew Ace better, and because he hoped he could help Luffy where he himself was unable to. Law didn't even request anything in return for saving his life. He just did it and he left after fulfilling his part. Not even later when they met at Punk Hazard did Law ever use what he witnessed against him. Or that he saved him. Law didn't use their shared experience and, with that, Luffy’s most painful experience to coax him into taking down Doflamingo. And Luffy knew even if he declined Law’s request to work together, Law would never try it that other way either. While he watches little Law moving further away, he feels much closer to his Law suddenly. Luffy’s aching for him, to see his face, to make him smile, and to hug him. Luffy can already feel the tug of the Vision dissolving but he can’t let little Law leave with nothing. Luffy inhales as much air as he can and shouts with the loudest voice he can manage. [["Hey Law!"]]

"Hey Law!" The little guy seems to run faster but Luffy isn’t easily discouraged. "You will find the people worth living for!" Luffy smiles when he notices that the small figure is stopping for a moment. Little Law doesn’t turn around but Luffy just knows from the way he stands there and how his arm moves to his face that he heard his words. Luffy laughs and excitement is making him giddy. A warm feeling is spreading in his chest only thinking about seeing his Law again. Even while the vision around him starts to dissolve, Luffy keeps watching the little moving dot that’s little Law until he is gone too. [[Luffy wakes up]]

As he finds himself in yet another strange world, Luffy takes a sharp breath and looks around. Where is he now? The disfigured, partially broken stone walls around him seem familiar, the sight of them filling Luffy with dread. He isn’t sure why; he still struggles to recognise the place, but somehow, he knows something terrible is about to happen—or already has happened. Shaking his head, Luffy wills himself to stop thinking. It isn’t like *thinking* will get him anywhere while deep down, he knows he needs to hurry, needs to get to his destination as fast as he can. He can *think* about it later. With that in mind, Luffy takes off, letting his legs take him where he needs to go. Trusting his instincts to carry him wherever he was originally headed in this world. It’s only when he passes by a broken window, getting a passing glance of the outside, that Luffy realises where he is—and it only makes him pick up the pace even more. Dressrosa. Abused, trapped, *destroyed* Dressrosa. He can see the Birdcage is in place already, its presence threatening and imposing; reminding each and every person present on the island of what is at stake. “Mingo!” Luffy growls through gritted teeth just as he reaches the end of the hallway. Which way leads to the roof? There’s no time to think. [[Right]] or [[Left]]

Luffy skids to a stop, taking a sharp turn to the right in an effort to follow the curve of the hallway. Of course, at the speed he’s going, he only manages to crash into the wall. But hey, it works to make the turn so who cares? Setting off once more, Luffy sprints to the end of the hallway and silently cheers as a flight of stairs comes into view. *Bingo!* “Here I come! Mingo!!” Luffy shouts to no one in particular, taking the steps three at a time until he bursts through the door at the end of it. Momentarily blinded, Luffy squints against the sun as he tries to make out what’s going on around him. It doesn’t take him long to find Mingo, lounging in his throne as if the whole world belongs to him. At first glance, he looks perfectly relaxed, that unreadable, near-everpresent grin securely on his face—but his unconcerned attitude is betrayed by the angry veins pulsing on his forehead. Standing next to him is the slime guy, just as disgusting and annoying as Luffy remembers. Thankfully, Bellamy is nowhere to be seen… but [[neither is Torao.]]

Luffy skids to a stop, nearly crashing into the wall in front of him. Something catches his eyes through the windows on his left, windows that lead into a large, spacious room with nothing but four large chairs. He knows the room; it’s the room where Mingo had Torao chained to the Heart Seat—beaten and bloody and defeated. The very memory makes Luffy’s blood boil. This time, however, the room seems empty at first glance—Mingo isn’t there, nor is the old king guy, or the weapons girl. And yet, something tells Luffy that he can’t just walk past. He isn’t sure why at first… but then he notices the long, black scabbard decorated with white crosses, fluffy handguard, and blood-red string. Luffy’s heart skips a beat at the sight and he wastes no time in grabbing the door knob, bursting into the room. “Torao!!” he calls, urgency and worry almost tangible in his voice. [[In the thrones room]]

He quickly runs around the four chairs—or maybe *thrones* would be a better word—so that he can reach Torao, to see how he is doing, if he’s *okay.* *Please, please, be okay,* Luffy prays in his mind as his heart thrums loudly against his ribcage, the sound echoing in his ears. Was he really so worried by not having Torao by his side? …why? It doesn’t matter right now, he can think about it later; now, he just needs to see his face, hear his voice. Know that he isn’t too late. Luffy grabs onto the armrest of the heart-shaped chair, using it as an anchor as he turns and stops right in front of it. “Torao!” Luffy gasps when his eyes finally fall on the man himself. He takes in the sight of him—there is blood on his shirt and hands, but he’s sitting there perfectly relaxed and comfortable, a smirk on his lips, obviously not injured himself—and a wide, relieved smile naturally appears on Luffy's face, knowing Torao’s fine. But then… [[Luffy freezes.]]

Since the man wasn’t with him, Luffy expected to find him already here, facing Mingo alone. But Torao isn’t *here* either and Luffy frowns, worry stirring in his stomach. Where is he? Is he okay? Did he not make it to the roof and is still chained in sea prism stone somewhere… or worse? Or did he never make it to Dressrosa in the first place, never meeting Luffy on Punk Hazard in this world? That doesn’t seem right. The mere thought of it, of Law not being next to him, doesn’t sit right with Luffy. Torao *has* to be here somewhere, Luffy is sure. But where? And why is this strange, sinking feeling taking over both his mind and gut as if there is something awfully, terribly wrong going on here? “Mugiwara. I don’t think I have to ask but what did you come here for?” Mingo asks, his voice carefully measured. “To kick your ass!” Luffy answers without missing a beat. Mingo’s scowl deepens, his entire body tensing. “I’m disappointed,” he snarls, pausing for a second before he continues. “Unfortunately, there’s someone else who’s just *dying* to play with you.” Before Luffy can react, Mingo pulls back one of his hands and swings down sharply. [[And then… the ground gives way.]]

“Wha—” Luffy barely cries out in surprise as he *falls*, leaving Mingo behind on the roof as he crashes to the floor below. Dust filling his lungs, Luffy coughs a few times, getting to his knees. “Mingo,” Luffy growls. The jerk said someone wanted to see him but well—whoever it is can go to hell; Luffy has to deal with *Mingo*, not some random henchman of his! He’d better deal with this as soon as possible before something bad happens… Suddenly, Luffy freezes as he realises where he is. The large, spacious room with nothing but four large chairs; the same room where Mingo had Torao chained to the Heart Seat—beaten and bloody and defeated. The very memory makes Luffy’s blood boil. This time, however, the room seems empty at first glance—obviously, Mingo isn’t there, nor is the old king guy, or the weapons girl. It seems completely empty… but then Luffy notices the long, black scabbard decorated with white crosses, fluffy handguard, and blood-red string. Luffy’s heart skips a beat at the sight and he scrambles up to get to his feet. [[In the thrones room]]

There is something wrong with Torao. Very, very wrong. The smirk he’s giving Luffy, maddening, beautiful smirk… It’s Torao’s smirk, but it’s not. It’s colder, sharper, and much more dangerous. On top of that, he’s wearing lipstick and make-up around his eyes, and there’s a cigarette in his hand. As far as Luffy knows, Torao, the Torao he *knows,* doesn’t wear make-up, nor does he smoke. What’s going on? “Hello, Mugiwara-ya,” Torao drawls out, his smirk widening while he brings his cigarette to his lips and takes a long drag. Blowing the smoke out slowly as he peers into Luffy’s eyes—his gaze is familiar, yet it’s not, and a heavy, *dirty* feeling of *wrongness* stirs in Luffy’s stomach. “Torao…?” <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Untitled_Artwork.png" width=546 height=786 alt="A two-panel colored illustration. In the first panel is Trafalgar Law dressed as Corazon (wearing the iconic red hat and black, feathered coat. He is seated on the Heart Seat, covered in blood stains (on his face, neck, and on his yellow shirt). He is smiling as he says, “Hello, Mugiwara-ya.” In the second panel, Luffy is wearing his sunflower shirt and looking off to the side as he asks, “Torao…?” His eyebrows tilt up to mark his confusion or worry with the situation." { max-width: 100%; }/> [[“You’re… Torao, right?”]] or [[“What’s going on?”]]

“You’re… Torao, right?” Luffy asks uncertainly, one of his hands reaching out to… he isn’t even sure what. To touch him? To make sure he isn’t seeing things, hallucinating a new version of Torao, a version he *doesn’t know?* A version of him he doesn’t *like?* Torao lets out a bark of laughter. “*‘Torao’?* That’s new,” he says with amusement. “I thought I was the ‘Creepy Heart Guy’ to you.” [[Luffy doesn't respond.]]

“What’s going on?” Luffy asks full of confusion. He doesn’t even know where to start with *what* he’s confused about. “I’d think that’s obvious,” Torao notes, his lips curling even more as his smirk widens. “I told you I’d see you later.” Luffy frowns, unsure what Torao means by that. “That doesn’t really answer my question…” “Doesn’t it?” Torao shoots back, his eyebrow rising teasingly. [[Luffy doesn't respond.]]

Luffy doesn’t respond. Doesn’t know *how.* After all… This isn’t Torao. This isn’t *his* Torao. Luffy recognises him, he knows his eyes, the dark circles under them that even the make-up can’t hide, his smirk, his tattoos, his voice, his hair… but it’s not him. It’s wrong; everything about him is *wrong.* Luffy *hates it.* “I’ve been waiting for you, Mugiwara-ya,” Torao says sweetly, then he uncrosses his legs, resting his elbows against his knees as he leans forward towards Luffy. “Why?” There’s barely any emotion in Luffy’s voice. He doesn’t know what to think, what to do. Torao snorts. “You mean as the Corazon of the Donquixote Family? Or as Trafalgar Law?” *Corazon.* Hearing the title doesn’t surprise Luffy at this point… but it’s still awful to hear; like treading through mud. Luffy takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a second. There’s a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions inside him, everything and nothing at once. Luffy can’t make sense of anything. [[Corazon]] or [[Law]]

“As Corazon,” Luffy answers. He’s not sure he wants to hear the answer though. Law’s face drops, making his disappointment apparent for but a split second, before his smirk comes back as if nothing happened. “Then it seems like a redundant question, don’t you think? Mugiwara-ya?” “I guess so,” Luffy agrees. “I need to kick Mingo’s ass. He’s destroying this country.” “That he is. Not that it matters to me in the least.” Law waves his hand dismissively before he brings his cigarette to his lips to take another drag. “You, on the other hand, are very interesting.” [[Luffy says nothing.]]

“As Law,” Luffy answers, unsure of what he wants—or expects—to hear. A victorious spark flashes in Torao’s eyes for but a second before an unreadable look returns to them. “Oh, are you interested in me, personally?” he teases as he brings his cigarette to his lips to take another drag; his eyes are piercing through Luffy, the intensity of his gaze stirring something inside him. Something that should be pleasant… but that only leaves a bad taste in his mouth. For a second, Luffy wishes it was *his* Torao who looked at him this way. Law continues, not giving Luffy the time to dwell on the thought. “You’re very interesting, Mugiwara-ya. Much more interesting than this boring country. Doffy can destroy this place as much as he wants for all I care, but you? I wanted to talk to you.” [[Luffy says nothing.]]

Luffy says nothing. He can tell there’s more Law wants to say. “No reaction?” Law chuckles. “Let me spell it out for you then. I’d have thought me kissing you earlier in the Colosseum would make it obvious—” Luffy nearly chokes at his words. “—but I like you, Mugiwara-ya. I’m going to make you mine, one way or another.” *Kiss? Like?* Luffy’s head is spinning. Did Torao kiss him? That doesn’t sound right… And yet… Luffy can’t say it’s *wrong* either. There are a lot of things *wrong* in here but that… that doesn’t feel like one of those things. If anything, hearing him say it, hearing Torao say *‘I like you’*, feels *right*. Warmth pools in Luffy’s stomach, his heart beats a pace faster as words start forming on his tongue before he even realises. *I like you, too,* Luffy wants to say. [[But...]]

The moment he locks eyes with Law, with *this* Law… the words die in his mouth, the warmth turning into ice. Because Law’s eyes are cold and sharp, not kind and soft and beautiful as Luffy came to know them. Luffy doesn’t like this Law. He doesn’t even *know* this Law. “Speechless, I see.” Law smirks, tapping his cigarette to drop the ash off the tip. He doesn’t take his eyes off of Luffy the entire time and the longer they study each other… the more it feels like Luffy’s skin is crawling. “That’s fine. I have something for you that I’m sure will untie your tongue. Honestly not sure how you didn’t notice until now,” Law laughs, licking his lips slowly. A shiver runs down Luffy’s spine. He isn’t sure if it’s because the sight excites him… or disgusts him. But then, Law gestures behind Luffy, prompting him to turn around—and Luffy does. And his heart drops immediately. [[Smile]] or [[Phantom]] or [[Dance]] or [[Fire]]

First, he notices the dark stain on the ground. As his eyes follow it, dread fills Luffy’s entire being; he knows what he’s looking at—blood. A pool of blood… and that can only mean one thing. It barely takes a split second for Luffy to find the source of it. Leaning against the wall, sitting in an almost artistic way that makes it clear he was posed that way on purpose, is a person, one that Luffy knows very well. His eyes are closed, almost as if he were sleeping—if only it wasn’t for the hole in his chest where his heart should be, blood surrounding the wound and covering his entire chest and lower half of his body. “Bellamy!!” Luffy screams, his blood freezing and boiling in his veins both at same time. It can’t be— “What did you do to him!?” “I killed him, obviously,” [[Law says with cold amusement.]]

First, he notices the dark stain on the ground. As his eyes follow it, dread fills Luffy’s entire being; he knows what he’s looking at—blood. A pool of blood… and that can only mean one thing. It barely takes a split second for Luffy to find the source of it. Leaning against the wall, sitting in an almost artistic way that makes it clear she was posed that way on purpose, is a person, one that Luffy knows very well. Her eyes are closed, almost as if she were sleeping—if only it wasn’t for the hole in her chest where her heart should be, blood surrounding the wound and covering her entire chest and lower half of her body. “Rebecca!!” Luffy screams, his blood freezing and boiling in his veins both at same time. It can’t be— “What did you do to her!?” “I killed her, obviously,” [[Law says with cold amusement.]]

First, he notices the dark stain on the ground. As his eyes follow it, dread fills Luffy’s entire being; he knows what he’s looking at—blood. A pool of blood… and that can only mean one thing. It barely takes a split second for Luffy to find the source of it. Leaning against the wall, sitting in an almost artistic way that makes it clear she was posed that way on purpose, is a person, one that Luffy knows very well. Her eyes are closed, almost as if she were sleeping—if only it wasn’t for the hole in her chest where her heart should be, blood surrounding the wound and covering her entire chest and lower half of her body. “Viola!!” Luffy screams, his blood freezing and boiling in his veins both at same time. It can’t be— “What did you do to her!?” “I killed her, obviously,” [[Law says with cold amusement.]]

First, he notices the dark stain on the ground. As his eyes follow it, dread fills Luffy’s entire being; he knows what he’s looking at—blood. A pool of blood… and that can only mean one thing. It barely takes a split second for Luffy to find the source of it. Leaning against the wall, sitting in an almost artistic way that makes it clear he was posed that way on purpose, is a person, once that Luffy knows very well. His eyes are closed, almost as if he were sleeping—if only it wasn’t for the hole in his chest where his heart should be, blood surrounding the wound and covering his entire chest and lower half of his body. “Kin’emon!!” Luffy screams, his blood freezing and boiling in his veins both at same time. It can’t be— “What did you do to him!?” “I killed him, obviously,” [[Law says with cold amusement.]]

“How dare you,” Luffy growls, shaking with rage. Nothing could make it clearer. This isn’t Torao, this isn’t *Law.* Law would never do something like this; despite everything he went though, despite how uncaring he pretends to be, Law is *kind*. He is a doctor. He doesn’t just kill people when he doesn’t have to; he heals, he cares, he *loves*. This person, whoever he is, whoever Mingo has made him to be, he isn’t Torao. It’s not the Torao Luffy came to care for, to like… To *love.* Luffy understands now; seeing who Law could have become, being faced with a version of him that is nothing like the one Luffy knows, it’s starkly obvious to Luffy. The ugly, dirty feeling, the hate he feels towards Mingo right now… all of it only makes it all the more obvious. He’s not sure how it took him so long to figure out but as he glares at this *caricature* of the man Luffy’s been searching for in this stupid card world… As he is faced with nothing but ice in those eyes and voice and smile… [[Luffy knows.]]

“I never wanted to see you like this, Torao,” Luffy says quietly, his voice still shaking with emotion. “Oh? Did you want to see me in a more pleasant situation? Should I have taken you on a date, when you raised a rebellion in our country?” Law mocks him. Luffy takes a deep breath, holds it for a second, willing his body to just *stop shaking*. Tears are fighting to make their way into his eyes—are they from anger or pain?—but Luffy refuses to let them show. He refuses to let *Corazon* see him vulnerable. That is something only people he trusts, only people he *loves*, are allowed to see—Torao is one of those people. But Corazon… Corazon deserves only his fists. Or does he? [[None of this is even real, after all, is it?]]

It’s just a stupid vision that old bag is making him see. Luffy needs to get out; he doesn’t have to play by that guy’s rules! He needs to find his own Torao and get him the hell out of here. Then he can tell him how he feels… and how grateful he is to Cora-san for saving him from becoming *this.* Gritting his teeth, Luffy looks around the room. There has to be a way back! Anything! Ah… Throwing one last look at Torao, taking in the cocky look on his face—one so familiar, yet so foreign—Luffy frowns. “I’m going to save you. I know you’re out here somewhere so just wait for me.” Corazon snorts, but before he can say anything to tease Luffy more, Luffy whips around and takes off—sprinting towards the window. With an angry, wordless scream on his lips, Luffy *jumps*. Breaking the glass almost feels like ripping paper, and before Luffy can so much as see how far above ground he really is right now, the world around him warps and a second later, everything goes black. (if:$readDevilEnding)[ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more ]] ] (else:) [ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more]] ]

The first thing Luffy notices when his head stops spinning is the *noise*. He blinks and looks around, trying to figure out where he even is and what's going on. [[Right ]] or [[Ahead]] or [[Down]]

Turning to glance to the right. Luffy’s mouth immediately waters at the sight. A cake. A giant, elaborate cake, one that looks even bigger and tastier than the one from Sanji and Pudding’s wedding. He wants to eat it. He wants to eat it *right now*. He’s about to bolt towards it, to jump right into the sweet fluffy goodness, but he stops himself at the last second as he notices people scurrying around it in panic. There are several cooks running and fussing about a large bite mark that’s marring the surface of the cake in one place, one that Luffy didn’t notice at first. Now that he thinks about it, there *is* a sweet taste on his tongue… Did he take the bite *before* he woke up here?! That isn’t fair, he can barely taste it now! He needs to find another chance to take a bite of it. Licking his lips, Luffy prepares to propel himself at the cake—but then, he notices *Sanji*. Sanji, who looks about as annoyed as can be already, is talking with a few people, including Pudding who’s wearing the most evil face that Luffy’s ever seen on her. Probably not the best idea to get into *that*. As Luffy lets go of the idea despite his better judgement, he finally identifies the other two girls Sanji is talking to—Chiffon, and another one who looks identical to her as far as Luffy can tell. He can only assume that’s Lola, even though Luffy hasn’t seen her in years… Actually, looking at them all, it’s like he hasn’t seen *any of them* in years. Sanji’s hair is longer than Luffy’s used to, falling all the way past his shoulders. Chiffon’s hair, on the other hand, is cut short while Lola’s styled into a pretty bun. Pudding’s bangs are gone, her third eye in plain sight. And as if all that isn’t enough, they all look *old*. Much older than when Luffy last saw them and he literally saw Sanji *today*. What the hell *happened?* [[Ahead ]] or [[Down ]]

As he takes in the whole scene around him, Luffy tilts his head to the side slightly. He can see the Sabaody Park ferris wheel towering a little bit away… but there are so many people around; people mingling and chatting with each other, laughing and drinking and eating food that looks absolutely mouth-watering and Luffy is just a little bit jealous at the sight. Why isn’t *he* eating anything? He’ll have to go and find the source soon… As soon as he figures out what’s even going on since the longer he looks, the more confused he feels. Because this is not just a packed amusement park; it’s all people who know each other, people *Luffy* knows. He can see Torao’s bear talking with Chopper, Hancock surrounded by stone statues of men and women with hearts for eyes. There’s Yamato towering over everyone around him with Hiyori on his arm, Sabo, Jinbe, Koby, Jaggy, and even Smokey… But all of them look weird; *older*. Luffy isn’t sure what to think of it. [[Right ]] or [[Down ]]

Letting his gaze drop, Luffy looks down at himself only to pause at the sight. He's wearing a pristine white suit with a dress shirt the same colour—one buttoned up all the way up to his neck and Luffy can only assume Nami made him wear this. There’s even some flower stuck in the lapel of the suit jacket for some reason… Rolling his head slightly, Luffy groans at how scratchy the shirt is around his neck. He hates this. At least he was allowed to wear his flip-flops, he supposes. Luffy isn’t sure what he would do if he woke up in a strange, weird world only to find himself wearing tight, stiff, uncomfortable dress shoes or something like that on top of long sleeves, long pants, and a collar… Those are Sanji’s thing, he can keep all the uncomfortable shoes he wants as long as he keeps them away from Luffy. His attire isn’t all there is though, Luffy notices, as he stares at himself. It seems like he’s… *bigger*. Larger than he’s used to. Both his arms and legs seem more bulky, like he’s gained ten or fifteen kilograms in muscle during the past thirty seconds. His hands are thicker and there’s more scars on them; his knuckles are just covered in them to the point it looks like he’s got that funny sickness Torao’s mentioned having when he was little. He’s also wearing a ring for some reason… which is admittedly weird but also about the least weird thing that’s happened within the last hour so he dismisses that immediately. [[Right ]] or [[Ahead ]]

Finally, Luffy looks to his left. He’s not sure what he expected to find there after everything else in this… vision, but it definitely wasn’t *this*. It wasn’t Torao standing by his side, his face scrunched up into a cute frown that is probably supposed to look annoyed, yet betrayed by the small smile playing on his lips. He, like everyone else, looks much older than Luffy knows him. There are wrinkles around his eyes, though the bags under them are still the same. His hair isn’t the darkest blue, almost black, anymore either; there are strands of grey mixed in, making him look maybe twenty years older. And yet… he’s still Torao. “Torao. You look so old,” Luffy blurts out before he can stop himself. Torao’s eyebrow shoots up as he looks at Luffy, staring at him blankly for a few seconds before he replies, “You’re telling *me* that? *Now?*” There is a lot of sarcasm dripping from his voice… but Luffy can’t say he particularly cares. He shrugs, humming dismissively, then snickers at the way Torao just shakes his head at him—the exact same way he always does when Luffy does something ‘stupid’. Stupid in the way that makes him laugh, but he refuses to laugh because Torao is stubborn. [[Cute.]]

*Cute.* Luffy pauses at the word that immediately crosses his mind at the sight. *Is* Torao cute? As he studies Law’s profile, Luffy can’t help but decide, *yeah, he’s super cute.* With that settled, Luffy nods to himself and turns away, completely dismissing his thoughts. “What’s going on anyway?” Luffy asks, gesturing around them. “The wedding?” Law asks, sarcasm *still* dripping from his words. “Huh.” Luffy hums noncommittally, wondering *whose* wedding it might be, for all these different people to come to celebrate it… Is it someone from his crew? Or Torao’s? Whatever the case, he supposes that explains that giant, *delicious* cake. And the way everyone’s dressed, too. Speaking of which, this suit is getting *really* uncomfortable. [[Take it off]] or [[Suffer through]]

Without even thinking about it, Luffy reaches up to his neck. “This is so annoying,” he mutters to no one in particular as he tugs on the collar of his shirt and, apparently, the *bowtie* he’s wearing. Why is he wearing that? He can’t say he much cares as he rips the thing off in one smooth motion. “Don’t—!” Torao cries in horror as he quickly grabs Luffy’s hand to stop him. But by now, it’s already too late. Before the bowtie even lands on the ground and before Luffy has a chance to unbutton his shirt, a fist connects with his head. A delicate fist that is all too familiar—no one else can make something hurt like this not with power or haki, but with intent alone. “What was that for, Nami!” Luffy whines, clutching at his head. He doesn’t even have to look at his navigator to know what face she is wearing right now. Actually, he doesn’t even //want// to look at her. Just her aura is scary enough. Nami huffs, crossing her arms over her chest and most likely glowering at Luffy with nothing but *threat*. “You know very well what it was for, *Luffy!*” “I’m very sorry,” Luffy says automatically, even though he has no idea what this is about. “Well, the ceremony’s over.” Nami sighs in a way that tells Luffy that she expected this to happen. “Fine, you can keep the bowtie off.” [[Nami rolls her eyes.]]

Without even thinking about it, Luffy reaches up to his neck. “This is so annoying,” he mutters to no one in particular as he tugs on the collar of his shirt and, apparently, the *bowtie* he’s wearing. Why is he wearing that? He wants nothing more than pull it off and unbutton this scratchy shirt but— “Don’t,” Torao says, quickly grabbing Luffy’s hand to stop him from doing just that. Luffy groans but doesn’t fight it. After all, if his hunch was right earlier and he //was// dressed by who he //thinks// he was, it would be even worse of an idea to fight it than diving into the cake while Sanji is //right there//. He barely has the time to finish the thought when a delicate hand rubs at his head. “Good boy,” Nami praises him. Luffy takes a second to breathe a huge sigh of relief. Death avoided successfully. “Can I take it off, //please?// My neck’s so scratchy…” Luffy whines. Nami shakes her head, letting out a huff that tells Luffy that she expected this to happen. “Well, the ceremony’s over. //Just// the bowtie, though.” “Yay!!” Luffy cheers and, not wasting any time, rips the thing off in one smooth motion. [[Nami rolls her eyes.]]

“And here you promised me to behave at your own damn wedding…” Nami mumbles, but there’s no venom to her voice—instead, badly suppressed amusement is hiding inside it. Luffy frowns and tilts his head to the side as he tries to process the words. Wedding? His? With whom? He turns to look at Torao, looking for answers from him, but it doesn’t look like he’s surprised by what Nami’s saying in the least. Which makes sense, Luffy supposes. *He’s* the intruder in this… world? Vision? Whatever? Instead of questioning anything, Torao just chuckles slightly—a sound that Luffy’s not used to… but one he wouldn’t mind hearing more often. He decides right then that he needs to make Law, *his* Law, laugh more when he finds him—and says, “I honestly don’t know what you expected, Nami-ya.” “Don’t coddle him!” Nami snaps but then deflates immediately. “Well, he *is your* problem now.” “You saying it like that makes me regret everything,” Torao mutters, rubbing at his eyes. Nami laughs while she pats his shoulder sympathetically. She doesn’t try to soften the blow for him, however. Meanwhile… Meanwhile, Luffy has completely stopped paying attention to them. After all, they’re not making any sense and Luffy honestly doesn’t care enough to *try* to figure it out. He’s getting hungry too; where did all these people get their tiny plates? Is there anything bigger than that? There’s that forbidden giant cake too; there *has* to be food here that he *can* have! With that thought in mind, Luffy closes his eyes and inhales deeply—and immediately, he’s hit with a myriad of smells, each one tastier than the one before. Luffy gulps, a wide smile spreading on his lips. How is he supposed to choose what to eat when everything smells so *good?!* [[Sweet]] or [[Salty]] or [[Fruity]]

“Something smells sweet,” Luffy says with excitement, interrupting… whatever it was that Torao and Nami were talking about. “You can’t have the cake yet,” Nami notes sternly. “I know—” Luffy pauses, smelling carefully, searching— “but there’s something… A chocolate fountain?” Chopper’s probably there. “You know you can’t have anything before the cake’s fixed,” Nami says tiredly. “No one will notice if I grab just a little, right?” Definitely not. Just one bite can’t hurt— “Your ‘just one bite’ of the cake held back the entire banquet by half an hour,” Law states matter-of-factly. [[“But Torao~,” Luffy whines, giving Law a sad look in his best polar bear impression.]]

“I smell meat,” Luffy says with excitement, interrupting… whatever it was that Torao and Nami were talking about. “You can’t have any before the cake’s fixed,” Nami notes sternly. Luffy pauses, smelling carefully, searching. “No one will notice if I grab just a little, right?” Definitely not. Just one bite can’t hurt— “Your ‘just one bite’ of the cake held back the entire banquet by half an hour,” Law states matter-of-factly. [[“But Torao~,” Luffy whines, giving Law a sad look in his best polar bear impression.]]

“I smell fruit,” Luffy says with excitement, interrupting… whatever it was that Torao and Nami were talking about. “You can’t have any before the cake’s fixed,” Nami notes sternly. Luffy pauses, smelling carefully, searching. “No one will notice if I grab just a little, right?” Definitely not. Just one apple, no, one grape can’t hurt— “Your ‘just one bite’ of the cake held back the entire banquet by half an hour,” Law states matter-of-factly. [[“But Torao~,” Luffy whines, giving Law a sad look in his best polar bear impression.]]

Nami and Torao exchange a look, the both of them sighing, identical looks of ‘I knew this was coming’ on their faces. And then, before Luffy can decide whether to just run for it and eat as much as he can before they catch him, then search for a way back to his own world, Torao stops him. Or more precisely, what stops him are Law’s fingers gently grasping Luffy’s hand, sliding over the skin of his palm until their fingers are tightly intertwined. Luffy blinks as his heart jumps in his chest—then frowns. What was that? Why did his heart do such a weird thing and why is the skin of his hand tingling where it touches Torao’s? Is he sick? Is this some weird time-space thingy that has to do with the… whatever that guy is doing to him with his stupid cards? Luffy doesn’t know… and then he doesn’t care anymore either when Law starts walking, dragging Luffy with him until they reach a small tent off to the side, away from people, and walk inside. Now, Luffy’s heart is beating for entirely different reasons when he sees the large table that’s in front of them, one completely *covered* with food. There is a huge sign in front of it that reads,// ‘EMERGENCY LUFFY RATIONS, DO ''NOT'' TOUCH WITHOUT PERMISSION! (THAT MEANS (text-style:"underline")[''YOU''], LUFFY!!)’// In the back of his mind, Luffy has to question Torao’s judgement in bringing Luffy here and showing him there *are* emergency rations… but he also isn’t about to complain about it. [[“Whoa!!” he gasps, taking it all in. Where does he even start?!]]

“Do *not* touch anything,” Law growls in a voice that is *almost* as dangerous as Nami’s and Luffy freezes in the middle of pulling his free arm back, ready to stretch it to grab half of the things off the table and eat it on the spot. “Sorry, Torao,” Luffy mumbles, letting his arm fall back down. Seeing the dejected look on Luffy’s face, Torao chuckles a little. “Okay, hang on,” he says as he lets go of Luffy’s hand. Immediately, Luffy misses his touch. He isn’t sure why. But, that feeling too is soon forgotten when Law comes back only a few seconds later, carrying a plate with a tiny red velvet cake on it—only to pick up a dessert fork and cut up a small bite, then scooping it up. “Here,” Torao says softly, offering the bite to Luffy. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Twine_the_lovers_rmerge.png" width=567 height=718 alt="A colored illustration. Law and Luffy are formally dressed in white suit jackets, vests and ties, and black slacks. Faint age lines on Law’s forehead and around the eyes, as well as some white hairs, mark that he is middle-aged. Law feeds Luffy a slice of cake. Luffy is happy to eat from his fork, with closed eyes so he doesn’t notice Law’s blush." { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/_The_lovers_twine.png" width=574 height=580 alt="A black and white illustration. A Close-up of Middle-aged Luffy’s face as he opens his mouth to take a bite of cake from Law’s fork. His eyes are closed but his open mouth is smiling." { max-width: 100%; }/> Luffy cheers, then immediately leans forward, his lips closing around the fork and he hums appreciatively at the sweet, yet light flavour on his tongue. Ah, he could eat fifty of these right now… Laughing at his eagerness, Law takes the fork back, scoops up another bite, eating it himself this time, and Luffy— Luffy’s eyes widen at the sight; he’s never, *ever*, seen Law share food or cutlery with *anyone*. The way he just casually used the same fork on the same mini-cake to have a taste of his own... It’s doing things to Luffy. Things he doesn’t understand, like the butterflies in his stomach or the overwhelming happiness that he feels right now. He doesn’t know what to say, what to think. And so, when the next bite is offered to him again, he accepts it without letting his feelings or confusion show. After all, food is what they’re here for! That’s the most important thing! [[“So, whose wedding is this anyway?” Luffy asks around the cake in his mouth.]]

“So, whose wedding is this anyway?” Luffy asks around the cake in his mouth. Law stares at him blankly for a moment before he frowns. “You’re… actually serious, aren’t you?” “Yeah? Why wouldn’t I be?” Luffy frowns, trying to decipher the expressions that flash over Law’s face. Confusion, hurt, disbelief, even more confusion. “Luffy, this is *our—*” [[“LUFFY!!”]]

Luffy jumps at the angry yell, instinctively grabbing the plate from Torao’s hands and hiding it behind his back before he turns around and smiles innocently. “Hi, Sanji!” Sanji ignores him, instead throwing a glare at Torao. “I told you *not* to bring him here, Torao,” he growls. “I was hungry!” Luffy defends both himself and Torao. “I literally do not care,” Sanji snaps. “And *stop* fucking glancing at the table like that! Out. *Now.*” “Let’s go,” Torao mutters, taking hold of Luffy’s hand once more, but this time, Luffy doesn’t budge. He simply stares longingly at the mountains of food on the table, just waiting, *begging* to be eaten… The last thing Luffy sees in this world is the blue flame licking at older-Sanji’s foot as it connects with the side of his head. [[Luffy wakes up]]

Luffy’s head hurts. That’s the first thing he notices as he comes to in yet another world that isn’t his own. He’s seriously getting sick of this; how the hell does he find Torao and make this shit stop!? But first— “Man, that *hurts*,” Luffy hisses as he rubs at his forehead, only to flinch at the slimy feeling of blood that meets him. Of course he’s bleeding too; did he get sent into the middle of a fight? Just wonderful. “Get up, Mugiwara! I know that wasn’t enough to kill you!!” Luffy’s eyes snap open at the words—growled and accompanied by a drunken hiccup. He knows that voice; he knows it all too well and he was really hoping to never hear it again. “Not you again,” Luffy groans as he slowly sits up, throwing a glare at Kaido. The man is standing a little bit away in his hybrid form, swaying on his feet and leaning against his kanabo. He’s a bit worse for wear and Luffy can only assume their fight’s been going on for a while at this point—as proven by the destruction around the Skull Dome’s rooftop and the lack of anyone else’s presence, meaning Zoro, Torao, and the others have already left for their own fights. [[But right now, Luffy doesn’t particularly care about Kaido, his henchmen, or Big Mom. He’s not here for them.]]

But right now, Luffy doesn’t particularly care about Kaido, his henchmen, or Big Mom. He’s not here for *them*. “Man, this is *such* a drag, I don’t have time for this…” Luffy mutters to himself. What would be the fastest way inside the Dome? Completely ignoring Kaido’s drunken taunting, Luffy looks around in search of a way down. There should be a door here somewhere; Luffy’s pretty sure he came through it to get here all those months ago when he actually did this battle. So, unless they’ve managed to completely destroy it, he should be able to go back the same way, right? Where is Torao now? He needs to find him and get the hell out of this weird world as soon as possible… Maybe it would be better to just jump down the hole in the roof? That one led straight to the Performance Floor, that would be faster, right? [[Fight Kaido]] or [[Abandon the fight]]

But really, the fastest way will be to beat Kaido first, won’t it? There’s no way the stupid dragon would just let Luffy go. “Planning to run away, Mugiwara?” Kaido asks mockingly. “Didn’t take you for the type.” There is no hint of urgency in Kaido’s voice, nor does he make any move to stop Luffy—making it obvious he knows Luffy isn’t planning on ditching the fight. “Nope! I have things to do but I’m kicking *your* ass first,” Luffy announces as he takes up a fighting stance. Kaido laughs loudly, ”You still think you’ve got a chance? How cocky can you be, brat?” Luffy cracks his knuckles as a grin pulls on his lips. “We’ll see who’s the cocky one here.” “I see you’re still having fun, that’s good! We *are* having fun!!” Showing a cold smile of his own, Kaido smashes his kanabo against the ground, crushing the already crumbling rock even further. Luffy takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly. How long has it been since he’s had this fight in reality? Luffy isn’t sure… but he does know that to get to Torao, he will have to get rid of this guy completely. There’s no way he’ll be able to safely leave the roof unless he deals with him. “Alright,” Luffy says when he hears Kaido’s dragon claws scraping against the ground as the man prepares for his attack. [[“Here I go. Kaido!!”]]

“Yeah, let’s just do that,” Luffy says, nodding to himself. He takes off, heading directly for the large, crumbling hole Kaido has made when *he* made his way to the rooftop. But, before he can take more than a few steps, he’s forced to jump back to avoid an attack. “Running away, Mugiwara?! I didn’t take you for the type!” Kaido yells, his voice full of disappointment. As if Luffy cares about his approval. “You’re *so* annoying,” Luffy snaps. “I *just* said I don’t have time for this!” Kaido laughs loudly. “And you think I’m just gonna let you go? How cocky can you be, brat?” Luffy rolls his eyes. “I guess you won’t just let me go, huh?” “Of course not! We’re fucking having *fun* here, Mugiwara!” Kaido calls as he smashes his kanabo against the ground, crushing the rocks even further. Luffy takes a deep breath, then exhales slowly. He won’t be able to go look for Torao without dealing with this asshole, will he? How annoying; he’s been through this fight already, goddamnit! Why does he have to do it again? All he wants is just to grab Torao and get the hell out of here… “*Fine,*” Luffy growls when he hears Kaido’s dragon claws scraping against the ground as the man prepares for another attack. [[“Here I go. Kaido!!”]]

He lets Kaido grab his barrel of sake, doesn’t even comment on him getting drunk in the middle of the fight; instead, Luffy closes his eyes and focuses on his own heartbeat. Thrumming. Beating. A regular rhythm. *Doom… Doom…* Slowly, the beating of it gets louder, echoing in his ears like a drum being tested by a musician. Luffy’s skin tickles as his hair starts flowing in the non-existent wind, raising and curling by itself. Luffy is sure it’s already turning white, right along with his clothes. *Doom-dut-da-da…* A wide grin spreads on Luffy’s lips. Ah, he really loves this feeling; everytime he does this, he just feels so light and *free*. It would be so fun if he could always do this but Chopper cries and scolds him every time for overdoing it. Moreover, Torao wasn’t super happy about it either when he once checked Luffy over after a fight and learned exactly *how* taxing Gear 5 was on Luffy’s body. He doesn’t enjoy making either of them unhappy but he’s in a hurry this time, okay? He doesn’t have the time to fight Kaido normally, so the doctors will just have to deal with it later. Or not, actually. This isn’t even *real*, is it? [[Doom-dut-da-da! Doom-dut-da-da! Doom-dut-da-da!]]

Luffy’s eyes snap open as soon as his heart hits the right beat—just in time to watch Kaido freeze in place as he stares at Luffy with wide eyes. “That transformation,” Kaido starts, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “That’s a sign of a zoan awakening.” Shrugging, Luffy laughs loudly, not bothering to respond to Kaido’s confusion. It isn’t like it really matters to him if his fruit is paramecia or zoan or just a super weird, bad-tasting apple. It’s *fun* and it gives Luffy *freedom* and that’s all that matters to him! Jumping up and down a few times, Luffy takes a moment to enjoy the ground bending and stretching under his feet like rubber, turning into a trampoline at his whim. How is Gear 5 still so funny? He will never get tired of it. Suddenly, Luffy stops bouncing and the ground returns to its original shape. “Torao…” Luffy mumbles as he remembers why he’s even here in the first place, while casually, almost thoughtlessly avoiding Kaido’s Thunder Bagua—the guy’s yelling something too but Luffy isn’t paying attention. How could he forget? He got distracted since Gear 5 is so silly… But no! Not anymore! Nope! Shaking his head, Luffy focuses back on Kaido. “Okay, let’s end this!” [[Punch]] or [[Kick]] or [[Stomp]]

“I agree,” Kaido growls as he transforms into his full dragon form. As if that makes a difference right now. Luffy grins and, without wasting any more time, throws his arm back, letting it stretch far behind himself, further than his rubber body usually allows, further than should be possible. His haki flows in his veins, humming both in his ears and in the air as it rushes forward to encompass his fist; covering it in invisible armour, ryuo and conqueror’s haki in equal part, dancing together to form an explosive mix that seems to shatter the sky itself. Kaido takes a deep breath as fire gathers in his mouth. “Blast—” “Too late!” Luffy snickers, putting all his power into shooting his fist forward. “Gum-Gum Dawn Pistol!!” Before Kaido even has time to release his Blast Breath, Luffy’s fist connects with his jaw… and then, Kaido is flying at an impossible speed, off the ground and soon, off the island of Onigashima itself. At the speed he’s flying away, his dragon form looks no bigger than an earthworm not even a second later and then he’s gone completely. “Just one punch? That’s kinda pathetic, Kaido,” Luffy mutters to himself. How did he have so much trouble with him before? It’s a mystery. Or maybe Gear 5 is just that cool? Either way, Kaido’s gone and will probably fly all the way past the walls protecting Wano and fall into the sea… but even if not, he’ll for sure end up far enough to give Luffy time to do what he needs to do. To find Torao. To hug him, and kiss him, and get him the hell out of here. [[Now, where is he?]]

“I agree,” Kaido growls as he transforms into his full dragon form. As if that makes a difference right now. Luffy grins and, without wasting any more time, kicks his leg back, letting it stretch far behind himself, further than his rubber body usually allows, further than should be possible. His haki flows in his veins, humming both in his ears and in the air as it rushes forward to encompass his foot; covering it in invisible armour, ryuo and conqueror’s haki in equal part, dancing together to form an explosive mix that seems to shatter the sky itself. Kaido takes a deep breath as fire gathers in his mouth. “Blast—” “Too late!” Luffy snickers, putting all his power into kicking his leg forward. “Gum-Gum Dawn Whip!!” Before Kaido even has time to release his Blast Breath, Luffy’s foot lands deep in his scaly stomach… and then, Kaido is flying at an impossible speed, off the ground and soon, off the island of Onigashima itself. At the speed he’s going, his dragon form looks no bigger than an earthworm not even a second later and then he’s gone completely. “Just one kick? That’s kinda pathetic, Kaido,” Luffy mutters to himself. How did he have so much trouble with him before? It’s a mystery. Or maybe Gear 5 is just that cool? Either way, Kaido’s gone and will probably fly all the way past the walls protecting Wano and fall into the sea… but even if not, he’ll for sure end up far enough to give Luffy time to do what he needs to do. To find Torao. To hug him, and kiss him, and get him the hell out of here. [[Now, where is he?]]

“I agree,” Kaido growls as he transforms into his full dragon form. As if that makes a difference right now. Luffy grins and, without wasting any more time, he jumps high in the air, sucking in air—more and more, much more than his lungs usually allow, more than should be possible. His haki flows in his veins, humming both in his ears and in the air as it tingles on his skin; covering him in invisible armour, ryuo and conqueror’s haki in equal part, dancing together to form an explosive mix that seems to shatter the sky itself. Kaido takes a deep breath as fire gathers in his mouth. “Blast—” “Too late!” Luffy snickers… before his amusement turns into a full blown laugh as Kaido’s eyes basically fall out of their sockets when he realises what he’s looking at. “Gum-Gum Giant!!” Before Kaido even has time to collect himself, Luffy raises one of his legs, ready to crush Kaido with his heel but then he stops himself. Oh, it won’t do to just smash him through the ceiling with all the people inside the Dome… Luffy hums to himself, sticking his lower lip out in a little pout as he thinks. What should he do? [[What would be the funnest?]]

“Alright, let’s do that!” Luffy nods to himself as an idea pops up in his mind. He grins widely, his gaze finding Kaido—Kaido, who looks at him with nothing but shock and terror in his eyes. Reaching out with his hand instead, Luffy grabs Kaido’s snake-like body like he’s nothing but an earthworm. With a smile so wide that his cheeks are starting to hurt, Luffy takes a tight hold of Kaido and quickly ties a knot on him before he tosses him up, slightly off of Onigashima’s shore. And then, Luffy finally raises his leg again… and *stomps*. Kaido feels like nothing more than a bug under his foot as Luffy’s leg reaches all the way down to Wano’s mainland and below, crushing the ground and sending the dragon far under the surface. He’ll probably make it all the way down to Mt Fuji’s lava pit and that will be the end of it… but even if not, he will for sure end up far enough to give Luffy time to do what he needs to do. To find Torao. To hug him, and kiss him, and get him the hell out of here. Exhaling slowly, Luffy lets his body shrink to its normal size, then stretches his arm to grab onto one of the Skull Dome’s horns to pull himself back onto the island. [[Now, where is he?]]

Closing his eyes once more, Luffy focuses his observation haki this time, searching for Torao’s strong presence all over the island—a search that doesn’t take very long as Big Mom’s Voice is nearly deafening, bringing Luffy’s attention to itself immediately. Luffy smiles when he finds Torao’s Voice right next to her, full of energy, determination, and *life*. Warmth settles in Luffy’s stomach as he listens, Law’s presence comforting and grounding him. How has he never realised just how much Torao means to him up until earlier? Or well, he *did* know. He just never bothered to look for the reason. Maybe that’s why Nami always rolls her eyes and throws her arms up in defeat whenever Luffy calls Torao his friend… Eh, who cares; it doesn’t matter either way as long as Torao stays by his side. Luffy takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. Torao, Jaggy, and Big Mom are inside the Dome next to the Performance Floor. He needs to get there as soon as possible… [[Use the door like a normal person]] or [[Jump down the ceiling like a rubber monkey]] or [[A secret third option]]

Not wasting any more time, Luffy rushes to the door leading inside the Skull Dome. Taking the steps three at the time, Luffy sprints down the stairs and down the hallway, weaving his way through the running and panicking people, not paying attention to their screams and shouts and warnings…only realising too late that the entire place is engulfed in flames. *Weird.* But Luffy has no time to wonder what happened and even less time to deal with it. Letting go of a frustrated noise, Luffy comes to an abrupt stop. He knew this way would take too long; why did he pick this option? Well, what’s done is done; grumbling about it is just wasting even *more* time. Without any hesitation, Luffy raises his leg… and stomps down, breaking the already-charred floor without much effort, then immediately jumps down, getting ready to repeat the process. “Luffy?!” a familiar voice cries. Luffy hums questioningly, turning his head to the side to look at the person whose head he nearly jumped on top of. “Oh hi, Jinbe.” “Wait! What’s with that appearance? What happ—” “Sorry, I’m in a hurry! I’ll explain later!” Not letting the fishman finish, Luffy breaks the wooden floor of this level too and lets himself fall, repeating the process over and over until he reaches the Performance Floor, ignoring all the shocked calls of his name along the way. [[“Torao!” Luffy calls.]]

Not wasting any more time, Luffy rushes to the large hole in the Skull Dome’s roof—and jumps. As he lands, the ground immediately bends as the rock turns to rubber, softening his landing… and judging by the shocked screams, scaring the living daylight out of everyone present. “Luffy?!” a familiar voice cries at the same time as a different, female voice squeaks in surprise. Luffy hums questioningly, looking up to glance at the people whose heads he nearly jumped on top of. “Oh, hi Chopper—” he blinks, taking in the state his doctor is in. The reindeer’s tinier than usual, fitting perfectly into his squirrel nurse’s hands and basically drowning in the samurai helmet he’s wearing. On top of that, his face’s scrunched up into something in between a baby and a withered old man… and Luffy can’t keep the laughter in no matter how hard he tries. Not that he even bothers to try. “Chopper! What happened to you?!” Luffy asks in between bouts of laughter while he rolls on the floor, clutching at his stomach. “Shut up, young man!” Chopper snaps in a shaky voice. “What happened to you?! Why do you look like that?! What happened to that kid Kaido?!” Suddenly, Luffy stops laughing as he’s reminded of the current happenings. “Sorry, I’m in a hurry, I’ll explain later!” he says, then immediately jumps up to his feet and takes off, heading directly inside the Skull Dome in the direction where the worst shaking’s coming from. [[“Torao!” Luffy calls.]]

Luffy grins as a new idea strikes him. Why should he bother with the stairs or jumping all the way down when he can have *fun?* Not wasting any more time, Luffy leans down to grab the ground. As it immediately turns to rubber, Luffy snickers to himself and *pulls*, before he harshly tugs down, causing waves in the ground so violent that it rips at one point—which is exactly what Luffy wants. “Gum-Gum Slide!” As the rubbery ground crashes to the ground below, it turns that floor into rubber. And then that floor breaks off, dropping to the ground below *that…* And so on until there is a direct path all the way down to the ground floor. Luffy’s grin widens as he jumps on the make-shift slide. “Ya-hoo!!” he cheers, arms high in the air and a happy laughter following him all the way down as he slides down several floors, wind blowing in his ears. He barely notices the violent fire that he flies through, nor does he pay any attention to the shocked cries of “Luffy?!” and “What the *fuck?!?*” He’s only a little bit disappointed when he comes to a stop on the ground floor, inside the Skull Dome right next to the Performance Floor. [[“Torao!” Luffy calls.]]

“Torao!” Luffy calls. His only answer is a loud crash and Big Mom’s mocking, distinctive laughter. Not exactly what he wanted to hear but it will do, he supposes. Taking off in that direction, Luffy only has to turn two corners to come face to face with the giant, angry woman herself—her hair aflame, her sword in her hand, and a strange thundercloud floating next to her, smirking. Big Mom’s eyes widen and her mouth falls open when she notices Luffy, her sword even lowering slightly. “Mugiwara?!” she cries, full of confusion and shock. Whether that shock is directed at Luffy’s appearance or the fact that he’s even there at all, Gear 5 or not, Luffy doesn’t know and doesn’t care. He’s not here for *her*, after all! “Torao!!” he calls again, his lips stretching into the widest smile possible. “What the—” Law barely has the time to turn around, never mind process what’s going on before Luffy jumps and throws himself into Law’s arms. He hugs him tight, his legs wrapping several times around Law’s stomach while Law stumbles back, several words of protest on his lips—complaints that go largely ignored. “Torao! I missed you so much!” Luffy sighs, burying his face in the crook of Law’s neck, trying to soak up his presence as much as he can. Finally gathering himself enough to do anything, Law grabs onto Luffy’s shirt and pulls harshly at it, forcing Luffy to lean back and give him some breathing space. “What the actual fuck, Mugiwara-ya? Let me go,” he snaps, frustration almost tangible in his voice… before his angry scowl turns into one of pure confusion. “What happened to you, why do you look like that? Is your hair white? What? You look so prett—” Suddenly, Law stops himself in the middle of the word, a small blush colouring his cheeks and ears pink. [[Adorable]]

*Adorable*, Luffy’s mind supplies and the warmth that’s been resting in his stomach spreads through his body and all the way to his fingertips. His skin tingles wherever he’s touching Law and he feels like the wide, nearly manic grin he’s been wearing since he activated Gear 5 is melting into something soft, *loving*. He wouldn’t be surprised if he blurted out something stupid on the spot—or if he wouldn’t even have to do that. He wouldn’t be surprised either if Law could tell what he’s thinking right now either way. Nami *does* tend to tell him that he’s wearing all his thoughts on his face at all times… “Torao. Torao, Torao!” Luffy repeats. Somehow… he can’t get enough of saying his name. “What?” Law asks, searching Luffy’s face and eyes for answers. Answers which Luffy can’t give him proper. Doesn’t know how. At least not with Big Mom’s sword coming down on them, the woman laughing and thinking this is just the *best* opportunity to take them down, as if she isn't completely *ruining the moment*. Luffy really hates her guts. [[“Jaggy!” Luffy calls. “Take care of this!”]]

“Hah?!” Jaggy snarls. “Don’t tell me what to do, Mugiwara!” He turns to glare at Luffy… and stops suddenly when he sees what’s going on for the first time. “What the hell, are you two losers seriously about to go fuck in the middle of the battle?!” “Hah?!” Now it’s Law’s turn to snarl as he throws an annoyed look at Jaggy. “What the fuck are you—” “Torao! Get us out of here now!!” Luffy interrupts, tugging at Law’s coat to get his attention while he points at Big Mom charging at them like an angry bull. Law clicks his tongue in irritation and quickly creates a Room around them. “Shambles!” Luffy grins, hugging Torao tighter. Finally, he can tell him. Finally, they can get out of this stupid card world and go back to their world. Luffy barely manages to finish the thought before Law’s power moves them—and the moment it does, Luffy can tell it’s *wrong*. “*No, no, no,*” he chants as he tries to hold on to Torao to no avail. God, Luffy’s getting really damn tired of this! And just like that, everything goes black around him as he’s kicked out of yet another world and back to that stupid guy’s house. [[Luffy wakes up yet again]]

On an island somewhere in the new world… The pirates have landed on this island and found out shortly after going off-board that they've come just in time to witness the annual festival. Robin has explained what this festival is about and other things but Luffy doesn‘t care. He's just too excited to explore the town and everything it had to offer! “Oi Mugiwara-ya.” “Hm?” Luffy turns around and looks curiously at Law with his mouth full of meat. “The sun is going down. We should head to our ships to meet the others.” “Ah yeah.” He shoves the rest of the food from his plate into his mouth and jumps up from the bench. Even though the day is already ending, people don't seem to want to go home. The streets are still as crowded as before and the captains try to find their way through the masses. It's not as easy as they thought and quickly they find themselves wondering where to go next. [[“I think it's this way.”]]

“We should go here.” “I think this is a shortcut!” “This town is so confusing!” Luffy sighs as they reach another alley he hasn't seen before. The sun's already disappeared and the night has taken over. The darkness doesn't bother them on the well lit streets but this one is almost black. Except for a small window at the end, dipping the surroundings in a weak warm light. “I don't think this is the right way.” Law mumbles more to himself. “Let‘s go and ask for directions.” Luffy points towards that place where someone is obviously at home and not at the festival. Law just makes an annoyed noise but doesn't argue. They're completely lost and need help. They stand in front of an old door. Luffy notices some weird letters or signs carved into the wooden frame. In the dim light they are barely visible but Luffy is sure he has never seen them before. [[Law knocks on the door but nobody answers.]] (if: $finishedTwineOnce)[or [[Stop Law from knocking]]]

“Nobody's home it seems. Or just doesn't want visitors. Let's-” Luffy is tired of waiting so he just pushes down the handle before Law can finish his sentence. Surprisingly, the door swings open with a loud creak. Luffy steps into the house. Lots of candles are spread over old, wooden furniture. The air is heavy with a moldy smell and some herbs Luffy can't name. “I didn't expect any customers. At least not today.” A high-pitched raspy voice greets them. There, on a way too big armchair for his size, sits an old man. His face is pale and crinkly and his nose is so small, it almost disappears in the white beard that almost covers his whole face. The beard is so long he's wrapped it around his neck and shoulders like a scarf. Under that he wears a dark purple dress or a robe, Luffy can't tell. [[“Hi, I'm Luffy and this is Torao.” Luffy smiles at the funny looking guy.]]

“Greetings, Luffy and Torao. May I ask what led you to my door in this busy night of festivities?” “Huh?” “He wants to know why we're here, Mugiwara-ya.” “Oh! Yeah we're lost and wanted to ask if you can tell us the way.” “Lost, hm?” The man looks at them thoroughly and something sparks in his eyes. “Oh in times like these, it's all too easy to lose your path and wander around aimlessly in the darkness of one's night.” This man is saying weird things, Luffy thinks and looks at Law. The other man has his eyes locked on the old guy, a mix of curiosity and wariness in his gaze. [[“We just need to find the way to the harbor.” Law answers quickly.]]

“Yes yes, to find a safe harbor is what we all long for. But can we find it, if we are not ready to travel through stormy seas and endless oceans?” “Oh we traveled the seas! We're pir-ouch!” Law hits his knee with the end of his sword. “We're visitors who landed here this morning, we want to get back to our ship.” “Ah I see, I see.” The old man nods. “You are already searching. But do you know what you are really looking for?” Law sighs impatiently. “Yes we are searching for the harbor.” The man keeps on nodding and points at two chairs that are standing vis-a-vis his giant armchair. “Please, take a seat.” And he glides down from his seat. He waddles into another room, dragging the end of his beard like a lifeless tail behind him. [[Luffy walks over to the chair and plumps down on one.]]

“Torao, what are you waiting for?” “This man is strange.” “Yeah, he talks weird.” “No…that‘s not what I mean.” Law hesitates but sits down next to Luffy anyway. The man comes back into the room with something in his hands. A map maybe, Luffy wonders. But it's a pack of cards he places on the table next to his armchair. He pulls the table between him and the other two and climbs back on his chair. He starts to mix the cards. [[“Do you want to play a game?” Luffy asks, confused.]]

“Are you the fool to think life is a game or are you the high priest, who understands the world's chaos better than anyone?” Luffy and Law look at each other even more confused. He keeps on shuffling the cards. “What are you doing, old man-ya?” “Helping you find the way you're looking for.” He stops his movements and spreads the cards between his hands. “Pick four cards. Place them on the table.” He addresses Luffy. Luffy, still confused, leans forward and points at four random cards. [[“What kind of game is this?”]]

“Oh this is not a card game, boy.” He says casually and places the four cards face-down on the table. “This my dear boy, is the mighty Tarot.” “Huh? Ta…Tor…Ah! Torao, you have your own card game?” Luffy laughs at his friend. “Tsk.” Law seems more annoyed than usual. He gets up from his chair. “This is nonsense! Let's go Mugiwara-ya. This is just some stupid trickery.” “Trickery, you say?” The old man's voice suddenly turns cold. “Yes, trickery.” Law gazes at him angrily. “Come on, we're leaving now” “But what about the game?” Luffy pouts but gets up anyway. Why is Torao ruining the mood now? “This is not a game. It's just silly cards and a scammer making you believe their lies and steal your money. This is bullshit!” “I advise you to calm down, young man.” [[“Fuck you and fuck these cards!”]]

Abruptly, the atmosphere changes. The room becomes ice-cold, the candles flicker and what seems like an army of shadows dances on the walls. The little man jumps up from his seat and glares at Law. “How dare you insult the cards?! Our way to communicate with fate, to see behind the veil, to touch what is untouchable, to form what is formless! Denying the cards means to deny fate itself.” “I don't give a shit about what you call fate.” Law is ready to fight any second now and Luffy feels alarmed too. “Then I shall show you what powers lie within the cards.” [[He claps his hands. The sound is so loud it echoes in the room like thunder and then the candlelight dies for a second.]]

The moment it's back, Luffy realizes Law is gone! “Torao? Where's Torao!? What have you done to him?!” Now Luffy‘s rage sparks inside him. “Oh, your friend just needs a little lesson.” “Give Torao back!” “Why don't you find him yourself?” He chuckles and points at the cards on the table. “What do you mean?” Luffy is furious and the man talking in riddles doesn‘t make it any better. Suddenly the atmosphere changes again. The old man looks at Luffy fondly. “You came here to look for the way. Your way. And I see it in your eyes, that you haven‘t found your path yet. Let me help you, boy.” His calm voice makes Luffy relax a bit. “I don‘t care about the way right now, give me Torao back!” A soft chuckle and the man leans back in his huge armchair. “See? You need my help, more than you think. Sometimes the harbor we are looking for isn‘t a place.” [[Luffy doesn‘t know what to say. This man is just too confusing.]]

Is that the reason he’s here? After all, all the worlds that the old dude’s been showing him seem to have something important happening… He squints, trying to make out what’s going on—only for his heart to stop for a second, then start beating a little too fast, as if it's trying to make up for the lost beats tenfold. Luffy knows that raft-like ship. And he knows that jolly roger. Just the sight of it makes his blood boil; he can feel the ghost of Ace’s lifeless body in his arms, his hands sticky with blood that isn’t there, breath leaving his lungs. He can’t breathe, he can’t think, he can’t stop the fear taking over his body. Because… it’s not only that ship there. There’s only one yellow submarine like that in the whole world. “Blackbeard,” Luffy growls, his voice shaking with anger. “If you lay one finger on Torao…!” Luffy takes a deep breath, his face twisting in pure rage. Not wasting any more time, Luffy jumps off the rock he’s been standing on, and the moment his feet hit the ground, he takes off towards the shore, as fast as he can. To reach Torao’s side… [[Before it’s too late.]]

Not wasting any more time, Luffy jumps off the rock he’s been standing on, and the moment his feet hit the ground, he takes off towards the shore. He’s not sure what’s going on, but he’s sure he’ll find out once he gets closer. That fight has to be the reason he’s here in the first place—after all, all the worlds that old dude’s been showing him seem to have something important happening… As he runs straight ahead, he studies the shore line closely—only to freeze in place as his heart stops for a second, then starts beating a little too fast, as if it’s trying to make up for the lost beats tenfold. Luffy knows that raft-like ship. And he knows that jolly roger. Just the sight of it makes his blood boil; he can feel the ghost of Ace’s lifeless body in his arms, his hands sticky with blood that isn’t there, breath leaving his lungs. He can’t breathe, he can’t think, he can’t stop the fear taking over his body. Because… it’s not only that ship there. There’s only one yellow submarine like that in the whole world. “Blackbeard,” Luffy growls, his voice shaking with anger. “If you lay one finger on Torao…!” Luffy takes a deep breath, his face twisting in pure rage. He takes off again, this time running even faster as he rushes to Torao’s side… [[Before it’s too late.]]

*KABOOM!!!* “*TORAO!!*” Luffy screams. His heart jumps in his throat as he watches with wide eyes as another, even larger explosion goes off in the water just a little bit away from the shore. *No—* No, *it can’t be—!* But… there’s no denying it, is there? The Polar Tang is in flames, broken in half and slowly sinking right in front of Luffy’s eyes… and there’s nothing Luffy can do about it. At this point, his only hope is that Torao and his crew were not on board when it happened. *Please let them be on the beach, please, please—* “Shock Wille!!” Luffy almost feels like crying when he hears the familiar, oh-so familiar voice. He’s fine. Torao’s fine, Luffy’s not too late to help, not too late to do anything at all *again*. He can do it, he can make it, he’s strong enough this time to save him—to save the one person he can’t bear to lose. There won’t be a repeat of Marineford. There can’t be. He *refuses* to lose Torao the same way, to the same person, as he did Ace three years ago. Is this vision even real? It doesn’t matter to Luffy. [[Nothing matters but Torao’s life.]]

Finally, Luffy reaches the beach where the fight is raging. His feet are sinking into the sand, making it hard to run, making him nearly trip over his own feet—but that doesn’t stop him, doesn’t make him slow down at all. But… Even *that* doesn’t seem to be enough. Before Luffy can so much as get a grasp on the situation, Blackbeard’s obnoxious laughter reaches his ears. “Black Vortex!” he calls… and then Torao’s flying through the air, pulled towards Blackbeard by his power. And a split second later, Torao’s hanging in the air where Blackbeard’s holding him by his throat. “Stop! Let him go!!” Luffy screams, throwing a punch at Blackbeard—only to be blocked by the champion guy. “Weehaha!” he laughs as he grabs Luffy’s wrist. “Captain, Mugiwara’s here!” “Mugi… wara?” Law gasps, his eyes turning, searching for Luffy. He looks tired; beaten and bloody and so *helpless*. Luffy hates the sight. Torao’s strong; he shouldn’t be in this situation, shouldn’t be so close to *losing*. Is it because he’s still exhausted after fighting Big Mom? He’s wearing the same clothes he was when they said their goodbyes in Wano, he’s even still wearing some of the bandages… When is this happening? How soon after they parted ways? Did Law… go through this while Luffy was completely unaware? Was *this* why he refused to talk about why he changed ships? [[Why? Why didn’t he tell him?]]

“Oh-ho,” Blackbeard sneers. “Come to watch your little friend here die?” “I *said*, let him go!!” Luffy snaps at the same time as he raises his leg, kicking the champion guy out of the way. He doesn’t even take his eyes off of Blackbeard, doesn’t care how far the champion guy flies. It doesn’t matter to him. The only one that matters is Torao. Blackbeard laughs, taunting. “You seem to care a great deal about him,” he says, throwing a quick look at Law before his mouth stretches into a disgusting smirk. “Go ahead and try to save him! Just like the old days with Ace, *huh?!* Mugiwara!” Luffy’s shaking. He can barely control himself; he barely even notices his heart starting to beat at a strange rhythm—in and out, neither here nor there. His hair’s curling and uncurling, clothes paling, then gaining their colour again. There’s a noise in his ears—but he can’t hear anything. He can barely see. The only thing he *can* see… [[The only thing he can see…]]

The only thing he can see is Blackbeard’s hand *tightening* around Torao’s throat… before he slams his body against the nearest rock—a rock which gives way at the impact, crumbling underneath Law’s back. He coughs out blood, looking like he’s barely breathing, and Luffy… Luffy clenches his fists so hard he draws blood. “Blackbeard—!” he only growls. He has nothing else to say. Blackbeard cackles, preparing to toss Torao away like he’s a piece of *trash*. Unforgivable. Absolutely *unforgivable*. “Captain!” Law’s bear cries, stumbling into Luffy’s field of vision as he runs forward to save Law before he can get any more hurt. [[Take care of Law]] or [[Leave Law to Bepo]]

“Gear second,” Luffy says, deceivingly calm as steam starts rising from his body and he shoots forward, catching Torao just in time to prevent him from crashing into another rock. He’s barely conscious, his breathing shallow. He has wounds all over, his face all bloody from the deep cut to his forehead. Luffy cannot bear the sight. He wants nothing more than to kill Blackbeard for putting Law through this but he also can’t leave Law’s side. He would rather die than leave him right now. “Torao. *Torao!*” Luffy calls quietly, panic nearly tangible in his voice as he shakes Law lightly to keep him awake. “*Law!* Please, please look at me!” “Mugi… wara-ya,” Law breathes, his voice weak and barely audible. “What are you… Why are you here?” Luffy shakes his head, placing one of his hands to Law’s cheek. Stroking the skin gently, oh-so gently, as if Law could break if he rubbed any harder. He tries wiping the blood off but whatever he brushes away is immediately replaced by *more blood*. He studies Law’s half-lidded gaze, the man in his arms obviously slipping away from consciousness further with every passing second. Tears are welling in Luffy’s eyes at the sight. He can’t handle this. This is too much. Luffy leans down, then and presses his lips to Law’s—desperate for Law’s touch, desperate for his warmth, desperate for his breath tickling his skin—and weakly… Law kisses him back. Luffy expects butterflies, or to have lightning strike him right there and then, after all of Sanji’s ramblings about first kisses… but Luffy only tastes blood. And that makes his teeth clench, something dirty, ugly stirring in his stomach instead. “Hang on, Law. I’m going to protect you,” Luffy mutters before he carefully places Law on the ground. “Wait—Mugiwara-ya—” Law tries as his fingers grasp shakily at Luffy’s wrist. Luffy doesn’t look at him. “Zehaha!! So that’s how it is!” Blackbeard howls. Luffy doesn’t care what he says. Not at this point. Not ever. [[Leave Law to Bepo]]

“Bear!! Take care of Law!” Luffy shouts. And he shoots forward, so fast that his head nearly spins. He forces his heart into that funny rhythm, letting ryuo, haki, and *freedom* run through his veins. Blackbeard barely has enough time for his eyes to widen at Luffy’s appearance before Luffy’s first strike connects with his stomach. “Gum-Gum Dawn Pistol! Dawn Whip!” Luffy lands one hit after the other… but the rage he feels doesn’t dwindle. Instead, with each punch and each kick, it grows, clashing with the pure joy that is Gear 5—creating an explosive mixture bubbling just beneath Luffy’s skin. It’s not enough. This is not enough. Luffy’s just so *furious*. “How *dare* you,” Luffy snarls through gritted teeth. “Why are you so mad?! All’s fair in war!!” Blackbeard screams, holding his jaw. Luffy hopes it’s dislocated. He hopes it’s *broken*. Shattered. Destroyed. But even that would still not be enough. As long as he can talk, as long as he can walk, it will never be enough. Luffy closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. There’s screaming, clamouring around him. He can feel Blackbeard’s people running around in panic, shouting, asking for orders. Making frantic plans on how to stop Luffy’s rampage. [[Pointless.]]

There’s a bullet coming. Right at his head, directly between his eyes. Infused with armament haki. Luffy side-steps it easily, a wide, vicious grin pulling on his lips. The sniper is far away, so far away he probably thinks he’s safe from Luffy’s wrath—a feeling that dissipates the second his and Luffy’s eyes meet. Because Luffy knows; his observation haki is encompassing the entire island right now. None of them are safe. None of them can hide, none of them can run. By the time Luffy is done… None of them will be *alive*. Calmly, Luffy bends down, firmly grabbing the ground in one hand; as the sand melts together and turns to rubber, Luffy raises it as a shield in front of himself, blocking yet another desperate bullet aimed straight at his heart. And then, Luffy *pulls*. It feels like the entire island shifts, the rocky peaks around them leaning towards the beach—towards Luffy, to where he commands them with the grasp he has on rubbery sand. [[“Auger!!” someone shouts, making Luffy snicker.]]

He assumes that’s the sniper’s name—the sniper who just fell to his death from the top of the tallest peak. “Well, that’s that,” Luffy shrugs, letting go of the ground. The second it leaves his hands, the sand trickles to his feet as if nothing happened, as if it’s simply counting off the seconds in an hourglass. Are they the seconds remaining in their life? Or Luffy’s sanity? Because he knows. He *knows* his control is slipping. The power, the creature inside him, is chewing at the fleshy cage of Luffy’s body, ready to burst out the second Luffy goes too far. But Luffy… [[Luffy can’t say he cares.]]

Not when Law’s Voice is weak, weakening with every shallow breath he takes, the light inside him dimming with every drop of blood that trickles down his beautiful skin. With the love of his life at his lowest behind him, and the one who caused his pain right in front of him… there is only one path Luffy can take. Only one path he’s *willing* to take. Slowly, Luffy turns to face Blackbeard again. There’s nothing but fear written on his face as he stares at Luffy with wide eyes, looking so completely *pathetic*; how is it that *this* whimpering, whiny man is the one who took Ace, the one who killed old man Whitebeard, the one who brought Law to this point? It’s maddening. It’s *infuriating*. [[It makes Luffy feel sick.]]

Makes him want to snap every single finger of Blackbeard’s so that he can never touch Law again. Makes him want to break both his legs so that he can never stand up again, dooming him to crawl on the ground like the worm he is, forever. Makes him want to rip out his tongue, just so that he can never laugh in the way that makes Luffy shudder in disgust every time. But more than anything… it makes Luffy want to see him *dead*. Him and his entire crew, and everyone else on this island. Are there innocent people among them? At this point, it doesn’t matter to Luffy. He’s far too angry. Far too lost. Far too gone. So, who’s the devil here right now? Blackbeard… or Luffy? [[Does it even make a difference at this point?]]

It doesn’t; not to Luffy. Luffy only snickers, the grin on his face so wide his cheeks hurt. But he can’t stop smiling, doesn’t want to either; he lets the drumbeat of his heart envelop him, guide his feet, guide his every move as he calmly walks towards Blackbeard trembling on the ground in front of him. The beat sounds twisted now, warped into something sinister. It’s not the happy sound signifying freedom anymore; it’s dark, it’s angry, it’s vicious. Getting more distorted with every step Luffy takes. Even the ground, the very *air* seems to be warping around him. And Luffy lets it. These people, these pirates, this *scum* deserve no less. Is it possible to turn them all into rubber and wring them dry? To twist and bend their bodies like rubbery ragdolls, then let them become flesh and bone again? Will they scream in pain or will their broken spines kill them on the spot? [[Will they bleed? Luffy hopes they will.]]

Just like Law is bleeding right now. A cup of their blood for every drop Law’s lost. A patch of skin for every cut, every gash, every bruise now marring Law’s skin. Eye for an eye, with interest to collect. And Luffy will collect every last bloody berry. As he stops in front of Blackbeard, whimpering and begging for his life like a baby, Luffy hums in thought. There are so many possibilities, so many things to try… “Mugiwara! Let’s make a deal!” Blackbeard cries desperately, waving his hands in front of himself as if he can protect himself from Luffy’s wrath if he tries hard enough. And Luffy… laughs. It’s not an amused laugh; it’s cold even to his own ears, manic and uncontrolled, shaking the very basis of this whole world. [[Oh.]]

This isn’t real, is it? It’s just some vision that guy’s making him see with his stupid cards. But even so… even if it’s fake… He can never forgive this. He can never forgive anyone who hurts his Torao. Blackbeard pulled an unlucky card today—touching whom he shouldn’t have, thinking he will be able to stand victorious, thinking he’ll get a drink and sleep soundly tonight. Be this real or not… Luffy will make sure he never wakes up ever again. Oh, the irony. It’s so funny. *Hilarious*. Even as his mind races with ideas on how to pay this disgusting piece of *shit* back, Luffy’s laughter doesn’t stop; he clutches at his stomach as he continues to wheeze, as everything around him turns to rubber. Because that’s what’s happening, isn’t it? The world built from paper and a wish, bending to Luffy’s will, bending to the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit. [[“Mugiwara-ya, stop!” Law calls for him. His voice is weak, oh-so weak, but there’s fear and horror apparent inside it.]]

It grounds Luffy for but a moment, snapping him back to reality. What is he doing? This isn’t what was supposed to happen, is it? The world’s crumpling at the edges like paper, obvious creases appearing in the sky, the sea, the beach, across Blackbeard’s face. Everything is twisted around him, the shapes crooked and *wrong*; even Law’s voice sounds weird, like it travelled to Luffy’s ears through a rubber pipe. Which it probably did. And that… That’s so funny! A fresh bout of laughter overtakes Luffy, making him lose his ground again. [[It doesn’t matter anymore anyway. It’s too late. ]]

There’s no saving this world—it’s far too distorted now, the paper crumpled and torn where it can’t withstand the pull Gear 5 has on it. Even Luffy’s feet are sinking deep into the sand—deeper than should be possible. It doesn’t even feel like there’s ground anymore; only torn paper, collapsing into itself and swallowing everything around him. Soon, the sea is gone. Then the sky. The rocky mountains. He can’t hear the bear fussing over Torao anymore either. Nor can he hear Torao’s fading Voice. They’re gone, torn off and discarded like an unneeded page in a notebook. And Luffy… laughs. He laughs, until everything around him crumbles. He laughs, until his own legs start to twist and tear. He he laughs— [[Until there’s nothing left.]]

As the Devil card on the fortune teller’s table crumples into itself while the world inside it implodes, the fortune teller himself shakes his head. Well, that’s it. Seems the kid was a little *too* lost to find his harbour. “I did try to help you, Luffy. Or should I say *Mugiwara?*” he says with a tinge of disappointment as he rips the card in two. With a sigh, he picks up the remaining cards one by one; this deck is useless now, he’ll have to get a new one… “Luffy!! Torao!!” a voice calls. “Where the hell are you, we need to set sail!” Mugiwara’s crew? Poor souls, lost without their captain—the captain who could have ruled the seas, but whose hold on reality was too weak to ward off the *Devil* that had claimed him… and consumed him. But that’s not *his* problem, is it? He’s just a fortune teller, after all. A soft knock brings his attention to the young lady shyly peeking into his store and he smiles. [[“Would you like me to read your fortune next?”]]

(set:$finishedTwineOnce to true) (set:$readDevilEnding to true) <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/end-credits.png" width=620 height=877 alt="A colored illustration. A pair of hands are holding up a deck of tarot cards, shuffling them from hand to hand. Below is the text: “The End. Shuffle the deck and play again?”" { max-width: 100%; }/> Want to start over and discover all the other endings and choices possible? Click here! [[Start]] Wanna discover the people who worked hard to make this Twine a reality? It's this way! [[Credits]]

“Let me explain in terms you might understand better. Your friend is in this deck of cards.” The fortune teller takes back the cards he laid out earlier, looking at them one by one and humming to himself. He then puts them back in the deck and shuffles it. “If you want him back, you need to go look for him. The question is, are you ready for what you will discover along the way?” Luffy frowns. “How am I supposed to look for him in your game?” The fortune teller smiles that cryptic smile Luffy doesn’t like. “Each card corresponds to a moment, be it in the past or in an eventual future. If you choose one of them, it will let you explore it at will. Your friend is stuck in one of those moments. If you find him, I will release both of you.” “Can’t you just release him right now?” “It wouldn’t be as fun, if I did, would it? Didn’t you want to play the game?” Luffy huffs. He doesn’t have a choice, does he? He will do it, if he can save Torao, he will. The man, seeing the resolve in his eyes, puts down four cards in front of Luffy. “Choose the path, young man, hopefully, it will lead you to where you really belong.” <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_Wheel-Of-Fortune_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. The background features a large clock face with roman numerals in the center. It is surrounded by white clouds and a starry night sky. Featuring the dark silhouette of Sun God Nika in his iconic pose against the moon (the clock face is meant to mirror the direct reference). The entire scene has red string around it that references the Red String of Fate. This card is entitled, “The Wheel of Fortune.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Lovers_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. The background has light colors of pink fading into yellow with minimal details of straight lines and several stars. In the center is a dark silhouette of Trafalgar Law and Luffy embracing. Golden lines show details against the dark image, illustrating how their foreheads rest together. Luffy smiles as his hand rests against Law’s cheek. Law’s hand rests against Luffy’s waist. You see that they are each wearing matching earrings and attention is drawn to a wedding band on Luffy’s hand. This card is entitled, “The Lovers.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Tower_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A black and white illustration of a Tarot Card. A large, dark silhouette of Doflamingo fills the scene with only his sunglasses illuminated. He towers over a white silhouette of Trafalgar Law kneeling down with his head bowed in defeat as he faces him. His back is to the viewer. This card is entitled, “The Tower.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Hanged-Man_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. The scene features Corazon in a torn black, feathered coat. He is hanging upside down by rainbow strings. His arms are spread out from side to side with one leg straight and the other crossed behind it. His eyes are peacefully closed with bright yellow lights shining around his head in a halo effect. The card is entitled, “The Hanged Man.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> [[The Wheel of Fortune]] or [[The Lovers]] or [[The Tower]] or [[The Hanged Man]] As soon as Luffy touches the card he wants, he feels the world go dark around him.

This scene is familiar. How did he get here again? Where is here? It is a secluded rooftop tucked into the city, or more accurately, what used to be the city of Dressrosa, but in truth, it is more like a rolling wreckage among the memories of happier times. On one side is a wall of warmly colored rock framing the corners of the building, providing shelter, and on the other side is the sheer drop into shattered rock, wood, and anything or anyone in between. All of it laid to waste in the endless fight with a false king. Once, Dressrosa was a pleasant place, with golden stone buildings and brightly colored adornments, but now it looks like a hurricane has run through it. Homes shattered, trees uprooted, and the soil charred and smashed. Unimaginable furrows of exposed earth, having been dragged everywhere by the cutting wires of the bird cage. It looks like a giant decided to till the entire country to make a new plot for a farm but then went crazy halfway through. This destruction wasn’t just the result of a fight; this was a *rampage*. Luffy tries to blink through the fog of his mind. He faintly recalls an exchange of rough hands, and then settling on stone tile beside Law. The lingering smells of metal and salt, blood and chains, and the costs of rebellion paint the splotchy picture of what’s happening. He tries to turn his body, and nausea rolls through him in a stark refusal of the action. Being caught in a state of half-rest and stumbling consciousness does some unique things to your senses. Between the aches and tasting everything he smells, he belatedly registers a hand against his neck. “I thought… you went with Robin…” He mumbles. [[“Aren’t you supposed to rest? Shut up.”]]

When Luffy comes to, he’s back into the weird man’s house. He looks around, confused. “Where’s Torao?” The fortune teller doesn’t reply right away, busy shuffling his cards. “Where is he? You said you’d give him back if I played your game!” “I said I would free him if you found him.” The fortune teller looks Luffy up and down. “Which you clearly haven’t.” Luffy huffs. He wants to punch that guy. “When one doesn’t find the path on the first try, though, one can try again, start over. You may be luckier next time.” The Fortune Teller lays four new cards in front of Luffy. “Make your choice, young man. And remember, your friend is waiting for you.” <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Moon_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Features Trafalgar Law sleeping in a sitting position, his head resting off to the side. Luffy is standing next to him, with his hand on top of Law’s fur cap. Faint action lines indicate that he is patting his head. The card is entitled, “The Moon.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-World_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. The background is blue with light water ripples to indicate an underwater effect to the scene. In the four corners are red poneglyphs and in the center are two golden rings. Engraved on the inside of one is “Torao.” “Mugiwara-ya” is engraved inside the other one. The card is entitled, “The World.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/truffytwine_Judgement_CARD.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Features Gear 5 Luffy standing sideways as he looks at you from over his left shoulder. He is grinning wildly as he partially covers his face with one hand. Faint wisps of clouds surround him, with smiling skull faces along the edges. The card is entitled, “Judgement.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_Temperance_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Features Trafalgar Law, nude down to the waistline, holding up a golden goblet. To the left is Doflamingo’s hand (his pink coat identifies him) pouring red liquid from his goblet into Law’s. On the Right is Corazon’s hand (his black coat identifies him) pouring red liquid from his goblet into Law’s. The result overflows Law’s goblet, spilling over. The card is entitled, “Temperance.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> [[The Moon]] or [[The World]] or [[Judgment]] or [[Temperance]] or [[Refuse to play any longer]] Luffy touches the card, and the world goes dark again.

When the air clears around Luffy, he finds himself in a forest, his feet already carrying him naturally along the pathway. He looks around, wondering where he might be. This forest doesn’t look familiar but most forests look the same. His steps accelerate, though, when his nose picks up a delicious smell. It smells like something being roasted, meat, but not just meat. Once he’s got the direction of the smell figured out, he starts running that way. The forest opens on a mansion next to a cliffside, the ocean’s waves lapping at the cliff and making that crashing sound Luffy loves. It reminds him of the waves against the sides of the Sunny when they sail at full speed. He almost stops to admire the view but the smell is too tempting. Luffy opens the door, ready to devour whatever smells so delicious. [[He stops in his tracks.]]

As the house of the Fortune Teller comes back into focus, Luffy takes a moment to breathe. His heart is beating strangely, both excited and calm. He is in love. In love with Torao. Somehow he’s been for a while and just… hadn’t noticed. He needs to tell him. He needs to tell him and to do it now. The Fortune Teller smirks as he shuffles the cards. “That light in your eyes. It seems the fog is clearing and you are finally seeing the path ahead. Will it help you reach your goal, though?” He puts three different cards down in front of Luffy. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/05/01/truffytwine_The-Hermit_card2.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Features Trafalgar Law dressed in a brown winter coat with a shawl loosely wrapped around his shoulders and head. The background shows a moonlit night with a few stars and several clouds surrounding him. He holds up a kerosene lantern close to his face, to illuminate the way before him. The card is entitled, “The Hermit.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Chariot_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Simple Wano-style background with curved tree behind an ornate Japanese-style building. Luffy is in the center, silhouetted in black with white detailing his face and chest scars prominently. In front of him are two Devil Fruits: the Gomu Gomu no Mi and the Ope Ope no Mi. The card is entitled, “The Chariot.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Devil_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A red, black, and white illustration of a Tarot Card. The background is smudged red and black with a white silhouette of Luffy aiming a stretchy punch at the dark figure of Blackbeard. He is a red silhouette shown by his large, feathered coat. A white string leads down to the white silhouette of Trafalgar Law on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. His heart shoulder tattoo is illuminated in red ink. The card is entitled, “The Devil.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> [[The Hermit]] or [[The Chariot]] or [[The Devil]] or [[Refuse to play the game any longer]] Luffy is quick to choose, this time, eager to find Torao. And when the world fades to black, he is ready.

Luffy comes to in the Fortune Teller’s home yet again, Law didn’t follow him into the real world. Luffy’s getting frustrated. “Alright Grandpa, I want Torao back and I want him now.” The man looks at Luffy, shuffling his cards once more. “I see you are impatient to reach your destination, Young Man. But you should wonder, is your partner ready to reach it with you?” Luffy rolls his eyes. The man’s talking in circles is also starting to annoy him. “Give me Torao back.” The Fortune Teller lies out three cards in front of Luffy. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/truffytwine_Death_CARD.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Prominently features the Ope Ope no Mi with golden lines that surround it to embellish its appearance. Below it is a close-up of Trafalgar Law’s tattooed hand, raised to show DEATH tattooed on his fingers. The card is entitled, “Death.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Fool_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Luffy is featured upside down. His eyes are closed with a soft smile. Soft, gray clouds are in the background with a golden Sun and Moon. The card is entitled, “The Fool.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_Strength_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. A scene set in yellow features the Heart Pirates seated around a table. Penguin rests his head on it, looking tired. Trafalgar Law is looking up at Bepo who is working on a map. Shachi is eating a plateful of food. You can also see a small window behind them with a light ocean scene. The card is entitled “Strength.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> “You are not listening. Is your Torao ready to see you as you see him? Is he ready to love you the way *you* love him?” Luffy frowns. He hadn’t thought about that. “Does it matter?” “It does, Young Man, it very much does. You see, if your destination is a person but they are not ready to meet you, you will spend your life running endlessly after someone that refuses to be caught.” Luffy doesn’t understand any of that. He glares at the man, who rolls his eyes right back. “If you love him and he doesn’t love you back, and you tell him, you might scare him away.” “Scare Torao away? Nothing can scare Torao away, he’s too brave!” “I don’t doubt his abilities as a fighter. I’m telling you he might not want to be with you if you tell him too soon.” Luffy takes a step back, considering. Not want to be with him anymore? Does that mean… “I could lose Torao?” “Yes, you very well could. But now, if you are sure he is as ready for you as you are for him, you can go ahead and tell him. It may just make the way longer for yourself. Though, faith will lead you to your destination, no matter the path you choose to take to reach it, be it long or short, easy or perilous.” Luffy hesitates. He doesn’t want to lose Torao. But also, he can’t just not tell him, can he? “Go ahead, choose the path.” The Fortune Teller gestures toward the cards. [[Death]] or [[The Fool]] or [[Strength]]

''Mods:'' `Katia_Anyway`: Head Mod, Organization, Writing mod, Art mod, Formatting mod (text-indent:100)[Socials: `Katia_Anyway` (AO3), katia-anyway (Tumblr)] Nimudae: Art mod, Secretary (text-indent:100)[Socials: Nimudaes (Twitter), Nimudae (Tumblr, AO3 & Instagram)] betsib: Intern Writing Mod, Beta testing (text-indent:100)[Socials: betsib (Tumblr & AO3), bebergst (Twitter)] Ceylon: Graphics Mod, Social Media Mod (text-indent:100)[Socials: quackquackcey (Twitter, Tumblr & AO3)] chenziee: Beta testing (text-indent:100)[Socials: chenziee (AO3 & Tumblr), chenziee1358 (Twitter)] ''Artists:'' betsib: Temperance Card, Gum Gum no Punch Card, Torao Card, Spot Art for the Marineford past vision, Endings Graphic (text-indent:100)[Socials: betsib (Tumblr & AO3), bebergst (Twitter)] choggi: The Hanged Man Card, Spot Art for the 'Not Again' Ending (Early second run ending) (text-indent:100)[Socials: `choggi_sketches` (Instagram), choggisketches (Tumblr)] Florakitz: The Chariot Card, The Fool Card (text-indent:100)[Socials: Florakitz (Twitter), florakitz.artwork (Instagram), kitzflora (Tumblr)] Fuse : Wheel of Fortune Card, Strength Card (text-indent:100)[Socials: professionally-sarcastic (Tumblr), fuseinotice (Twitter) & flaaffypants (AO3)] cosmicatta: The Hermit Card (text-indent:100)[Socials: cosmicatta (Twitter, Tumblr & AO3)] Nimudae: The World Card, Judgment Card, Death Card, Spot Art for the DILF LawLu Husbands vision, Spot Arts for the Happy Ending (Death) (text-indent:100)[Socials: Nimudaes (Twitter), Nimudae (Tumblr, AO3 & Instagram)] Raiya: The Lovers Card, The Tower Card, Gum Gum no Punch Card, The Devil Card (and it's inverted version), Torao Card, Spot Arts for the LawLu wedding vision, Spot Art for Law visiting Luffy's grave vision, Spot Arts for the Hermit Law vision, Spot Arts for the Happy Ending (Strength) (text-indent:100)[Socials: xraiyax (Tumblr), `raiya_art` (Instagram & Twitter)] Ari: The Moon Card, Spot Art for the Corazon Law vision (text-indent:100)[Socials: therealblackpe1 (Twitter)] ''Writers:'' betsib: Marineford past vision (Temperance), Silly Good Ending (The Torao) (text-indent:100)[Socials: betsib (tumblr & AO3), bebergst (Twitter)] chenziee: LawLu wedding vision (The Lovers), Soulmates AU (The Wheel of Fortune), Silly Neutral Ending (Gum Gum No Punch), Corazon Law vision (The Moon), Wano vision (The Chariot), Worst Ending (The Devil), No longer Worst Ending (Inverted Devil) (text-indent:100)[Socials: chenziee (AO3 & Tumblr), chenziee1358 (Twitter)] Fuse: Dressrosa vision (The Tower), Bad Ending (The Fool) (text-indent:100)[Socials: professionally-sarcastic (Tumblr), fuseinotice (Twitter) & flaaffypants (AO3)] cosmicatta: Hermit Law vision (The Hermit) (text-indent:100)[Socials: cosmicatta (Twitter, Tumblr & AO3)] Ja-san: Introduction, Happy Ending (Death) (text-indent:100)[Socials: jasjasanan (Twitter), Jasan (AO3)] `Katia_Anyway`: Card picking scenes, DILF LawLu Husbands vision (The World) (text-indent:100)[Socials: `Katia_Anyway` (AO3), katia-anyway (Tumblr)] Purplehairedwonder: Law visiting Luffy's grave vision (Judgment), 'Not Again' Ending (Early second run ending) (text-indent:100)[Socials: purplehairedwonder (AO3 & Tumblr), `caitlin_kelly11` (Twitter)] Raiya: Minion Island vision (The Hanged Man), Happy Ending (Strength) (text-indent:100)[Socials: xraiyax (Tumblr), `raiya_art` (Instagram & Twitter)] Ritsuko Ryoku: Alt text for the pictures (text-indent:100)[Socials: ritsukotheloner (Twitter)] Want to start over and discover all the other endings and choices possible? Click here! [[Start]]

As the house of the Fortune Teller comes back into focus, Luffy takes a moment to breathe. His heart is beating strangely, both excited and calm. He is in love. In love with Torao. Somehow he’s been for a while and just… hadn’t noticed. He needs to tell him. He needs to tell him and to do it now. The Fortune Teller smirks as he shuffles the cards. “That light in your eyes. It seems the fog is clearing and you are finally seeing the path ahead. Will it help you reach your goal, though?” He puts three different cards down in front of Luffy. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/05/01/truffytwine_The-Hermit_card2.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Features Trafalgar Law dressed in a brown winter coat with a shawl loosely wrapped around his shoulders and head. The background shows a moonlit night with a few stars and several clouds surrounding him. He holds up a kerosene lantern close to his face, to illuminate the way before him. The card is entitled, “The Hermit.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Chariot_card.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A colored illustration of a Tarot Card. Simple Wano-style background with curved tree behind an ornate Japanese-style building. Luffy is in the center, silhouetted in black with white detailing his face and chest scars prominently. In front of him are two Devil Fruits: the Gomu Gomu no Mi and the Ope Ope no Mi. The card is entitled, “The Chariot.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/30/truffytwine_The-Devil_card2.png" width=336&height=576 alt="A red, black, and white illustration of a Tarot Card. The card itself is inverted. The background is smudged red and black with a white silhouette of Luffy aiming a stretchy punch at the dark figure of Blackbeard. He is a red silhouette shown by his large coat. A white string leads down to the white silhouette of Trafalgar Law on his knees with his hands tied behind his back. His heart shoulder tattoo is illuminated in red ink. The card is entitled, “The Devil.”" { max-width: 100%; }/> [[The Hermit]] or [[The Chariot]] or [[The Devil ]] or [[Refuse to play the game any longer]] Luffy is quick to choose, this time, eager to find Torao. And when the world fades to black, he is ready.

He has to get Torao back. Even if Torao is never going to love him back, Luffy still needs to free him. That is why he chooses the strength card. But instead of the odd feeling Luffy gets when the vision starts, he can suddenly feel Torao’s Haki. It feels so warm this time, pushing away the chilly air in the room. And Torao is back, breathing heavily and kneeling on the table right before Luffy. The fortune teller backs away from the table looking confused and angry but Luffy ignores him and jumps up to hug Torao instead. "Torao!" "Mugiwara-ya." Torao’s calming voice against his ear makes Luffy feel excited and he grins broadly. Luffy is clinging to Torao’s neck, legs hanging mid-air and the other captain wraps his arm around his waist to hold him, but his gaze is fixed on the fortune teller. [["This is not possible.”]]

The old guy’s face is dark red and his brows are furrowed in anger, he stands up on his chair and points at Torao. "The cards don’t allow one to get out, especially not a brat like you.” "Listen old geezer, if you didn’t want me to get out you shouldn’t have shown me all those visions.” Torao’s breath is even again but Luffy can hear the annoyance in his voice. "The visions are there to trap you, they are there to give you hope and take it away to make you see the life you could have lived and the chances you missed while living yours. Nothing is stronger than the deck.” Torao laughs. "Love is. You let me see so many people that I love and that love me and you forced me to see the love I was running away from. I got out because I followed my heart and ran towards the love that I was afraid of.” Luffy looks at Torao with big eyes. What love was Torao afraid of? [["Come on Luffy, let’s go."]]

Law jumps off the table and takes Luffy’s hand. "we will find our way to the harbor by asking someone else." Looking at their joined hands Luffy grins widely and just when he wants to start running to get away from this scary place, the old man cries out for them once more. They both just ignore his calls for them to come back. "Bye, grandpa." Luffy’s anger has vanished with Torao being back again. He is too happy to have him back to still care about the fortune teller. But the old man is not ready to let them go. "You can’t just leave, you have not finished the deck." "Old man, you’re lucky if we just leave." Torao mutters but keeps walking. "You two brats think you can disrespect my deck and just leave?" he shouts at them, and the room is getting icy again. "Not again, grandpa," Luffy calls out and puts his hand to his mouth to activate gear 4 but Law stops him. "Let me do that Luffy-ya." Luffy is so distracted by Law saying his name in such a fond way that he does not even realize what Law is doing until he is done. [["Room."]]

In the blink of an eye, Law has built up the room and turned the old man into neat blocks on the table. "Enjoy a game of putting yourself back together," Law grumbles and Luffy looks at the pile of blocks with one being an angry mouth shouting and cursing at them. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Illustration195.png" width=437 height=460 alt="A black and white illustration. The fortune teller has been turned into a multitude of puzzle pieces, the same way Law split Kinemon to pieces on Punk Hazard." { max-width: 100%; }/> "He looks more fun now than before." Luffy laughs and notices Law has not once let go of his hand. Happiness floods through his whole body to the tips of his fingers and toes making him all energized despite him not having eaten anything for what feels like days. "I’m sure you’re hungry, we can get you something on the way back," Law says while they leave the fortune teller’s house with quick steps. "We can just go back, I’m sure Sanji has prepared something." [[That has Law stop so abruptly that Luffy almost falls on his butt.]]

Torao cups his face and looks at him with worried eyes, he even creates a room to scan Luffy. "Are you really Mugiwara-ya or am I still in that stupid card deck? I was sure I got out. I used the love I felt for the people still waiting for me. My crew, knowing they need me and the love for-," Law cuts himself off, swallows, and then continues with a softer voice, "Feeling that energy close was like a beacon guiding me to get out. At least I thought but-" Torao rambles his eyes searching Luffy’s, brows furrowed with worry. He calms down a bit and the grip on Luffy’s face gets looser. "Are you really my Luffy?" *My Luffy.* Luffy really likes the sound of those words coming from Torao. It’s the third time he uses Luffy. [["Yes. And you beat the deck before I could. What was your bacon?"]]

Torao’s face goes blank for a moment and then one of his rare smiles spreads over his face causing Luffy’s heart to almost jump out of his chest. It feels similar to when he’s in gear 5 and his heart is thudding excitedly. "Beacon Luffy, not bacon. Beacon as in the light that is so bright it shows you the way out of the darkness." "And who is your light? Aside from your crew?" Luffy asks and Law’s face goes soft. Luffy shudders when his fingers brush over his cheek and along his neck before Torao just turns and continues walking down the street. It’s dark by now and the moonlight is the only thing lighting the street they stand in, but Luffy thinks he sees Torao blush. Curious he follows after him and glances at him but Torao just pulls his hat deeper into his face. [[Luffy still feels giddy from Torao’s touch and starts to talk.]]

"I saw many different visions, did you see some too?" "Yes." "Was your beacon in them?" "Yes in each of them." "You were in each of mine." "Is that so?" "I think I was in each of yours too." Luffy grins now while Toao is trying to hide his face completely in the shadow of his hat and behind his collar. "Torao?" Luffy finds Torao's reaction too cute and despite what the fortune teller told him he is now sure that telling the other captain about his feelings is the right thing. "Mugiwara-ya?" Torao asks back, his voice neutral but Luffy knows better and decides to be frank. [["I hated not finding the real you but I’m glad the visions made me realize that I love you."]]

Torao stumbles over his own feet and Luffy falls with him, landing on top of him. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Twine_strength_Berg.png" width=1000 height=650 alt="A colored illustration. The scene is a dark, city street with a lamp light casting light from the left side of the image. Law is lying on the ground with his fur cap knocked off. He looks up in surprise to see Luffy kneeling over him with a big smile on his face." { max-width: 100%; }/> "Oi Torao, are you alright?" Luffy smiles when he sees Torao’s deep red face and shocked expression. "I’m not sure. I may have hit my head too hard in one of the visions." Luffy’s laugh echoes through the street and Torao quickly covers his mouth. "Don’t wake everyone up, Mugiwara-ya." "I’m your beacon, right? You said it was close and if it was not the grandpa, it was me." Torao just sighs and leans back, letting Luffy straddle his hips while he covers his face with his hand. "Your Haki. The visions were distracting and some upsetting, others making me ache so much I could not keep a clear head, but once I finally concentrated on the love I actually had, even from people I lost, and the people that were still there counting on me. And you, the visions made me see our relationship from another viewpoint, I realized why with you everything was different than it was with anyone else. And then I remembered that whatever happens, I could always feel your Haki if you’re close. And I closed my eyes and concentrated only on that. That’s how I found the way out." "The visions made me see I love you too. Not like Sabo or my crew, but like I’m hungry for you." [["That almost makes me afraid that you might eat me."]]

"Shishishi." Luffy leans down and presses his head against Torao’s forehead. The moonlight is reflecting in his golden eyes and Luffy thinks they are much more beautiful than any treasure or jewel. "I’m hungry to kiss you." "Since when are you not just taking what you are hungry for?" "Some things taste better if I wait for them to be ready." "Ok, now I’m sure you are talking about food only." Luffy knows that Torao is trying to tease him but the smile he wears while doing it is so beautiful he can only smile back. And then Torao cups his face again, like before but this time he wears a soft smile and his fingertips brush along Luffy’s cheek into his hair. The feeling has thousands of butterflies go wild in Luffy’s stomach and he can hear his heartbeat loud and strong when Torao’s lips meet his. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Illustration196.png" width=554 height=623 alt="A black and white illustration. Law is lying down, embracing Luffy who is on top. The two are leaning in to share a kiss. This scene illustrates the moment just before their lips meet." { max-width: 100%; }/> When Torao stops, Luffy follows his lips again and kisses him more like the starving man he is. "Luffy-ya, as much as I enjoy kissing you, the street is not the most comfortable place to lie on and you’re surprisingly heavy." Luffy gets up and helps Law too and together with their hands intertwined they make their way back to the harbor. Which is easy to find now because some pirates have lit a bright beacon. [[The End]]

(set:$finishedTwineOnce to true) <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/end-credits.png" width=620 height=877 alt="A colored illustration. A pair of hands are holding up a deck of tarot cards, shuffling them from hand to hand. Below is the text: “The End. Shuffle the deck and play again?”" { max-width: 100%; }/> Want to start over and discover all the other endings and choices possible? Click here! [[Start]] Wanna discover the people who worked hard to make this Twine a reality? It's this way! [[Credits]]

When Luffy opens his eyes again, it takes a moment for his body to adjust to the new environment. There’s a thick mist engulfing his surroundings, making it difficult to distinguish anything, but he can hear the ocean waves crashing nearby. He must be close to the shore. *Torao.* That’s his first half-coherent thought. *Torao. Torao, Torao, Torao. I need to find you.* Luffy doesn’t have time to figure out where he is or even what kind of place this is. It doesn’t matter. If he’s here, that means Torao must be too, in some way. And Luffy needs to see him now more than ever. *You’re here. I know you’re here somewhere. I can feel you.* He starts walking aimlessly through the fog, with nothing to guide him but instinct and determination, until the weather finally starts to dissipate. And there, in the distance, he can see it at last: a tiny house on top of a cliff, with smoke coming out the chimney and a big willow tree sheltering its roof, bending in the wind. [[Nothing about the landscape indicates that Torao could be there, but Luffy immediately knows that’s where he must go.]]

Running uphill like his life depends on it, he makes his way towards the house. The rhythm of his own heartbeat rings inside his ears like the climax of a song, and if he wasn’t in such a hurry, Luffy would stop to dance to its tune. And give a name to that melody that he can finally understand. Enjoy the way it makes his body shudder. *To-ra-o.* *Once this is all over, you will know, too. You will realize, too. It’s easy. It’s going to be so easy. Just wait.* It doesn’t take him long to get to the top of the cliff. He stops in front of the door to collect his breath for a moment and feels a pleasant warmth coming from inside. The house is inviting him in. Luffy could knock, like any sane person would most likely do, but he has never been too bothered with courtesy, and the urgency burning in his chest is guiding his movements almost involuntarily. His fist is about to smash the door when it suddenly opens by itself. [[And there he is.]]

“Torao!” Time seems to freeze. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Twine_hermit_2.png" width=214 height=500 alt="A black and white illustration. Law is standing just in the doorway with one hand on the knob and the other on the door frame. He is wearing a doctor's coat." { max-width: 100%; }/> For a moment, Luffy can’t hear the wind rustling nor the murmur of the sea anymore, and everything around them stays still as Torao holds his gaze, wide-eyed and breathless. Then he blinks, and the world starts turning again, so abruptly it almost makes Luffy lose balance. “Mugiwara-ya,” Torao mutters. He’s frowning. *Huh.* That’s… not the reaction Luffy was expecting. He takes a moment to examine the person that’s in front of him, in silence. Piercing gold eyes, disheveled black hair peeking under a fluffy hat, and a scowl he’d recognize anywhere. [[There is no doubt that this is Torao. But he’s not the one Luffy is looking for. Again.]]

“What the hell are you doing here?!” Torao huffs, raising his voice—*Torao? Half-Torao? Almost-Torao? Eh, whatever.* “No, actually, *how* did you even end up here?! I—!” “With the Permit card!” Luffy interrupts him. “The what?” Torao says, confused. “Wait, don’t answer that, I don’t want to hear it. I should have known you’d end up finding me sooner or later.” Luffy smiles at him. “Yeah!” he says. “So, are you going to let me in?” Torao narrows his eyes for a moment, then sighs in defeat. “It’s not like I really have a choice. This is you, after all.” Luffy lets out a snicker but adds nothing as Torao reluctantly leads him inside the house. It’s as small as it looks from the outside, the old gas kitchen almost blending in with the tiny living room area. But Luffy isn’t at all interested in his surroundings, much more preoccupied with the man that is closing the door behind him while mumbling to himself. Torao fumbles with the doorknob for a little longer than what seems necessary. As if he's trying to delay the moment to turn around and face Luffy. [[And there’s something about him.]]

He is exactly like his Torao, except he isn’t—his aura is barely reminiscent of the strong-willed force that should surround him. What remains of Torao’s determination is drowned under a thick layer of dullness that could fool almost anyone. He looks tired. Sad. He looks like he has given up. Luffy frowns. “I’d offer you something to eat, but I was actually about to go for groceries in town, so…” Torao starts, still not looking at him. “I don’t have guests very often.” “Do you live here all alone?” Luffy asks him. Torao scoffs. “Who would I even live with?” “I don’t know, with your crew or something.” Torao’s whole body goes rigid. Five seconds pass like five long hours, and Torao finally turns around. His fists are clenched, and his eyes look like broken glass as he stares at Luffy, incredulous. [[“That’s not a very nice joke, Mugiwara-ya,” he says very slowly.]]

Luffy tilts his head in confusion. Did he say something wrong? He often irritates Torao with offhanded comments and impulsive decisions—sometimes on purpose, sometimes unintentionally—, but no matter how annoyed he is, he’s never looked at Luffy like *that*. “Torao, what—” “Don’t.” Torao cuts him off, agitated. “I was going to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I’m too tired to play games. So you better tell me what it is that you want before I throw you into the ocean.” “What I want?” Torao seems to be getting more and more exasperated with every word that leaves Luffy’s mouth. [[“You must want something!” he shouts. “You—you must have a good reason to be here after what I said to you five years ago!”]]

*Five years.* Had they not seen each other for so long? How? Why? “You…” Torao starts talking again, and even though he’s not yelling anymore, his voice sounds raspy and broken. “You come here with your stupid smile after all this time, after I had already stopped expecting you to come, and ask me about my—my *crew.*” He clenches his jaw and looks away. “What kind of sick punishment is this?” Luffy blinks. Punishment? What is Torao talking about? He’s about to ask him out loud when a hard knock on the door interrupts them. Torao doesn’t miss the opportunity to escape the situation. He quickly turns around to open the door and reveals a middle-aged woman holding a small child in her arms. Her lips are pursed in worry, but her eyes turn hopeful upon seeing Torao. [[“Doctor Trafalgar?” the woman asks, unsure.]]

“I’m sorry, I know we didn’t have an appointment, but we were taking a walk nearby and Maya twisted her ankle. I thought—” “Come in,” Torao interrupts her, moving aside to let them inside the house. “Sit her down and I’ll take a look.” The woman’s whole face lights up. “Thank you, thank you!” She hurriedly crosses the entrance and places the little girl in one of the dining chairs near the kitchen area. The kid only sniffs a few times, but her eyes look puffy from crying. Torao approaches the girl and crouches down to examine her swollen ankle. For what seems like an eternity, the room stays completely silent, and Luffy feels like his brain is boiling itself. Sure, he feels bad about the injured child, but it doesn’t look *that* serious, and he was having a conversation with Torao before they arrived. Besides, his time in this realm is limited. So his stuff should take priority. [[“Tora—”]]

“It’s barely sprained,” Torao cuts Luffy off without even looking in his direction. He then reaches out to the table and grabs a small box. “A few days of rest and it will disappear. I’ll still give you some painkillers just in case.” Torao takes a small bottle and some bandages from inside the box and starts treating the child’s injury. The little girl looks at him in wonder. “See? All good,” Torao tells her when he’s done, voice devoid of all emotion. “You can tell your friends you got it from fighting a child-eating monster. Or something.” The girl giggles and mumbles a shy “okay.” *Ah. Torao is always amazing.* Luffy can’t be mad, after all. Not when he sees Torao try to hide a soft smile as he holds the child in his arms and brings her back to her mother. Watching him talk to the woman by the entrance, Luffy wonders when Torao got so comfortable around kids. From what he remembers, he’s always seemed a bit uneasy when interacting with them. But this Torao acts like he’s used to it. After exchanging goodbyes, both mother and child leave at last, closing the door behind them. [[Alone again. There’s a beat of silence.]]

“So you’re a child doctor now?” Luffy asks. Torao sighs and turns around to face him, as if he’s just remembered that Luffy’s there too. “It’s called pediatrician, and not really,” he says. “I’m just the town doctor. You must have seen a small village on your way here.” Luffy has not seen any kind of village. “Sounds boring,” he says. “Of course you’d say that,” Torao scoffs. “But I’ll have you know that I’m enjoying my retirement quite a lot.” He leans on the wall behind him and crosses his arms over his chest, looking directly at Luffy like he’s somehow challenging him. To do what, Luffy isn’t sure. But he takes the bait anyways. “Liar,” Luffy says. Torao frowns. “I’m not lying. I do like it here.” “But you miss being a pirate.” [[Torao flinches as if he’s been slapped. He breaks eye contact and his firm, uptight posture starts breaking apart. This Torao is like a tower in ruins.]]

“There are many things that I miss, Mugiwara-ya,” he says in a lower voice. “But most of them can’t come back.” Luffy takes a step closer. Torao’s eyes are glued to the floor, and Luffy reaches out to gently tug at his sleeve, trying to get back his attention. “Do you miss me?” he asks. Torao still won’t look at him, but Luffy can see the question has surprised him. He’s always been like that, so easy to read. So much easier than he thinks he is. There’s a pause. A stinging moment where the air feels thicker and both of them seem to be holding their breaths. Torao is the first to exhale. “I can’t miss something I’ve never had,” he answers at last. “That’s so stu—” Luffy starts arguing. “I don’t deserve you being here right now,” Torao interrupts him. And now it’s Luffy’s turn to be surprised. As Torao finally tears his eyes off the ground, Luffy stares at him in perplexity, trying to make sense out of his words. And there’s that melancholic glint behind Torao’s lashes again. That dullness that’s driving Luffy crazy. [[“The last time I saw you, I—you—” Torao tries to start again. And this time Luffy listens.]]

“When you found me that day, you were already the goddamned King of the Pirates. And you were so upset that I had not been there to see it happen. I thought it was so childish. So selfish.” He takes a shaky breath before continuing. “That you’d complain about such a thing when I had been mourning the loss of my crew.” *The loss of his—so that’s what—* Luffy barely has time to react. There’s so much he wants to do, so much he wants to say, but Torao hasn’t finished talking yet. “I yelled at you. Even though you had no way of knowing. I—I said I never wanted to see you again, do you not remember?” Torao’s voice is starting to get louder, but it cracks at the end. “Even after you found out and apologized. Even after you touched the ground with your forehead and cried with me. I didn’t want to listen. I turned out to be the childish one. Do you not remember how I treated you? Do you—?” Luffy covers Torao’s mouth with his hand. [[“Stop,” he says, firmly.]]

And Torao does. He doesn’t fight it. He doesn’t slap Luffy’s hand away, nor does he try to escape his piercing gaze. It’s a fragile kind of surrender. “I don’t care about any of that,” Luffy continues. “That’s so stupid, you’re saying the stupidest stuff ever. And you’re smart. You’re supposed to know love is not about deserving, so what are you talking about?” A muffled squeak tries to come out from under Luffy’s hand, and he withdraws it to let Torao breathe. “*L—love?*” Torao pants. And Luffy nods. “You can’t talk like that about someone who’s so important to me. It’s rude,” he says. “People I love deserve everything good in the world, because I say so.” For a moment, it seems like Torao is about to burst into tears—there’s a subtle tremor in his eyebrows, a hesitant pout, a watery coat over his eyes. [[But he laughs instead. Startling Luffy, and maybe even himself, Torao lets out a hearty cackle.]]

Luffy takes a moment to admire the sight—the beautiful, rare sight of Torao laughing with his whole chest—before joining him. Their giggles become entangled as their voices slowly die down, and they look into each other’s eyes while trying to catch their breaths. Torao’s melancholia is still there, somewhere. Luffy can see it hidden in his face, behind that tiny smile. But it’s okay. It’s tamer. It’s starting to look more like bittersweet hope. “You’re not from here, are you?” Torao whispers, as if he's afraid to break their comfortable silence. “You’re not the Monkey D. Luffy I know.” Luffy blinks, stunned for a moment, but then his smile widens. “Big brain, like always,” he chuckles. “How did you guess?” “You look at me like I’m a stranger,” Torao answers. “You say my name like you’re talking about someone else.” Luffy’s smile turns gentler. [[“Yeah. You’re not the Torao I was looking for. But I’m still glad I found you.”]]

Torao takes a deep breath at that, and he looks away scratching the back of his neck. “So, the Luffy from this world isn’t going to come back for me,” he mumbles, almost talking to himself. Luffy puffs out a snort. “Pfft. Of course he will.” “You don’t know—” Torao starts, frowning. “I do know,” Luffy cuts him off. “I would come back for you in every world.” And then Luffy starts feeling it again. His vision clouding, his body getting lighter, as if dissolving into dust. He knew he didn’t have much time, but this felt so brief. Not enough. Torao’s eyes widen before him, his face contorted into a worried expression, and Luffy raises his vanishing hand to cup his cheek. There’s a lot he still wanted to say to this Torao. And a lot he wanted to know about him. But Luffy knows he will be alright. Even if it takes a bit more time, Torao won’t stay alone for long. As he slips in and out of consciousness, Luffy feels something wet his fingertips, right below Torao’s eyelid. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Illustration184.png" width=354 height=500 alt="A colored illustration. Trafalgar Law is centered in the scene, wearing a white lab coat and black, v-neck shirt. He is staring straight ahead with wide eyes, and tears streaming down from one of them. Luffy’s hand rests against the other side of Law’s face, but the arm is beginning to slowly disappear. Luffy is fading away and Law is left in awe of the moment just before it ends." { max-width: 100%; }/> And then everything is gone again. [[Luffy wakes up yet again]]

A surge of panic rises in Luffy’s chest, and he reaches out to the other pirate, wrapping a hand around his arm before he knows what he’s doing. “Wait, Torao!” Torao pauses and looks down at Luffy’s hand then Luffy’s face. He raises an eyebrow. “What, Mugiwara-ya?” Luffy bites his bottom lip, glancing at the door before looking back at Law. “Don’t knock.” “Why?” His lips twitch up into a teasing smirk. “Don’t you want your fortune told? To see what the future holds?” Luffy shakes his head. “Nope!” he says, popping the *p* like a bubblegum bubble. He grins then and slides his hands down Law’s arm to grab Law’s hand. He starts moving away from the house, tugging Torao with him. “Hey—” “I don’t need that,” Luffy says confidently. “I’m going to make my own future. With my nakama. And with Torao.” A blush spreads across Torao’s cheeks that Luffy finds adorable, and he mutters under his breath, but he lets Luffy pull him away from the house as Luffy laughs happily, *shishishi*. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Loop_truffy_done.png" width=540 height=675 alt="A colored illustration cover. Luffy stands sideways, looking at you from over his left shoulder. His face is determined with a serious expression and hand curled into a fist. Just behind him, and back a ways, stands Law. He is sideways, looking over his right shoulder at you. His blue coat is fanning out behind him to suggest a gust of wind is blowing through. A Tarot card is flying towards you, coming across Luffy at you." { max-width: 100%; }/> [[Neither man sees a Devil card as it wafts in the breeze to the ground in their wake.]]

<img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/end-credits.png" width=620 height=877 alt="A colored illustration. A pair of hands are holding up a deck of tarot cards, shuffling them from hand to hand. Below is the text: “The End. Shuffle the deck and play again?”" { max-width: 100%; }/> Want to start over and discover all the other endings and choices possible? Click here! [[Start]] Wanna discover the people who worked hard to make this Twine a reality? It's this way! [[Credits]]

When Luffy opens his eyes, he is standing in a familiar room. He recognises it as the operating room in Torao’s ship, looking exactly as he remembers it from those brief moments between unconsciousness and blinding grief. He didn’t have much opportunity to look around last time, but he does now. There are so many strange machines, tubes and little metal things Luffy doesn’t know the name of. There are shouts coming from outside the room, then the door slams open. He sees some of Torao’s friends hurrying inside, carrying a patient. The patient is a mess of blood and ash, and Luffy briefly thinks Torao must be amazing for even *trying* to help someone that hurt. “Can I do something?” Luffy asks, but Torao’s friends don’t even look at him. Luffy frowns. He doesn’t like getting ignored, but he supposes that they are busy. Shrugging, he heads for the door. He realises too late that more of Torao’s friends are rushing into the room, and they crash into him. Except…they don’t crash. They go straight through him, like Luffy isn’t even there. Like he is a ghost. “Did I die?” he asks himself, then he sees the second patient Torao’s friends brought into the operating room. *[[Jinbe!]]*

“Is he alright? What happened?” Luffy asks, hurrying to his friend’s side. Jinbe is unconscious and hurt, but doesn’t seem to be dying. Something about the way he is dressed makes Luffy frown. It seems familiar, and not in a pleasant way. The Heart Pirates still ignore him. “Captain!” one of them shouts, and Luffy sees Torao walk through the door. His breath gets caught in his throat. Torao is wearing the wrong hat. That’s the hat he wore two years ago, when they first met on Sabody. Luffy hasn’t seen him wear it since. And Torao looks so *thin*. Fragile, almost. But his steps are confident as he walks into the operating room and puts on gloves. “Should we give them anaesthesia?” one of Torao’s friends asks, and Torao shakes his head. “They are too unconscious to feel pain,” he says with a grin. “This will be fun.” Luffy smiles as he watches Torao turn towards his patients. Luffy is very aware that Torao’s operations are painless, regardless of anaesthesia. He isn’t sure if it’s an automatic part of his fruit or something Torao does deliberately, but he has never felt more than a pleasant tickle when Torao operates. The pain comes afterwards, when the operation is done. [[Keep watching Torao work]] or [[Fall asleep until Torao is done]]

The machine beeps, bringing Luffy’s thoughts to the present again. “He’s going into cardiac arrest,” Torao says, barking out orders to his friends, before turning back towards his patient. “Don’t you die on me, Mugiwara-ya.” Luffy stares at him. He finally understands where he is. And more importantly, *when.* He walks over to Torao and his patient, and looks down at his own face. Two years younger, but still his face. His chest is in a thousand pieces, floating around in Torao’s Room. He looks at his own heart in Torao’s hands. This is the moment Torao saves his life. Luffy watches Torao work in silence. He doesn’t understand a lot of it, doesn’t see the significance of every little piece of him that Torao puzzles back together, but he understands that it’s difficult. He understands how long it takes. He understands how hard Torao is fighting to save him. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/temperance-art.png" width=400&height=576 alt="A colored illustration. Luffy is sleeping in bed, wrapped in bandages with an oxygen mask secured to his face. He also has an IV bag nearby, marking this situation as a medical one. Just beside him stands Trafalgar Law (shown from the chin down to his waist), beginning to remove his gloves which are covered in blood. It is implied that he has just finished treating Luffy’s wounds." { max-width: 100%; }/> [[There is a warm feeling in his chest when Torao finally finishes his work, hours later.]]

When Luffy wakes up the room is quiet, except for the slow, regular beeping coming from the machine by the patient's bedside. Luffy gets to his feet, stretching slightly, and catches a glimpse of the patient’s face. “Oh,” he says. “It’s me.” Himself, but two years younger. Luffy walks over to himself. He looks almost peaceful, but Luffy knows the moment he wakes up he’s going to try to fight reality itself for what it has taken from him. Until Jinbe stops him. Looking around, he can’t see his friend, but Torao is sitting beside younger Luffy’s bed, reading a book. Luffy looks over his shoulders, but the book has no pictures for him to look at, and the text is small and boring. Luffy flops down on the floor again, waiting for something to happen. People like Torao or Robin can just sit for hours staring into a book, and Luffy has never been able to understand it. “There is a village to the north, where no one ever dies,” Torao says. “At least, that’s what Orphan always believed. He used to spend his summers there, before the war.” “Torao, what are you talking about?” Luffy asks, but Torao doesn't hear him. Instead, he continues talking, and Luffy realises he isn’t just talking nonsense, [[he is reading out loud.]]

He watches Torao stumble a bit as he moves through the room, clearly exhausted, before ordering one of his friends to watch over Luffy and heading out and up the stairs. As he reaches the deck, Torao straightens his back to talk to Iva and Hancock. Luffy smiles. If he didn’t know Torao so well, he would probably believe his unaffected act. But he recognises the look in his eyes, the slump of his shoulders, and knows he’s on the brink of collapse. “If you’re looking for a reason, I don’t have one. I guess the world would be boring if he died here,” Torao says, and Luffy’s heart hurts. He has seen this time and time again, hasn’t he? Torao pretends not to care, pretends things aren't a big deal, but he fights so hard to help. He cares so much, and expects nothing in return. Luffy tries to put his arms around him but they go straight through. He still stays where he is, close to Torao. “I think I love you,” he says, but Torao doesn't hear him. Instead, he finishes his conversation, and heads back into his ship. The moment he is out of sight he stumbles on the steps, and Luffy rushes to catch him. The world falls away around him, and instead of Torao, he is met with the Fortune Teller’s smiling face. (if:$readDevilEnding)[ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more ]] ] (else:) [ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more]] ]

Luffy puts his own hand on top of Torao’s. He can’t touch him, but he thinks he can feel his hand nonetheless. The warmth Torao tries to keep hidden. The gentleness those hands betray when Torao thinks no one is looking. But Luffy *is* looking. He has been looking since this moment. He remembers it, vaguely, the soothing presence in his darkest moments, that never left until he woke up. He remembers a warm hand holding his, reminding him he wasn’t alone. “I would thank you,” Luffy says out loud. “I would, but you’d never let me.” He doesn’t want to let go of Torao’s hand. He wants to hold it properly, and not let go. Never let go. *Oh.* “Would you let me love you?” Luffy asks, but Torao doesn’t answer. That’s fine, Luffy thinks. He could ask the real Torao, *his* Torao, as soon as he finds him. The world falls away around him, and he loses the warmth beneath his hand. Instead, he is met with the Fortune Teller’s smiling face. (if:$readDevilEnding)[ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more ]] ] (else:) [ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more]] ]

He has a nice voice, calm and soothing as he tells the story of an orphan boy going on adventures on an island in West Blue. Luffy moves closer to him, hovering right next to his chair as he reads on. Luffy wonders why he is reading aloud, though. Torao doesn’t know Luffy is here, and the other Luffy is still unconscious on the bed beside them. None of Torao’s friends are nearby, so who is he reading to? He gets his answer later, when Torao finishes the chapter and puts the book down. “Your heart rate speeds up as soon as it’s quiet,” he mumbles. “You really don’t like being alone, do you, Mugiwara-ya?” The younger Luffy doesn’t answer, of course. “I suppose I wouldn’t either. I *didn’t,* as much as I tried to pretend I did,” Torao continues. Luffy watches him take the younger Luffy’s hand, and hold it with his own. [[“I wonder if you will thank me or curse me for this, Mugiwara-ya.”]]

If the Fortune Teller can make a card, then Luffy can too! It’s only right, after all. Why should the Fortune Teller be the only one to have cards? He grabs a scrap of paper and a pen from his pocket, and draws a picture. A *real* Torao card, depicting Torao as Luffy sees him. Beautiful and loving and grumpy. It’s the perfect card. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Torao-Card.png" width=437 height=538 alt="An illustration of crudely drawn sketches on torn notebook paper, spotted with faint ink smudges. It features a doodle of Trafalgar Law holding a heart in his hand. He is surrounded by other similar hearts. With a simple border to frame the scene, this is an attempt to create a Tarot Card on the spot. The words: “The Torao” are written at the bottom." { max-width: 100%; }/> “Here!” he says, holding the card up so the Fortune Teller can see. “I choose this one.” “What!” the Fortune Teller exclaims. “But you can’t’-” The card glows in Luffy’s hand. There is a yell, then a weight drops down on top of him. Luffy loses his balance, and falls down on the floor. For a moment he isn’t sure what happened, then he looks up into Torao’s face. Torao, the real Torao, his Torao, is here. [[Right in Luffy’s lap.]]

“Torao!” Luffy grins widely, throwing his arms around him. “The card worked!” “What card?” Torao asks. He seems disoriented and confused. “What happened?” “It seems you found your path,” The Fortune Teller says, and Luffy almost forgot he was there. “A path *truly* your own.” He doesn’t sound too happy about it. “What did you do?” Torao asks angrily, untangling himself from Luffy to glare at The Fortune Teller. Luffy grabs his arm before he can attack. “It’s fine, Torao,” Luffy says. “You’re here.” Torao hesitates, but gets on his feet before pulling Luffy up as well. Luffy doesn't let go of him. He isn’t sure he will *ever* let go of him again. “...fine,” Torao says, giving the Fortune Teller one last glare. “Consider yourself lucky.” The Fortune Teller chuckles. “No, I think *you* are the fortunate one. Your friend is a rare breed. Few can forge their own Fates like that.” Torao still looks like he wants to fight, and normally Luffy would be happy to let him. [[For now, however, he pulls Torao towards the exit. Before he can disappear again.]]

“What happened in there?” Torao asks when they are outside, then his eyes fall on the picture Luffy is still holding in his other hand. The hand that isn’t holding on to Torao himself. “...is that supposed to be me?” “Yeah!” Luffy says. He holds up the picture to show Torao. “See? I drew it.” “...I can see that,” Torao says, but his voice sounds pained. Maybe he got hurt when he fell from…wherever he fell from. “Is that how you see me?” “Yup,” Luffy says proudly. He squeezes Torao’s hand again, and Torao seems to realise Luffy is still holding on to him. “Mugivara-ya,” Torao says. “Are you going to let go of me anytime soon?” “Hmm, nope,” Luffy grins. “I finally found you. And you’re yourself, from here and from now, so I’m not going to let go.” “You’re not making any sense, Mugiwara-ya,” Torao sighs, but there is a fondness in his voice. [[Kiss him]] or [[Kiss his hands]]

Luffy stretches his legs to be on eyelevel with Torao, and presses their lips together. It’s a short kiss. Luffy barely has time to register how nice Torao tastes, before Torao pushes him away. Torao’s entire face is red, all the way to his ears. “What…” Torao splutters. “What are you doing? Did he drug you? Are you drunk?” Luffy laughs. “I’m in love,” he explains. “I’m in love with you.” He holds up the picture again, with all the tiny hearts surrounding Torao on the card he drew. “See?” Torao stares at him for a moment, then huffs a laugh. “You’re impossible, Mugiwara-ya. I never understand what you’re thinking.” [[“I love you,” Luffy repeats. “You know I don’t lie.”]]

Luffy pulls Torao’s hand to his lips, and kisses his tattoos. Torao freezes up, and stares at him in shock. Right, Luffy didn’t tell him yet. “What did he do to you, Mugiwara-ya?” Torao asks. “He took you away, but I found you again,” Luffy says. He pulls Torao closer, and Torao struggles against it a little bit, but it’s for show. Luffy smiles. That’s how his Torao always is: trying to put up a front like he doesn’t care, but he cares so, so much. And Luffy cares about him. “I love you,” Luffy tells him, and Torao’s eyes go wide. He opens his mouth, and Luffy can tell he is going to protest. He always does. [[“I love you,” Luffy repeats. “You know I don’t lie.”]]

Torao deflates a bit, and pulls his hat down to hide his face. “What changed, Mugiwara-ya?” “Nothing,” Luffy says. “I just realised something I’ve always known. I’ll tell you the whole story on the way to the harbour.” “We still don’t know where it is,” Torao points out, and Luffy laughs. “We’ll find our path,” he grins, squeezing Torao’s hand. “Together.” Torao looks at their hands, hesitates for a moment, then squeezes back. “Alright,” he smiles. “Together.” Hand in hand, they leave the Fortune Teller’s house behind. [[The End ]]

Luffy winces at the sudden loud noise right in his ear. It sounds like an explosion just went off, or a missile struck, and now an entire building is coming down on his head. He blinks, glancing up—just in time to see a wooden plank *actually* falling right on top of him. “Oh come on!” He quickly jumps up to his feet to avoid being hit. “Couldn’t you land a little better?!” he snaps at someone, even though he’s not sure at whom… or what he’s even talking about. The words just fall off his lips automatically, like his mouth knows what it was going to say before Luffy found himself here. Where *is* he anyway? And how did he get here? A moment ago, he picked a card from that weird dude and now… *something* is happening. And here he just wanted to find a way back to the Sunny. “It’s a flying fish and you said dive in! What did you *expect?!*” someone yells, closely followed by another, much more familiar voice. “You told me to get on… I was already heading back to the Sunny, what’s the big hurry? Where are we?” Zoro grumbles, making Luffy blink. [[It feels like they’ve already had this conversation before…]]

A frustrated groan escapes him and he automatically reaches behind his neck, putting his hat on—but something catches his attention. There’s something on his inner forearm and it’s… moving? Luffy blinks a few times, tilting his head to the side in confusion as he studies the… *mark* on his skin. It looks like a tattoo, similar in style and colour to the ones on Torao’s skin, but it’s also *different.* It’s *changing* right in front of his eyes after all; there are five face clocks of varying sizes sitting snugly next to each other, four of them perfectly still with the hands pointing exactly at the 00 mark on top. The fifth and smallest one, however, is still moving, one of its hands ticking away, counting down the seconds to… *something.* *Soulmate. I’m going to meet my soulmate in 98 seconds.* The thought that flashes through Luffy’s mind startles him. Where did that come from? Soulmate? What does that *mean?* He doesn’t understand his own mind and yet… he knows it’s true somehow. Is this world something like those romance books Sanji reads secretly all the time? Does everyone here have that soulmate person that’s their fated partner? That’s… *Weird.* Luffy shakes his head, trying to clear it; that stuff doesn’t matter in the least right now. First, he needs to figure out *where* the hell he even is. [[Look around]] or [[Ask what's going on]]

With a sigh, Luffy lets his eyes wander momentarily, taking in the large hole in the ceiling, the rubble at his feet, and the large fish in a harness flopped pathetically on the ground just to his right. A flying fish… Is this Saboody? “Zoro, what’s going on?” he asks, only to receive an incredulous look in response. “You’re asking *me?!* You just grabbed me and dragged me along!” Oh. Right. He did say that already. But if this *is* Sabaody… [[Luffy has a bad feeling.]]

Easiest is to just ask, right? “Zoro, what’s going on?” “You’re asking *me?!* You just grabbed me and dragged me along!” Zoro responds, incredulous. Oh. Right. He did say that already. With a sigh, Luffy lets his eyes wander momentarily, taking in the large hole in the ceiling, the rubble at his feet, and the large fish in a harness flopped pathetically on the ground just to his right. A flying fish… Is this Saboody? If so… [[Luffy has a bad feeling.]]

Quickly, he whips around—and his heart sinks. There it is, on the brightly lit stage, drawing hundreds of eyes to itself; a giant fishbowl with a mermaid, a *person,* inside—a mockery, an insult upon insult to her entire existence. It makes Luffy’s blood boil. Makes his stomach turn. Even after all these years of *knowing* what the world is like for the fishmen and merfolk, after having freed so many slaves himself… it never gets easier. And if it concerns his own friends… “CAMIE!!” “Wait, Mugiwara!! What are you going to do?!” Arms grab onto Luffy’s stomach, trying to hold him back while Hachi begs him to stop. But Luffy didn’t wait back when he first experienced this, and he sure as hell isn’t about to wait *now.* Not when this time, he can *actually* help. [[Mind]] or [[Body]]

Luffy takes a deep breath, stopping in his tracks. “Sorry, Hachi. Wait here for a bit,” Luffy says and, not giving Hachi time to even process his words, he uses his haki to knock his friend out. [[There’s no reason to put him up for display too; having Camie there is more than enough.]]

Luffy takes a deep breath, stopping in his tracks. “Sorry, Hachi. Wait here for a bit.” Luffy says and, not giving Hachi time to even process his words, he swiftly lands a punch to the top of his friend's head, knocking him out. [[There’s no reason to put him up for display too; having Camie there is more than enough.]]

“Hachi! Are you okay?!” Nami cries, hurrying over to check on the fishman. Luffy pays them no mind as he quickly starts making his way towards the stage to save Camie. He barely takes a few steps before someone blocks his path. And honestly, Luffy would be lying if he said he isn’t glad for it. He doesn’t let the Celestial Dragon so much as open his mouth before Luffy’s fist shoots forward, landing square in the man’s disgusting face, knocking a few teeth out and bursting his precious bubble while at it. Ah, punching these guys always feels so good. Now, for Camie and her stupid collar… He hopes his haki is strong enough right now for ryuo to break it; he better try it out first before he risks the thing blowing up… Grabbing onto the nearest audience chairs, Luffy readies himself to propel himself forward past all the guards and directly onto the stage. Worst comes to worst, he’ll just protect Camie until someone finds the keys to her collar. [[“Wasn’t expecting so much excitement in here. Thanks for the show, Mugiwara-ya.”]]

Luffy freezes at the new voice that comes from his left. His heart jumps in his chest for reasons he doesn’t bother to think about, and a wide smile spreads on his face; he completely forgot *he* was here too before! How could he have forgotten? This is where they met for the first time! Oh, isn’t Jaggy here too somewhere? Man, how long has it been? Immediately letting go of the chairs, Luffy instead turns around to face his (future?) friend, only to pause at the sight that meets him. Wow, Usopp’s *right*; Law’s old hat really *did* look even more like a mushroom than the one he wears now. “Luffy!” Robin calls for his attention as she hurries over to them. “That’s Traf—” “Torao!! Hi!” Luffy interrupts her as he throws his arms up in excitement, startling both Robin and Law and his crew. Penguin and Shachi exchange a glance while the bear regards Luffy with his head tilted to the side cutely. Luffy ignores them, only watching Law’s face as it goes from surprise to confusion to careful neutral in a matter of half a second. “I’m flattered. You know of me?” Law says slowly, not addressing Luffy’s nickname for him at all. Luffy doesn’t expect any less either; Torao’s never bothered to ask or complain about it, he just accepts it without question. [[It’s such a small thing… but it"s always made Luffy happy.]]

“Of course!” Luffy laughs; this situation seems really funny to him somehow. Law huffs. “Sounds like you’re interested in me. Any particular reason?” A lazy smirk is playing on Law’s lips now, the very same smirk that always does weird things to Luffy—like right now; there’s something squirming in his stomach at the sight of it, his heart skipping a beat. He doesn’t get it; he never did, even though the long-suffering, exhausted look Nami gave him when he asked her about it a few weeks ago told him that he *should* know what it means. But he’s not a doctor, okay? And he also doesn’t care enough to wreck his brain about it. There are more important and more fun things to do, like eating meat and watching Franky and Usopp show off their newest inventions. [[And so, Luffy simply shrugs. “Eh, not really. I just like you.”]]

Dead silence settles over their little group, interrupted only by the sounds of people screaming and blades clashing as the crew fights the auction house’s guards. Luffy blinks, his eyes jumping between Law and Robin, the both of them staring at him like he’s grown a second head, while also looking like they’re trying to dissect his brain with their eyes. Which… is honestly something the two of them *would* do given the chance, especially since Torao’s ability could *actually* make it happen. “Guys,” Luffy whines. “Stop looking at me like that.” With that… the spell breaks. And immediately, Law’s face looks like it’s on *fire*. “Torao, are you okay?!” Luffy asks in alarm. Law doesn’t say anything; he only looks away as if the sight of Luffy was burning his eyes and he quickly covers his face with his hand. He tries to make it seem like he’s rubbing at his eyes but Luffy knows he’s simply hiding. [[From what? Luffy has no idea.]]

Before Luffy can repeat his question, Bepo leans in, poking Law’s shoulder lightly with his claw. “Captain, do you think *he’s* your—” “Shut up, Bepo,” Law hisses, not letting his best friend even finish. Quietly, Bepo apologises to him, offering Luffy no answers at all—which doesn’t seem to be the case for Robin who lets out a quiet *oh*, before giggling to herself a little bit. “Luffy, can I see your arm for a second?” she asks and, not waiting for an answer, grabs his hand and turns it over—only to then immediately bite on her bottom lip, her eyes lighting up with amusement. “Robin?” Luffy tries, full of confusion. He follows Robin’s gaze to his inner forearm, staring at it for a moment before he realises what he’s seeing. [[That funny clock is no longer moving—stopped at perfect zero.]]

*Soulmate. Soulmate. Soulmate.* His mind echoes the single word as if it’s supposed to mean something to him… and somehow, it does. And his eyes widen in complete, utter *horror*. “Are you telling me that Celestial Dragon is my soulmate?!” he cries, panic taking over his mind, and he rips his arm away from Robin’s gentle grasp to take a closer look. “Maybe it didn’t hit zero yet! It’s a face clock, it could still be counting down! It’s probably still like… half a freckle away from doom, right?! Right?!” he rambles on, looking up to stare at Robin, *begging* her to say there’s something they can do. And once again… [[Absolute silence follows.]]

This time, however, it feels *different*; it’s not the type of silence you get when something surprising happens. It’s more so the type of silence where everyone is trying to wrap their heads around something that’s so incredibly ridiculous that your brain refuses to process it for a hot minute. Luffy has no idea what it is that has them all so speechless. Finally, after what feels like hours, Shachi is the first one to move. He slumps forward with his face buried in his hands with his shoulders shaking and Luffy wonders whether he’s *laughing* and just trying hard not to show it. [[“I’m so sorry, Captain,” he mutters after a moment, his voice very muffled, but it’s still obvious it’s trembling with badly suppressed amusement.]]

Law only groans in response, closing his eyes as he throws his head back. Somehow, the man looks completely spent. But he was perfectly fine just a second ago…? “What’s going on with you?” Luffy asks as he crosses his arms over his chest and gives Law and his crew an unhappy scowl. “Please, never change, Luffy.” Robin giggles. “Not you too,” Luffy whines. Seriously, what is it? What did he *say?!* Before he can ask just that, a bullet strikes him in the back, going straight through his heart. Luffy barely has the time to wonder how the hell he didn’t notice it coming—was his haki so weak right now or was he so distracted by everyone *making fun of him?*—before everything goes black. [[Luffy wakes up]]

Luffy stares at the four cards lying in front of him. Which one should he pick? Which one would take him to Torao? …would any of them? The last set didn’t take him anywhere, just made him run around for no damn reason. Why the hell should Luffy believe there’s any point to this ‘game’? “I’m done with these cards,” Luffy announces, shooting a glare at the guy. “Oh? You don’t care about your little *friend* anymore?” The man’s beard twitches a little bit in what Luffy can only assume is smirk. “You know the cards are the only way for him to come back, right?” Luffy lets out a frustrated noise, throwing his hands up. “*Fine!*” [[“What are you doing?!” the man cries in alarm.]]

Completely ignoring him, Luffy strides confidently right past him and towards what seems to be the fortune teller’s work desk. He rips a piece of paper out of what might be an accounts book, then grabs the pen from the holder next to it, getting to work immediately. It only takes him a moment to get the result he wants; discarding the pen carelessly, Luffy grabs the paper and walks right back the way he came, then slams the paper in front of the fortune teller, right on top of the four weird magic-thing cards, making the stupid old man jump. “Here’s my pick,” Luffy says proudly, raising his hand to slowly reveal the ‘card’ he drew himself just a moment ago. The card of himself punching the fortune teller to oblivion—and look! He went so far as to name the card, just like all the magic cards were named! Gum-Gum Punch sounds like a solid card if you ask him. The best card, really. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Illustration155.png" width=437 height=538 alt="An illustration of crudely drawn sketches on torn notebook paper, spotted with faint ink smudges. It shows Luffy smiling up to the left with one hand on his hip and the other stretched out to punch The Old Man in comical style. Action lines surround the old Man to indicate the force of the strike, and his eyes are X-ed out to show the impact. The words “Gomu Gomu no Punch” are written at the bottom." { max-width: 100%; }/> The man’s mouth falls open; he’s silent for a second, then his brow furrows and he looks back up at Luffy. “You can’t *do* that!” “Watch me,” he says, an evil grin pulling on his lips as he cracks his knuckles. “I’m going to beat you up until you bring Torao back.” “No! I mean—That’s going to—!” [[Suddenly, the fortune teller stops talking… and Luffy can tell why.]]

The ‘card’ Luffy made is moving by itself, crumpling slightly as if it’s in pain—which is ridiculous; it’s a piece of paper, there’s no way it can do anything by itself. And yet… Luffy blinks, watching the paper shake and twist as if it’s being played with by an invisible toddler. It feels like even the picture that Luffy drew on it itself is moving, almost as if the rubber of his devil fruit’s transferred onto the paper; ink-Luffy’s arm is stretching out further and further with each passing second until his fist *breaks through.* And suddenly, the paper rips, ink-Luffy’s fist physically shooting out and punching the wall. “What the—” Luffy starts speaking but then stops, completely lost for words. After all, what is there to say when the entire room *warps* around you? Or maybe *melts* would be the better word. Starting from the point in the wall where ink-Luffy hit it, it’s like everything in the room is turning into ice cream on a hot summer day on a summer island. The clock that’s hanging on the wall is slowly sliding down, the perfect circle it used to be turning into more of a slimy, limp oval barely hanging onto the nail as it droops pathetically around it. The bookcase next to it is keeping its shape for some reason, but the little elephant figure that stands on top of it has flopped over a little after its legs gave out—its two front legs are now dangling over the edge and *stretching* until the elephant looks more like Zunesha with its legs that can reach the bottom of the ocean than a regular elephant. It doesn’t stop there either; with each passing second, the distortion spreads until almost nothing looks *normal.* It sounds and looks like the old man is on the verge of tears as he watches it all happen with wide eyes and beard trembling, quietly and shakily repeating *‘oh god, why is this happening’* over and over again. [[But there’s nothing he can do about it.]]

A cabinet grows a person, the drawers now coming out of the weird looking, faceless human statue’s leg. A crystal ball sitting on the work desk next to it inflates and rises from its stand, hanging up in the air as if held up by invisible strings—and then it duplicates again and again, until there’s a bunch of them. Somehow, it looks like they’re forming a face together… or maybe a piece of meat. Luffy giggles as the receiver on a poor little transponder snail grows an actual lobster on top—Luffy wonders whether the lobster is *real* real… Can he eat it? He wants to eat it, it looks so tasty… The last thing to go is the little table where the magic cards are sitting. Luffy holds his breath, anticipation and excitement building as he waits for what wild, surreal thing is going to happen next. But then… smoke starts rising. Before Luffy can process that the magic cards are now *sizzling*, a small *poof* goes off—and then, a whole new human body appears right in front of Luffy. Exactly where he was standing before he disappeared earlier. “What just happened?” Torao groans in the middle of a coughing fit. “I was in Zou and then everything started burning—” he pauses, blinking once, then twice, as he gestures to the Zunesha-fied elephant and the crystal balls hanging in the air— [[“and what the fuck happened here?”]]

“Torao!!” Luffy calls excitedly, completely dismissing Law’s questions in favour of jumping at him, enveloping the other pirate in a hug—complete with Luffy’s legs wrapping around his waist several times over. “Let go—What are you *doing*, Mugiwara-ya?!” Law protests while he tries to pry Luffy off without much success. Not that he has much chance with his arms trapped under Luffy. Luffy only hugs Torao closer. “Nope!” With one final frustrated noise… Law gives up. His body relaxes completely, his head dropping to bury in the crook of Luffy’s neck. He feels completely exhausted under Luffy—did he also see a bunch of weird… magic visions while he was gone? Whatever the case, he’s back now. Real and solid and *oh-so warm*. And Luffy can’t help but giggle; why is he so happy about it? Why is his heart doing such weird things from having Law in his arms? Why is he getting goosebumps where Law’s breath tickles his skin? [[…eh, who cares.]]

Giving Law one final squeeze, Luffy finally lets him go. He takes a step back, studying Law’s unhappy expression, his cute frown, and his dishevelled clothes for a moment, then turns around to look at the fortune teller. This man… looks even *more* unhappy than Torao does. Honestly, he looks like he’s on the verge of a mental breakdown as he looks around with wide eyes, taking in the complete and utter *mess* of melted and distorted and probably useless furniture and appliances. Slowly, his eyes turn to Luffy—and there is so much *accusation* in there. “It’s not my fault!” Luffy cries, raising his hands up defensively. “You disappeared Torao, it’s your own fault!” The man closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, and Luffy can’t help but think he’s counting to ten in his mind. “I wouldn’t have ‘disappeared him’ if he wasn’t so rude. Now you two not only insulted me and my craft, but also *ruined my store!*” “And we only wanted to ask for directions and you just gave me hallucinations. Sounds fair to me,” Law shoots back. “Old man, now that Torao’s back, can you finally tell us how to get to the harbour?” Luffy cuts in before the old man can snap at Torao—or before his head blows up; he sure looks like he’s close to something like that with how red and angry his face is. The man simply glares at Luffy for a moment, looking like he wants to keep chewing them out, but then he sighs, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “You *are* at the harbour. Just turn west at the first opportunity,” he mutters, pointing in the right direction. “Thanks, old man!” Luffy calls and, not wasting any more time, grabs Torao’s wrist to lead him out and back to their ships. “Wait! Pay for the damages, you brats!!” [[“Put it on my treasure tab!”]]

Back inside the store, the fortune teller holds the lobster that’s appeared on his poor transponder snail’s receiver, courtesy of the kid drawing his own damn tarot cards .... and despair falls over his heart. [[This is the last time he tries to get a couple of oblivious idiots to realise their feelings.]]

Luffy opens his eyes and blinks a few times. Where is he this time? He looks around and frowns when he doesn’t recognize it. He’s standing on a dirt path. In one direction, the path winds up a hill out of sight. In the other direction, the path heads down toward the sea. The sun is shining, and a light breeze tugs at Luffy’s shirt. Luffy perks up when he sees a flash of yellow on the water and feels a familiar presence approaching. A moment later, Torao appears on the path. With a relieved laugh, Luffy runs toward his ally. By now, Luffy knows this isn’t *his* Torao, but it’s still *a* Torao, and that’s enough for now. “Torao!” This Torao, though, doesn’t respond—doesn’t react at all despite Luffy’s repeated calls. The Heart captain continues following the path, eyes focused on the path in front of him as his boots crunch in the dirt beneath his feet. As Luffy approaches, he notices that Torao has something in his hand. Sunflowers? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. [[“Torao!” Luffy calls again, launching himself at the other captain.]]

But where Luffy would usually slam right into Torao, wrapping his rubbery limbs around the other captain like an octopus, Luffy passes right through him. Luffy stumbles and pulls up short, his eyes going wide as he looks back to see Torao continuing on the path like nothing has happened. “What the— Hey! Torao!” Luffy runs up the path back toward Torao, and when he reaches him, he tries to catch Torao’s arm to stop him, to figure out where he is and how to get back to *his* Torao, but his hand goes right through Torao’s arm. Torao keeps walking, but Luffy stops short and looks at his hand. “What the hell?” But when Luffy looks back up, Torao is nearly at the top of the hill. With a curse, Luffy hurries after the other man. As he runs, Luffy realizes there’s no sound when his sandals hit the ground. It’s weird and makes the hair on the back of his neck stick up. He’s not sure what’s going on, but the longer he’s here, the more desperate he is to get out. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/Twine_judgement_spot_art.png" width=495 height=683 alt="A colored illustration. Featured in an outdoor setting, Law is walking down a path towards the viewer. He is wearing a long, black jacket that is sitting across his shoulders while carrying a bouquet of flowers. His expression is serious. Behind him Luffy is running to catch up and his hand grabs his sleeve." { max-width: 100%; }/> Luffy loses sight of Torao once the Heart captain reaches the top of the hill, but it doesn’t take Luffy long to catch up. As he comes over the top of the hill, he opens his mouth to try calling out to Torao again, but his voice catches in his throat at what he sees. Torao stands in front of a large block of stone. Something is engraved in it, but Torao is blocking it. [[What Luffy can see is a flag with the Straw Hat Pirates’ Jolly Roger flapping lightly in the breeze.]]

A sense of wrongness settles heavily in Luffy’s gut as he approaches. When he reaches Torao’s side, he freezes. It takes a few moments to register what he’s seeing. Atop the large stone is Luffy’s straw hat. And the stone bears the inscription: (align:"=><=")+(box:"X=")[//Monkey D. Luffy Beloved Brother, Captain, Friend [[Pirate King]] // ]

Next to Luffy, Torao kneels in front of the stone and places the flowers he’s brought with him next to several other bouquets in the grass in front of the grave—because that, Luffy realizes with a hollow feeling, is what this is. In this world, Luffy became Pirate King and then died. A nervous energy itches underneath Luffy’s skin, so he starts walking around the stone, unable to look at the inscription. As he rounds the back of the stone, he looks out and sees that the grave has been placed on a hill overlooking the sea. When Luffy comes around the other side of the stone, he sees that Torao has bowed his head. Luffy watches on curiously as the other man eventually straightens and sticks his hands in his pockets. “I’m sorry I haven’t been by in a while, Mugiwara-ya,” Torao says after a moment, eyes fixed on the stone. “We finally opened the doors to the hospital, and I haven’t been able to get away until now.” His lips twitch into a wan smile. “Part of me was sure we’d never get here, but I knew you’d never forgive me if I didn’t keep going.” Torao looks up and absently scratches the back of his head. Luffy leans against the stone, crossing his arms as he watches Torao. The other man is not wearing his hat, Luffy realizes. [[The thought makes him sad for a reason he can’t find words for.]]

“I know I’ve told you about the hospital, but you’ve always been a terrible listener,” Torao continues, and Luffy thinks his voice cracks as he tries to laugh. “So, I’ll tell you again. I know what it’s like to go to a hospital and be refused help. To be looked at like I didn’t *deserve* to live. That will never happen at Flevance Memorial Hospital. We take anyone who needs help, no matter their condition or whether they can pay. “A lot of doctors from former pirate crews have come to join the staff,” Torao continues. “Even Tony-ya is spending a few months with us.” Luffy brightens at this. “And we’ve already helped quite a few people who couldn’t get treatment before.” Luffy can hear the pride in Torao’s voice, and it makes something warm in his chest to hear that Torao is still following his dreams, though the thought of not being there alongside him hurts. “I wish you could see it,” Torao says, hunching his shoulders. [[“Me too,” Luffy says, though he knows Torao can’t hear him. “I bet it’s amazing, Torao.”]]

Torao clears his throat. “Anyway, the guys were glad for this trip,” he says. “They’ve been looking for an excuse to get me out of the hospital for months now. I’ve basically been living there since the opening.” Luffy knows Torao can get like this—so focused on his goal that he ignores everything else. He’s glad Torao’s nakama are still looking out for him. “But that’s not the only reason I wanted to get away,” Torao confesses. “They’ve also been trying to set me up with another doctor at the hospital. I couldn’t take it anymore.” Something unpleasant twists inside Luffy’s chest. “I know you…” Torao lets out a wet laugh. “I know you told me to find happiness, but I can’t. “I’d rather spend the rest of my life alone than compare any happiness I find to what I had with you.” Luffy frowns. “That’s stupid, Torao. There’s nothing worse than being alone.” Torao, of course, doesn’t hear him. Instead, he continues, “If only I could have told you that when you were here.” His voice cracks. [[“I love you, Mugiwara-ya.”]]

Luffy freezes, Torao’s words echoing through his head. His pulse races in his ears while his stomach flutters. *I love you, Mugiwara-ya.* Torao sniffs and shakes his head. He forces a small smile to his lips. “I have to go, but I’ll be back, Mugiwara-ya. I promise.” With one final glance at Luffy’s headstone, Torao turns to leave. A surge of panic goes through Luffy. It can’t end here, not like this. “Torao, wait!” Luffy reaches out toward Torao and makes to follow him, but the moment he steps forward, the world starts spinning around him… *No! Not yet!* And everything goes dark. (if:$readDevilEnding)[ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more ]] ] (else:) [ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more]] ]

Luffy opens his eyes. His vision is blurry and he feels dizzy but he recognizes his surroundings as the fortune teller‘s house. "Ugh," a painful moan sounds next to him. Luffy turns around to the voice, a bit too fast so he almost trips. A few blinks and he can see clearly. Law stands there, rubbing his temples as if he has a headache. "Torao? TORAO!" "Mugiwara-ya?" "You‘re back!" Luffy lunges forward to throw his arms around the other man. "Whoa! What…?" Law sounds confused but he doesn‘t push Luffy away. Instead they just stand there for a second, neither of them moving. [["Mugiwara-ya?! What a-are you doing?" Law hisses, his voice a tad higher than usual.]]

Luffy grins up at him. "You were gone, but I got you back! Shishishishishishi." Luffy is full of an excitement that is completely new to him. Torao is here, *his* Torao! He can easily tell by the distant smells of the festival's food and Law‘s normal smell. "I was gone?" "Yeah. But that doesn‘t matter now. We‘re together again. And I have to-" "Hohoho seems like you made it!" the old man interrupts them. He grins at them with a bright smile that seems bigger than his head. Law jumps away from Luffy, ready to fight as he spots the old man. "Old man, did you play any tricks on us?!" Law screams at him. "Torao, it‘s okay, we‘re back. And-" The old man's laughter interrupts Luffy. "Are you making fun of us?" Law seems to be boiling with anger and starts to argue with the fortune teller. The old man seems to be amused by Law, who only gets more and more agitated. "Torao…listen…hey Torao, I-…Tora-" Luffy tries to get through to him but Law just wouldn‘t listen to him. "Torao, listen! I-" "Hohoho. I‘m not making fun of you. You‘re just two very entertaining specimens." [["Toaro, now listen to me. I have to say something."]]

Luffy can‘t believe Law isn‘t able to understand how urgent he needs to get this off of his chest! "Not now, Mugiwara-ya." he cuts him off again. Now Luffy can feel his impatience turning into anger. "Torao!" "Old man, who do you even think you are?!" "Torao!" "How many people have you tricked in this place?" "DAMMIT TORAO, NOW SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME WHEN I TRY TO TELL YOU THAT I LOVE YOU!" Luffy breathes heavily. Finally, Law is looking at him. And surprisingly his face is now red as a tomato. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/truffytwine_Death_ART_stfuilu.png" width=700 height=500 alt="A colored illustration. Law and Luffy are standing in the fortune teller's room. There is purple fabric with gold trim lining the walls with another panel of dark fabric that marks an entrance/exit to the room. There is also a bookcase against the wall set with lots of books. There is a wooden box and a crystal ball set on a base on top of the book case. Centered in the room stands Law and Luffy. Luffy is leaning in, grabbing hold of the front of Law’s shirt as he is yelling at him. Law’s face is red as he stares back, mouth slightly open due to either surprise or shock at his sudden closeness." { max-width: 100%; }/> "Are you okay, Torao? Do you have a fever?" Law shakes his head not taking his eyes off Luffy. "Okay good! Now listen. I have to tell you something. I…I…" now Luffy feels his face getting warm. He fumbles with the hem of his shirt. This is harder than he thought. But he takes a deep breath and... "I love you, Torao!" Law still just stares at him with eyes wide open. [["Oh oh, I better leave you alone now." The old man giggles and waddles away.]]

Luffy looks at Law, curiously waiting for a reaction. Law though, is still only looking at him with his face almost glowing red. Eventually, he clears his throat. "Say that again." "What?" "What you just said." "Oh…I love you?" Law takes a deep breath. He opens his mouth to say something but then the fortune teller shoves his head into the room. "Oh and I forgot: the way to the harbor is to the left and then down the street. Byeeee!" Law sighs and takes Luffy‘s hand. He drags him through the door and down the alley as the man had just described to them. They walk down the road and Luffy tries to find any reaction on Law‘s face to read. [[But the other captain just looks straight on, his lips pressed together, like he‘s afraid words could just spill out of him.]]

But something is different. Whenever he tried to lead Luffy somewhere before, he would grab his wrist, his arm, his shoulder but never his hand. But now he does. And Toarao‘s hand feels so warm and soft. Softer than he imagined. And the closer they get to their destination, the tighter his grip gets. They can already see the ocean now, and their ships are laying in the silent waters at the docks. Law stops so abruptly, Luffy bumps into him. "Mugiwara-ya," he says but looks at the ground. Luffy has never seen him so unsure. "Hm?" [["I…maybe…maybe I like you too." he mumbles.]]

It isn‘t much but these few words are enough to make an armada of butterflies appear in Luffy‘s stomach. Now he tightens his grip around Law‘s hand, happy and content. "That‘s awesome!" He can‘t remember if he ever felt this happy. Law likes him, he said it! He really just said it! And, he can even see a soft smile on his face. Luffy throws his arms around his neck. And he feels Law‘s hands on his back. It feels so nice, so warm and cozy. As they separate, Luffy takes the lead, and hand in hand they walk back to their crews. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/truffytwine_Death_ART_sunset.png" width= 450 height=625 alt="A colored illustration. On a cobblestone path, Luffy takes Law by the hand and they are walking away from your view. Luffy is smiling back over his shoulder at Law. Up ahead, you can just make out the Sunny in the ocean. They are making their way towards it." { max-width: 100%; }/> [[The End ]]

The scraping of thick paper cards shuffling together is worse than nails on a chalkboard to Luffy's already frayed nerves. It's worth the irritation, though, when, with a snap, Law appears at his side as if he had never left it. All at once, relief floods Luffy like a drug. Law is back: he is *okay.* Without realizing it, his hands are reaching for any part of the Law they can latch onto, needing tangible proof that this is real. Just seeing the other man return, being able to touch him, and hearing his breathing calms the storm threatening to release itself at his core. When his fingers gain purchase, Luffy is unwilling to stop himself from dragging Law into a joint-cracking hug. Immediately, the comfort this singular action brings him eclipses his temper. All at once, he doesn't care about the old man and his magic cards across the table. Nor does he especially care about the half-baked threats Law directs at Luffy if he doesn't let go of him. *'Not again. Never again,'* Luffy nearly says before the leather strings attached to his beloved hat choke him backward. Law is tugging at his straw treasure to force some distance between them. Law is being underhanded, using Luffy's love for his hat against his affection for Law—not that the other man knows, *not that he would tell him*. He can't, not now, no matter how much he wants to. It leaves him in a desperately helpless position. Still, it ultimately turns into a battle of wills, as it usually does between him and Law. [["Get off me already-" Law repeats.]]

Luffy's complaints are brushed aside, even if he ultimately compromises. Regardless, Law doesn't hesitate to redirect his ire back at the nuisance of their evening. Law's face twists with frustration, different shades of red coming through the lighter patches of his complexion. …and wow. Luffy is surprised at how captivating Law is right now. It's not like he's never noticed how the gold of Law's earrings matches his eyes before or how angular his jaw is. Anyone could see how much attention Law put on his appearance. Luffy has catalogued these details long ago as parts of the whole picture that makes up 'Law' in his mind. But this time… it's like... How does he even begin to describe this feeling? He's always known that trees have leaves and has seen this specific tree many times. Usually, he doesn't particularly care. Trees are trees. But for the first time, he can see the leaves instead of the green blurs they usually are and can't help but be awestruck. Law has become *beautiful* to him. "You must have some pretty big balls." Law sneers, and with that mischievous grin, he continues, "Imprisoning and then releasing me? Biggest mistake of your life-" Laughter bursts out from Luffy, and he knows he's changed the room's energy. He can't help it, though, the sheer dichotomy of what Luffy's heart is rushing through and all the metal and grit of Law's words blend into this perfectly chaotic mixture that feels right. "What the hell is so funny?" Law snaps. [[You]] or [[Me]]

*BOOM!!* Luffy startles at the loud explosion, his eyes snapping open. He’s blinded momentarily by the brightness of the sun—shining in the cloudless sky, making the ocean’s surface sparkle. Making it impossible to see anything at all, impossible to shield his eyes from the light surrounding him from every angle. *CRASH!* Luffy blinks a few times until his eyes adjust, searching for the source of the noise. It sounds like a fierce battle raging—a sound very familiar to Luffy… but this isn’t a fight Luffy recalls. He doesn’t know this island, this shore. It’s a small, rocky place with nothing there; no city, no port, no trees. Nothing but rocks and dust and a few bushes. Suddenly… a feeling of absolute *dread* floods Luffy’s mind. Why is he so scared? It’s almost like his entire being knows something awful is about to happen, something he needs to stop before it’s too late. A sense of the ugliest, most terrifying deja-vu, almost as if—has he gone through this before? Has he visited this ‘vision’ once but forgot about it? It doesn’t really matter right now. “Torao…” Luffy mutters under his breath. [[Something is wrong; he doesn’t know what exactly, but he needs to be there.]]

Jumping off the rock he’s standing on, Luffy shoots forward. He’s not sure where he’s going, or what *exactly* is happening in this world, but he knows he has no time to spare. So, he simply lets his feet carry him, trusting that his instincts will get him where he needs to go. He sprints towards the shore, ignoring the small explosions and tell-tale sounds of battle. He has no time for that. Somehow… he can tell what’s going on anyway. And he’d sooner die himself than let Blackbeard touch his Torao. “Gear Second.” Steam rises from Luffy’s body as his blood rushes through his veins, his heart beating loudly in his ears as his speed picks up, to the point of his surroundings becoming a blur of colour. It feels like that still isn’t enough… but even so, it barely takes a few seconds before his feet start sinking into sand as he reaches the shore. Immediately, Luffy skids to a stop, forcing himself to take a moment to finally take in the situation. As he expected, Blackbeard and his stupid crew are on the beach, engaged in battle with the Hearts. Luffy can tell with his haki that all of them are exhausted… but he really only cares about one person. Closing his eyes momentarily, Luffy forces his whirling mind to a stop, instead focusing on his observation haki, reaching with it into the future—an explosion, Torao’s K-Room, his shock wave, and then… Blackbeard will have Torao by his throat. If Luffy is a second late… “*Torao!!*” Luffy shouts, bringing everyone’s attention to himself. *Good.* Anything to make them stop, even if just for a split moment. [[Blackbeard]] or [[Torao]]

“Mugiwara-ya?!” “What?! Mugiwara?!” Both Torao and Blackbeard, as well as several other people, cry out in response, but Luffy pays none of them any mind. Not wasting any more time, Luffy throws both his hands back, as far as he can make them go. “Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka!” He thrusts his hands forward with all his might, aiming straight at Blackbeard’s stomach—not giving him any time to brace himself or even react. The pained gasp is a satisfying sound, just as the sight of the man flying through the air is something Luffy will likely never get tired of. After all, this asshole is the person Luffy wants to beat up the most in the entire fucking *world.* Aside from the fact that Luffy’s never liked him, not for a *second* since they coincidentally met on Jaya… He’s the one who killed Ace. It may not have been his fist that killed him… but that whole war was entirely *his* doing. He’s the one who put Ace on the execution platform and ultimately, the one who forced him to put himself in between Akainu and Luffy. And now, he’s trying to lay his dirty, disgusting hands on *Torao*. None of this may be *real…* but Luffy has a feeling this isn’t just some illusion. This one… It’s *different*. He’s not sure how exactly, and he doesn’t really care either. But something about this whole place, this situation, is making his blood boil more than any of the other visions have. But he knows he needs to stay calm; there’s this nagging feeling telling him that if he loses control *here…* it won’t end well for anyone. There’s only one option here right now. [[Get the hell out of here, one way or another, as soon as he damn well can.]]

“Mugiwara-ya?!” Torao cries out in response. On the other hand, Blackbeard blinks once, twice, his gaze jumping between Luffy and Torao a few times, before a disgusting, *knowing* grin pulls on his lips. “Zehahaha! This is getting fun!” Luffy’s heart nearly stops when the man throws one last, taunting smirk his way before he raises an arm towards Torao… and something dark, ugly, *twisted* swirls around his hand. Immediately, Luffy throws his own arm forward until his fingers close around Torao’s arm—and he *pulls*. A split second later, Luffy gasps as air is knocked out of his lungs after Torao crashes into him at the speed of recoiling rubber, enhanced by gear second. “*Fuck you,*” Torao groans; his voice sounds pained and Luffy can only assume he either hit his head somewhere on the way, or the suddenness and speed at which Luffy dragged him away from Blackbeard pulled some muscle. Well. That plan didn’t work out *great…* but it will do, Luffy supposes. Better than the alternative for sure. But still— “Sorry, Torao,” Luffy mutters sheepishly. “What are you *doing* here anyway?” Torao asks instead of acknowledging his apology, turning his gaze to Luffy. Their eyes meet for a second, and Luffy feels like the air’s been knocked out of him all over again, right along with all of his thinking capability. [[How has he never realised just how beautiful Torao is?]]

“Torao!” Luffy rushes forward, grabbing for Law’s wrist as soon as he’s close enough. “We need to go back!” “Mugiwara—What are you—What’s going—*How—?!*” Torao fires one confused question after the other, not finishing any of them; obviously too bewildered and too overwhelmed. In any other circumstances, Luffy would have laughed. But with the situation as it is… He bursts out laughing anyway. He can’t help it; seeing Law try to chew him out but having no idea where to even *start* is *hilarious.* Even if it means he gets a sharp click of the tongue in return, quickly followed by Torao attempting to pry his hand away from Luffy’s grasp in the most half-hearted way possible—a way that’s clearly meant more just to show he’s annoyed rather than to actually get away. That only makes Luffy’s snickering *worse*. “Zehahaha! Hey, that was *rude,* Mugiwara…!” Both Luffy and Law freeze at the voice, one that grates on the nerves without even trying, and suddenly, Luffy’s brought back to reality—if this can be called *reality.* With all his amusement gone, Luffy tightens his grip on Law’s hand. “We’re leaving,” he announces, giving Torao a serious look. “What—Mugiwara-ya! What do you mean, leaving how?! We have to fight!” Law shouts, before sharply throwing his free arm up. “Curtain!” A loud *clang* resounds as a sniper’s bullet hits the shield. Luffy pays it no mind—he ignores the small bangs and explosions and sounds of steel hitting steel, the screaming, and Torao’s protests, and he sure as hell ignores Blackbeard getting heavily to his feet from under the rock Luffy threw him at. If they wait any longer, if they fight Blackbeard and his people here… It won’t end well, Luffy knows. [[Force]] or [[Will]]

Taking a deep breath, Luffy kicks his leg up—and stomps down, as hard as he can. “Gum-Gum Battle Axe!” “What are you *doing?!”* Torao questions him. But, before Luffy can say anything or shush him, the entire world around them *shakes.* People cry out in alarm as they drop to their butts around them after they lose their footing, and even Luffy himself has trouble keeping his balance. He waits for a moment… but soon, the world stabilises again. Well, that didn’t do much. [[More force]] or [[Will ]]

Now, what should he do? It doesn’t *feel* like brute force will do anything. Should he try to look for some… tear in the sky or something? Or— Haki? Will that work? It should, right? It’s not like the dumb magic cards are some devil fruit power—at least, Luffy doesn’t think so—but it should still work in a similar way. Taking a deep breath, Luffy closes his eyes, then exhales slowly. He focuses on his heart, his breathing, letting his haki flow and gather in his core; he holds it for a moment… then releases it. A powerful wave of his conqueror’s haki sweeps over the entire area, making people sway on their feet, knocking most everyone to the ground, unconscious. And then… everything around him *warps,* creases starting to appear in the sky. Luffy waits for a moment… but soon, the world turns right back to normal. Well, that didn’t do much. [[Force ]] or [[Stronger will]]

It didn’t do much… but that just means he has to hit it harder! “Gear Third!” Luffy bites his thumb, quickly blowing as much air into his body as he can before Blackbeard gets close enough to attack them again, and inflates his leg to gigantic size, then raises it. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress, but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. He only grits his teeth as he brings his foot down onto the beach. “Gum-Gum Giant Axe!!” “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his heel hits the ground once more. The world shakes again, much harder this time, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings—or who managed to get up in the meantime—to the ground. Other than that though, nothing happens; Lufffy wonders whether he’s going to have to use Gear Five for this for a moment but then… The ground *gives way.* And a second later, the sand and rocks under their feet start ripping like paper, the tears growing bigger and bigger until… [[Luffy and Torao are falling.]]

If hitting it doesn’t work… then what should he do? Should he try to look for some… tear in the sky or something? Or— Haki? Will that work? It should, right? It’s not like the dumb magic cards are some devil fruit power—at least, Luffy doesn’t think so—but it’s still worth a shot. Closing his eyes momentarily, Luffy focuses on his heart, his breathing, letting his haki flow and gather in his core; he holds it for a moment… then releases it. A powerful wave of his conqueror’s haki sweeps over the entire area, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. Other than that, however… nothing happens. Well, that did even *less* than hitting it did. [[More force ]]

“Whoa!!” Luffy yelps inadvertently as his fall suddenly stops—only to find himself back in his chair in the fortune teller’s house, seemingly not having moved an inch, never mind falling anywhere. “What the actual *fuck* did just happen,” a familiar voice groans next to him. Luffy’s heart jumps in his chest, his head whipping around so fast that if it wasn’t made of rubber, his neck would have likely snapped. He needs to make sure! He needs to know that it’s not yet another dumb illusion, that the person lying sprawled on the floor behind him *is* really, really him. “Torao?!” “Huh?” Law blinks a few times, then sits up slowly, rubbing at his temples as if *he did* just fall through the torn beach ground and dropped right on his head back here. “Oh, Mugiwara-ya… Wait—Mugiwara-ya?! Fuck, am I finally back?” Luffy doesn’t say anything for a moment; he only stares at his Torao and takes in the way his eyebrows furrow, confusion written all over his face as he looks around, trying to figure out what’s going on. Luffy studies the shape of his jaw, his nose, his eyes, his lips… and slowly, a wide, bright smile spreads on his face. And soon, he can’t contain his excitement anymore. “Torao!!” he cries, jumping out of his chair with so much force that the chair flies away, nearly hitting Torao on its way to crash into some cabinet—hitting it so hard the porcelain elephant standing on top of it falls and shatters against the floor. [[Luffy pays neither the broken decoration, nor the fortune teller’s distressed cry any mind as he throws himself at Torao, hugging him tight.]]

Luffy *knew* he shouldn’t have stopped to think about it. Hitting might not have worked… but that just means he has to hit it harder! “Gear Third!” Luffy bites his thumb, quickly blowing as much air into his body as he can before Blackbeard gets close enough to attack them again, and inflates his leg to gigantic size, then raises it. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. He only grits his teeth as he brings his foot down onto the beach. “Gum-Gum Giant Axe!!” “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his heel hits the ground once more. The world shakes again, much harder this time—and still, nothing changes. Lufffy wonders whether he’s going to have to use Gear Five for this for a moment but then… The ground *gives way.* And a second later, the sand and rocks under their feet start ripping like paper, the tears growing bigger and bigger until… [[Luffy and Torao are falling.]]

If haki doesn’t work… should he just hit it? Will that break this illusion thingy? Deciding it’s at least worth a shot, Luffy kicks his leg up—and stomps down, as hard as he can. “Gum-Gum Battle Axe!” “What are you *doing?!*” Torao questions him. “Trying something,” Luffy answers simply, a split second before his foot hits the ground. He grits his teeth, making his heel sink as deep into the sand as he can make it. He waits for *something* to happen… but nothing does. Well, that did even *less* than haki did. [[Stronger will ]]

It didn’t do much… but that just means he didn’t use enough of it! Focusing on his heartbeat again, Luffy waits for that fun rhythm to hit—it only takes a second for the sound of a drum to start echoing in his ears, his hair tickling his face as it raises and curls by itself. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. “What the—what’s that form?! A zoan?!” And he *definitely* doesn’t acknowledge *this* voice; Blackbeard’s panicked confusion is honestly the last damn thing on his mind right now. He simply focuses on the conqueror’s haki that’s vibrating in the air around him, as powerful as Luffy’s ever wished it to be; just waiting to be released, waiting for his command. A frantic call reaches Luffy’s ears from somewhere seemingly far away. “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his haki bursts out in all directions, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. The world warps again, much stronger this time, the creases in the sky becoming even more obvious. Otherwise, though, nothing happens and for a moment, Luffy wonders whether he should just grab the ground and rip it up like this but then… The creases in the sky *rip*. The tear spreads, growing bigger and bigger until it reaches the ground underneath their feet. And then… [[Luffy and Torao are falling.]]

Luffy *knew* he should have trusted his gut; why did he think that would work? Haki’s probably the only thing that might get them out of here. It might not have worked at first… but that only means he didn’t use enough of it! Focusing on his heartbeat again, Luffy waits for that fun rhythm to hit—it only takes a second for the sound of a drum to start echoing in his ears, his hair tickling his face as it raises and curls by itself. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. “What the—what’s that form?! A zoan?!” And he *definitely* doesn’t acknowledge *this* voice; Blackbeard’s panicked confusion is honestly the last damn thing on his mind right now. He simply focuses on the conqueror’s haki that’s vibrating in the air around him, as powerful as Luffy’s ever wished it to be; just waiting to be released, waiting for his command. A frantic call reaches Luffy’s ears from somewhere seemingly far away. “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his haki bursts out in all directions, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. The world warps again, much stronger this time, the creases in the sky becoming even more obvious. Other than that though, nothing happens and for a moment, Luffy wonders whether he should just grab the ground and rip it up like this but then… The creases in the sky *rip.* The tear spreads, growing bigger and bigger until it reaches the ground underneath their feet. And then… [[Luffy and Torao are falling.]]

Without even thinking about it, Luffy tightens his grasp on Law’s arm, pulling him down towards himself—and presses their lips together in a quick, clumsy peck. Law freezes completely, his eyes going so wide Luffy worries they’ll fall out of their sockets. Luffy snickers at the thought; maybe Torao could start collecting eyeballs instead of hearts? “Aw, how sweet. Isn’t this one touching scene?” Immediately, as if by magic… all of Luffy’s amusement evaporates. Tearing his eyes away from Torao, he instead glares at Blackbeard. The man is standing right where Luffy left him, looking back at them with a disgusting smirk and an expectant expression on his face; as if waiting for them to realise where they are and whom they’re facing. There’s a pit of darkness at his feet, the edges swirling tauntingly; the longer Luffy looks the higher the pitch black shadows seem to rise—until there is something of a wall behind Blackbeard’s back. “We’re leaving,” Luffy announces, giving Torao a serious look. That seems to snap Law out of the daze he fell into after Luffy kissed him. “What—Mugiwara-ya! What do you mean, leaving how?! We have to fight!” he shouts, before sharply throwing his free arm up. “Curtain!” Several loud clangs resound as pieces of rubble hit the shield one after the other after Blackbeard’s call of, “Liberation!” Luffy pays it no mind—he ignores the small bangs and explosions and sounds of steel hitting steel, the screaming, and Torao’s protests, and he sure as hell ignores Blackbeard’s laughter as he prepares for another attack. If they wait any longer, if they fight Blackbeard and his people here… It won’t end well, Luffy knows. [[Force ]] or [[Will ]]

Taking a deep breath, Luffy kicks his leg up—and stomps down, as hard as he can. “Gum-Gum Battle Axe!” “What are you *doing?!*” Torao questions him. But, before Luffy can say anything or shush him, the entire world around them *shakes.* People cry out in alarm as they drop to their butts around them after they lose their footing, and even Luffy himself has trouble keeping his balance. He waits for a moment… but soon, the world stabilises again. Well, that didn’t do much. [[More force ]] or [[Will ]]

What should he do? It doesn’t *feel* like brute force will do anything. Should he try to look for some… tear in the sky or something? Or— Haki? Will that work? It should, right? It’s not like the dumb magic cards are some devil fruit power—at least, Luffy doesn’t think so—but it should still work in a similar way. Taking a deep breath, Luffy closes his eyes, then exhales slowly. He focuses on his heart, his breathing, letting his haki flow and gather in his core; he holds it for a moment… then releases it. A powerful wave of his conqueror’s haki sweeps over the entire area, making people sway on their feet, knocking most everyone to the ground, unconscious. And then… everything around him *warps,* creases starting to appear in the sky. Luffy waits for a moment… but soon, the world turns right back to normal. Well, that didn’t do much. [[Force ]] or [[Stronger will ]]

It didn’t do much… but that just means he has to hit it harder! “Gear Third!” Luffy bites his thumb, quickly blowing as much air into his body as he can before Blackbeard hurls the big black ball in his hand at them, and inflates his leg to gigantic size, then raises it. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress, but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. He only grits his teeth as he brings his foot down onto the beach. “Gum-Gum Giant Axe!!” “Dark Matter!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his heel hits the ground once more. The world shakes again, much harder this time, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings—or who managed to get up in the meantime—to the ground. Other than that though, nothing happens; Lufffy wonders whether he’s going to have to use Gear Five for this for a moment but then… The ground *gives way.* And a second later, the sand and rocks under their feet start ripping like paper, the tears growing bigger and bigger until… [[Luffy and Torao are falling. ]]

If hitting it doesn’t work… then what should he do? Should he try to look for some… tear in the sky or something? Or— Haki? Will that work? It should, right? It’s not like the dumb magic cards are some devil fruit power—at least, Luffy doesn’t think so—but it’s worth a shot. Closing his eyes momentarily, Luffy focuses on his heart, his breathing, letting his haki flow and gather in his core; he holds it for a moment… then releases it. A powerful wave of his conqueror’s haki sweeps over the entire area, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. Other than that, however… nothing happens. Well, that did even *less* than hitting it. [[More force ]]

“Whoa!!” Luffy yelps inadvertently as his fall suddenly stops—only to find himself back in his chair in the fortune teller’s house, seemingly not having moved an inch, never mind falling anywhere. “What the actual *fuck* did just happen,” a familiar voice groans next to him. Luffy’s heart jumps in his chest, his head whipping around so fast that if it wasn’t made of rubber, his neck would have likely snapped. He needs to make sure! He needs to know that it’s not yet another dumb illusion, that the person lying sprawled on the floor behind him *is* really, really him. “Torao?!” “Huh?” Law blinks a few times, then sits up slowly, rubbing at his temples as if *he did* just fall through the torn beach ground and dropped right on his head back here. “Oh, Mugiwara-ya… Wait—Mugiwara-ya?! Fuck, am I finally back?” Luffy doesn’t say anything for a moment; he only stares at his Torao and takes in the way his eyebrows furrow, confusion written all over his face as he looks around, trying to figure out what’s going on. Luffy studies the shape of his jaw, his nose, his eyes, his lips… and slowly, a bright, impossibly wide smile spreads on his face. And soon, he can’t contain his excitement anymore. “Torao!!” he cries, jumping out of his chair with so much force that the chair flies away, nearly hitting Torao on its way to crash into some cabinet—hitting it so hard the porcelain elephant standing on top of it falls and shatters against the floor. [[Luffy pays neither the broken decoration, nor the fortune teller’s distressed cry any mind as he throws himself at Torao, hugging him tight. ]]

Luffy knew he shouldn’t have stopped to think about it. Hitting might not have worked… but that just means he should hit it harder! “Gear Third!” Luffy bites his thumb, quickly blowing as much air into his body as he can before Blackbeard hurls the big black ball in his hand at them, and inflates his leg to gigantic size, then raises it. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. He only grits his teeth as he brings his foot down onto the beach. “Gum-Gum Giant Axe!!” “Dark Matter!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his heel hits the ground once more. The world shakes again, much harder this time—and still, nothing changes. Lufffy wonders whether he’s going to have to use Gear Five for this for a moment but then… The ground *gives way.* And a second later, the sand and rocks under their feet start ripping like paper, the tears growing bigger and bigger until… [[Luffy and Torao are falling. ]]

It didn’t do much… but that just means he didn’t use enough of it! Focusing on his heartbeat again, Luffy waits for that fun rhythm to hit—it only takes a second the sound of a drum to start echoing in his ears, his hair tickling his face as it raises and curls into a funny shape by itself. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. “What the—what’s that form?! A zoan?!” And he *definitely* doesn’t acknowledge *this* voice; Blackbeard’s panicked confusion is honestly the last damn thing on his mind right now. He simply focuses on the conqueror’s haki that’s vibrating in the air around him, as powerful as Luffy’s ever wished it to be; just waiting to be released, waiting for his command. A frantic call reaches Luffy’s ears from somewhere seemingly far away. “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his haki bursts out in all directions, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. The world warps again, much stronger this time, the creases in the sky becoming even more obvious. Other than that though, nothing happens and for a moment, Luffy wonders whether he should just grab the ground and rip it up like this but then… The creases in the sky *rip.* The tear spreads, growing bigger and bigger until it reaches the ground underneath their feet. And then… [[Luffy and Torao are falling. ]]

Luffy *knew* he should have trusted his gut; why did he think that would work? Haki’s probably the only thing that might get them out of here. It might not have worked at first… but that only means he didn’t use enough of it! Focusing on his heartbeat again, Luffy waits for that fun rhythm to hit—it only takes a second for the sound of a drum to start echoing in his ears, his hair tickling his face as it rises and curls by itself. “Mugiwara?!” Bepo cries out from somewhere but Luffy ignores him. “What are you trying to do?!” Torao pulls on Luffy’s shirt to try and force him to look at him. “Stop ignoring me!!” Luffy snickers at Law’s distress but otherwise doesn’t acknowledge him. “What the—what’s that form?! A zoan?!” And he *definitely* doesn’t acknowledge *this* voice; Blackbeard’s panicked confusion is honestly the last damn thing on his mind right now. He simply focuses on the conqueror’s haki that’s vibrating in the air around him, as powerful as Luffy’s ever wished it to be; just waiting to be released, waiting for his command. A frantic call reaches Luffy’s ears from somewhere seemingly far away. “Black vortex!!” *Too late,* Luffy thinks, as his haki bursts out in all directions, knocking everyone who has previously kept their bearings to the ground. The world warps again, much stronger this time, the creases in the sky becoming even more obvious. Other than that though, nothing happens and for a moment, Luffy wonders whether he should just grab the ground and rip it up like this but then… The creases in the sky *rip.* The tear spreads, growing bigger and bigger until it reaches the ground underneath their feet. And then… [[Luffy and Torao are falling. ]]

“Torao! Torao!” Luffy giggles happily as he repeats Law’s nickname over and over. “What are you doing? What happened?” Law questions while trying to pry Luffy off of himself without much success. “The weird old guy stole you and I had to look for you, there was a bunch of fake Toraos and it was super annoying. I’m really glad you’re back.” Law’s silent for a few seconds while he processes Luffy’s explanation. “Okay, that… doesn’t really make any sense.” A genuine laugh bubbles out of Luffy’s chest. Ah, he really loves Torao. How did it take him so long to realise? Loosening his hug a little, Luffy pulls away minutely, just enough to be able to look at Torao’s face. The other pirate frowns, a silent question in his eyes, but Luffy only shakes his head, studying Law’s expression, searching… He’s not sure what for… but after a few seconds, he finds it. And he quickly leans in, pressing his lips against Law in a desperate, long overdue kiss. Law tenses up at the contact and a small noise of protest escapes him… but it only takes a second for him to relax. And then, he’s returning the kiss, almost just as desperate as Luffy feels. A wide smile pulls on Lufffy’s lips and warmth pools in his stomach when one of Law’s hands settles on Luffy’s thigh, the other finding its way to the nape of Luffy’s neck, pulling him *closer.* Ah, how Luffy wishes he could keep kissing him forever… It’s almost intoxicating; he had no idea tasting someone else’s lips could feel like this, he’s never done it before, never wanted to. Probably will never want to again either, if it’s not with his Torao. He wants to keep kissing him. [[But…]]

Quickly, Luffy pulls away from Law, gasping for breath. How the *hell* did people do this for minutes on end?! They’ve barely kissed for a little while and his head is already spinning from lack of oxygen… He looks at Law—and is shocked to find him looking like he’s about to burst out laughing. And he’s somehow not out of breath at all! “You do know you have a nose, right?” he teases, his voice shaking with badly suppressed amusement. Luffy huffs, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout. “Don’t make fun of me!” “I’m not, I’m not, “ Law assures him but for some reason… Luffy doesn’t believe him. Before he can protest this unfair treatment, however, someone clears their throat. Wow, Luffy completely forgot *that guy* was here too. “Not that I’m not happy for you two but you’d better pay for my expensive, hand-crafted elephant! I bought it on a vacation in the South Blue!” the fortune teller declares. “*Plus* the fee for having your fortunes read *and* realised. *That* costs extra.” [[Luffy groans—but Torao is faster.]]

He takes a deep breath, pulling away from Luffy fully to instead glare at the fortune teller. “We didn’t ask you for shit. You just fucking *trapped me* in there.” Law gestures at the cards now lying scattered all over the table and floor, looking perfectly innocent. “Maybe so, but for one, you were being incredibly *rude*. And two, *would* you be kissing your future husband right now without me? Hm?” the guy asks in a tone that says that he’s not expecting an answer, raising an eyebrow. Law rolls his eyes. “You expect me to believe that was *reading our future* and that we owe you something? You’ve got one elaborate scam set up, I’ll give you that.” “How dare you—! I ought to send you back in and burn the deck!” The guy huffs, glaring at Torao… but it somehow feels like there’s no fire behind the threat—just like there’s no real hostility in Torao’s voice. Luffy sighs. “I see I’m the only adult here,” Luffy says sternly and crosses his arms over his chest. Immediately, both the old man and Torao turn to stare at him, identical offended, indignant looks on their faces. They both seem about ready to chew him out—which only proves Luffy’s point! [[He’s the only responsible one around.]]

“Okay! Let’s go, Torao,” Luffy says in a pacifying voice—which only serves to make Torao angrier for some reason—and finally gets up, offering Torao a hand. Torao glares at him for a moment… but finally, he lets go of a tired breath and lets Luffy pull him up to his feet. With a grin on his lips, Luffy turns to the old fortune teller, giving him a little wave. With a final “Thanks! See ya!” Luffy leads Torao out of the store, accompanied by Torao’s grumbling about how he’s not thankful in the least and if he sees the guy ever again, he’s cutting him into little pieces and scattering him into the wind. The door closes behind them, a shout of *‘What about my elephant?!’* the only thing that can be heard on the quiet back street. Luffy laughs; he can’t help it, he’s just so very happy in this moment. The feeling of Law’s hand in his with their fingers intertwined, the ghost of his touch against his lips… it’s stirring something in his chest, something light and giddy and full of warmth. He never wants to let go. And he wants to kiss Law again. But later. First, they need to get back to their— *“Shit.”* Luffy stops walking suddenly, forcing Law to a stop as well. “What now?” Law asks, exasperated. “We didn’t ask how to get back to our ships.” Silence follows Luffy’s words. The two of them exchange a look of horror, then they simultaneously look back at the entrance of the fortune teller’s store. [[A second later, two long-suffering groans echo in the night.]]

As the now-23-years-old Luffy weaves his way through the many tables scattered over the party area inside Sabaody Park, he wonders where the hell Torao has gone. He spent so long searching for the bear-shaped rice balls and now the one who asked for them is hiding somewhere? If he’s going to be like this, Luffy’s just going to eat the whole tray by himself! “Luffy! What are you grumbling about?” Nami calls from one of the tables where she’s drinking and chatting with Vivi and Robin. Luffy grins, hopping over to the girls—and steals one of the cupcakes from the plate on their table. By the time Nami goes to slap his hand away, he’s already bitten into it. “Oh, guys”—Luffy pauses to swallow the cupcake in his mouth—“have you seen Torao?” “Two hours after you exchange vows and he’s already hiding from you?” Nami asks, the corners of her mouth twitching as she tries and fails to hide her laughter. Luffy pouts. “He’s not hiding from *me!*” [[That only makes the three girls start laughing outright.]]

He takes a deep breath, pulling away from Luffy to instead glare at the fortune teller. “We didn’t ask you for shit. You just fucking *trapped me* in there.” Law gestures at the cards now lying scattered all over the table and floor, looking perfectly innocent. “Maybe so, but for one, you were being incredibly *rude.* And two, *would* you be hugging your future husband right now without me? Hm?” the guy asks in a tone that says that he’s not expecting an answer, raising an eyebrow. Law rolls his eyes. “You expect me to believe that was *reading our future* and that we owe you something? You’ve got one elaborate scam set up, I’ll give you that.” “How dare you—! I ought to send you back in and burn the deck!” The guy huffs, glaring at Torao… but it somehow feels like there’s no fire behind the threat—just like there’s no real hostility in Torao’s voice. Luffy sighs. “I see I’m the only adult here,” Luffy says sternly and crosses his arms over his chest. Immediately, both the old man and Torao turn to stare at him, identical offended, indignant looks on their faces. They both seem about ready to chew him out—which only proves Luffy’s point! [[He’s the only responsible one around. ]]

“Okay! Let’s go, Torao,” Luffy says in a pacifying voice—which only serves to make Torao angrier for some reason—and finally gets up, offering Torao a hand. Torao glares at him for a moment… but finally, he lets go of a tired breath and lets Luffy pull him up to his feet. With a grin on his lips, Luffy turns to the old fortune teller, giving him a little wave. With a final “Thanks! See ya!” Luffy leads Torao out of the store, accompanied by Torao’s grumbling about how he’s not thankful in the least and if he sees the guy ever again, he’s cutting him into little pieces and scattering him into the wind. The door closes behind them, a shout of *‘What about my elephant?!’* the only thing that can be heard on the quiet back street. Taking a deep breath of the fresh, slightly chilly air, Luffy glances at Torao, studying his profile, the amused grin on his face melting into something softer. Something’s changed between them… and Luffy doesn’t hate that change. “Let’s go,” Law says finally, tugging at Luffy’s hand. Luffy hums in agreement and they set off—but they barely walk for a minute before Law stops in his tracks, forcing Luffy to a stop, too. “Torao? What’s up?” Luffy asks, peering up at Law’s face to gauge his expression or the reason for the sudden stop. There’s something complicated in Torao’s eyes when he meets Luffy’s gaze. He’s silent for a long moment and Luffy almost thinks he won’t say anything at all but then he finally opens his mouth to speak, [[“You saved me back there, didn’t you, Mugiwara-ya?”]]

Luffy tilts his head to the side and hums. “I went to find you, if that’s what you mean.” “Why?” “What do you mean, why? Because I wanted to! Because you have no business getting lost in some dumb card when you’re supposed to be right *here.*” Luffy gestures to the ground next to him to stress his point. “I—” Torao stops speaking, seemingly mulling over his words for a moment before he shakes his head and tries again. “Thank you.” Luffy snickers. “You’re welcome!” He expects Law to start walking again then but instead… A warm touch on his cheek makes Luffy freeze. He looks up at Law questioningly… and the sight that meets him makes his heart skip a beat. Law’s expression is soft, softer than Luffy’s ever seen it, his lips slightly parted, his eyes searching Luffy’s own for something—Luffy doesn’t know for what… But Law seems to find it. And a split second later, he leans in, pressing his lips against Luffy’s in a desperate, long overdue kiss. It only takes Luffy a second to get over his initial surprise. But then, he’s returning the kiss easily, with a smile pulling on his lips. Warmth pools in his stomach when Law’s fingers slide gently over his cheek, tickling the skin, until they bury in Lufffy's hair, pulling him *closer*. Ah, how Luffy wishes they could keep doing this forever. He thought so earlier already, when he kissed Law for the first time in that last vision, but this… It’s almost intoxicating. Luffy had no idea tasting someone else’s lips could feel like this; he’s never done it before, never wanted to. Probably will never want to again, if it isn’t with his Torao. [[But… ]]

Quickly, Luffy pulls away from Law, gasping for breath. How the *hell* did people do this for minutes on end?! They’ve barely kissed for a little while and his head is already spinning from lack of oxygen… He looks at Law—and is shocked to find him looking like he’s about to burst out laughing. And he’s somehow not out of breath at all! “You do know you have a nose, right?” he teases, his voice shaking with badly suppressed amusement. Luffy huffs, sticking his bottom lip out in a pout. “Don’t make fun of me!” “I’m not, I’m not, “ Law assures him but for some reason… Luffy doesn’t believe him. Still… Luffy laughs; he can’t help it, he’s just so very happy in this moment. The feeling of Law’s hand in his own with their fingers intertwined, the ghost of his touch against his lips… It’s stirring something in his chest, something light and giddy and full of warmth. He never wants to let go. And he wants to kiss Law again. But later. First, they need to get back to their— “*Shit.*” “What now?” Law asks, exasperated. “We didn’t ask how to get back to our ships.” Silence follows Luffy’s words. The two of them exchange a look of horror, then they simultaneously look back towards the fortune teller’s store. [[A second later, two long-suffering groans echo in the night.]]

With a huff, Luffy looks away—only to freeze when he notices what’s on the table in between the girls. It’s a deck of strange cards; not the ones that he and Usopp and everyone use to play, but rather ones with elaborate pictures and weird names. The very sight of them makes Luffy’s face twist in displeasure. Seeing the look Luffy gave the cards, Robin chuckles as she slowly uses a third hand to draw one of the cards. “I take it you don’t like tarot reading, Luffy?” “Right. The Torao game.” Luffy nods, not taking his eyes off the things. “Torao game,” Nami repeats flatly. “Yep! It sucks. The illusions are awful.” “Illusions?” Vivi blinks, then exchanges a confused look with Nami. Robin, on the other hand, only tilts her head to the side a little, noting, “That’s a shame, it can be fun.” “Don’t let her read for you while you’re eating. Just saying,” Nami pipes in. Robin chuckles and shoots her an amused look, but doesn’t comment; instead, she swirls the wine in her glass and glances at the card in her hand. “Really a shame you don’t like it, Luffy. Look, you got The Devil reversed. Means your love life is getting better and healthier. Resolutions, balance, freedom.” “Robin, he literally got married today. That relationship better be healthy,” Nami says, unimpressed. As Luffy stares at the card, an image of Blackbeard holding Torao by his throat flashes in his mind. What was that? That never happened… did it? Oh well. [[“I don’t need anyone to read my fortune.”]]

Robin laughs, nodding. “I know. But it’s fun, isn’t it? Here. You can keep this one.” With a knowing spark in her eyes, Robin places the card next to the rice balls on the tray in Luffy’s hands. Then, a *fourth* hand sprouts, pointing in the direction Luffy came from earlier. “I saw Torao chatting with the Massacre Soldier by the haunted house.” “Oh! Thanks, Robin!!” Luffy calls with excitement, the uncomfortable feeling that stirred in his stomach earlier completely forgotten as he runs off. It doesn’t take him long to find Toao after that; just as Robin said, he’s sitting at the table closest to the haunted house, talking with the masked guy from Jaggy’s crew. An easy grin spreads on Luffy’s face at the sight of his boyfriend—or is it husband now?—and he rushes forward, draping himself over Torao’s shoulders from behind while being careful of the tray he's holding. “Torao!” he sings, then snickers at the way Torao nearly jumps out of his skin, obviously not having noticed Luffy approaching. “I’m going to *murder* you one of these days, Luffy,” Law growls. “Liar,” Luffy shoots back without hesitation, then presses a quick kiss to Law’s cheek. Ignoring Torao’s grumbling, Luffy places the tray on the table in front of his husband. “Got your rice balls.” Law raises an eyebrow, shooting Luffy a look. “Why do I get the feeling there were *more* than three of them when you picked them up?” Luffy only laughs the accusation away—any protests would be pointless anyway, they both know—and throws himself sideways into the chair next to Law, throwing his legs over Law’s lap. Law automatically places his hand on Luffy’s knee, and something flutters in Luffy’s stomach. It’s been so long since the night they kissed for the first time and yet, the casual touches still always get to Lufffy. Maybe it's the fact Law hardly ever touches people without even pausing to think about it, or maybe it's the knowledge that [[Luffy is the only one who can get away with forcing himself into Law’s personal space. Aside from Bepo and Chopper, of course.]]

Huffing to himself, Luffy goes to grab one of the remaining rice balls… but something else grabs his attention. Right. *That thing* was there. “Torao, look.” He grabs the innocent-looking piece of paper Robin gave him earlier, showing it to Torao. And the reaction is immediate. “*Ugh.* That guy,” Torao groans… at the exact same time as Killer does. Luffy and Law exchange a glance before simultaneously turning to stare at Killer. “You know him?” Luffy asks; he didn’t think anyone but him and Torao had met the fortune teller and his dumb magic cards! Killer is silent for a long while. It’s hard to tell behind the mask but to Luffy, it feels like he’s blinking, looking alternately between Luffy and Law, studying their shocked expressions and questioning their sanity. But then, he finally replies, “I… killed him?” “What?! When?” Law’s question only seems to confuse Killer more. “On Onigashima? You two were literally *there,* why are you so shocked?!” Once again… Luffy and Torao look at each other, the both of them frowning as they try to figure out what the hell their companion is talking about. A few seconds of silence pass in silence… but then realisation lights up Law’s face. “Oh. You mean Basil Hawkins.” “Who the hell else would I mean?” Luffy, however… is still lost. “Who?” “Voodoo guy,” Law explains simply. Luffy thinks for a moment, wrecking his brain for who that is… but then a light bulb goes off somewhere and he remembers the long, blond hair and weird eyebrows and the giant straw monster. [[Wow, Luffy completely forgot that guy existed…]]

“Huh.” With a shrug, Luffy dismisses the memory. If he was worth remembering, he wouldn’t have forgotten in the first place. “Should we have invited him?” he asks instead. “Who? Hawkins?” Law asks back, an eyebrow raised. Luffy rolls his eyes. “The fortune teller guy.” “To the wedding? *Fuck no.*” There’s a look of such disgust on Law’s face that Luffy can’t help but laugh. “Hey, you can’t deny it’s kinda because of him we’re even here.” “You *really* want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right?” Law asks flatly, the look he’s giving Luffy nothing short of unimpressed. Luffy blinks once, twice… then tosses the card back on the table carelessly. Torao’s right, after all; the very idea sends a shudder up his spine. “Didn’t think so.” Law huffs in amusement before he leans over, pressing a quick kiss to Luffy’s lips. *Jerk.* Luffy really loves him. Finally, the third occupant at the table—who Luffy almost forgot was there—sighs. “I don’t even want to know what the fuck you two are talking about…” Luffy wants to say he’d rather not know either… But as he glances at his Torao, just as beautiful, just as real, just as warm as the day Luffy first realised his feelings… he can’t bring himself to regret walking into that old, decrepit, *awful* fortune telling store. After all… [[With the ring on his finger, Luffy did come out the winner.]]

"You are. I like the way you threaten people. You're hilarious." This summons probably the most bewildered expression he has ever seen on Law, which makes Luffy laugh all the more—not in a mocking way, but bubbly and delighted. The other captain tears his burning gaze from the fortune teller and turns his attention to Luffy. For a moment, Law's bright, golden eyes study Luffy thoughtfully, with more intensity than when Law pages through some of his many books. Luffy doesn’t linger over what Law is thinking and is relieved when the other man speaks again. "What?" Law says after what feels like too long. Usually, Luffy would be entirely in agreement with Law and ready to throw the first punch. But the fortune teller has already wasted so much of his time, *their* time, and he's done sharing Law's attention now that he knows it's all he wants. So possessiveness wins out against the lingering irritation. He needs them to move. "Come on, Torao." [["Let's get out of here."]]

"I am," Luffy says with a deep breath, his expression relaxing from its earlier mirth, "for wasting any time on this." The words leave his mouth without thought, and his hand is raised against his forehead. The other captain tears his burning gaze from the fortune teller and turns his attention to Luffy. For a moment, Law's bright, golden eyes study Luffy thoughtfully, with more intensity than when Law pages through some of his many books. Luffy doesn’t linger over what Law is thinking and is relieved when the other man speaks again. "You're just going to let this go-" Usually, Luffy would be entirely in agreement with Law and ready to throw the first punch. But the fortune teller has already taken so much of his time, *their* time, and he's done sharing Law's attention now that he knows it's all he wants. So possessiveness wins out against the lingering irritation. He needs them to move. "Yes. It doesn't matter, Torao." Luffy answers. [["Let's get out of here."]]

They leave the house together, and even if they keep quiet at first, Luffy can tell that it's not awkward or uncomfortable. It is *different,* though. The mood is not heavy but thick, like something has been placed over them. It slows things down but isn't impossible to move through. He has no other way to describe it. The silence gets him lost in his thoughts, which is a problem. That has to stop, or he'll lose his little impulse control, and the metaphorical cart will careen over the edge. Or before there's a horse tied to it? Or whatever. He hates idioms anyway. What is he supposed to do with these feelings *now*? Now that he can finally see how much he likes Law and- *Fuck.* Luffy has never been patient and hates to wait for things, especially things he thinks are essential. Luffy understands that he has to let Law's need to be free from the chains that once weighed him down without adding more of his weirdness into the mix. The old man told him there was a good chance that if Luffy admitted his feelings, Law would bolt. It wasn't that long ago that Law still openly refused to acknowledge their friendship. Suppose Luffy wants to make good on his values. In that case, he has to suck it up and endure, even if he has to physically restrain himself from grabbing onto and trying to add him to his motley crew while they wander. Holding that much back is *unnatural* to him. He is so fucked. [[This is going to be the worst-kept secret of Luffy's life.]]

"Alright, spit it out," Law says. "Huh?" "What's the real reason you let that guy get away with everything?" Law starts, irritation blooming across his features again. "You. Are never this quiet for this long." Luffy leans away, casting a sideways glance at Law. "I can be quiet." "Yes, but there is a historical trend of brawls following shortly after that silence." Luffy sputters indignantly. "Not every time!!" "A not insignificant amount of time." Law ducks his head. "You're avoiding the question." "You know half of those times, Zoro is the one starting fights." Luffy deflects again. "That is because he is a chronic enabler of your bad temper, which I just watched you uncharacteristically walk away from." Law frowns as he pushes, undeterred. Luffy tilts his head to the side. "You're acting weird. Why? What happened while I was gone.." [[THINK THINK THINK]]

Luffy's eyes blow out wide, and he immediately looks anywhere except at Law. He feels himself starting to sweat. His shoulders hunch up to his ears, and it's such a knee-jerk response that he immediately starts babbling, waving his hands without purpose. "I uh. You see. I just didn't feel like fighting the guy." "Bullshit, you love fighting." "Who cares about that-!" Even his voice is starting to pitch higher. Law moves before Luffy on his path to nowhere, intentionally blocking him. "That poker face is pathetic. It's obvious you're lying." "That's because…" [[PANICKING. CAN'T THINK. ACT ON INSTINCTS.]]

Because Luffy is physically incapable of stopping himself once he gets started on anything, he babbles. The words fall out of his mouth before he can process them; when he does, it's already too late. "I don't want to think about that geezer anymore. I just want to be around you. " [[INSTINCTS BAD]]

Sometimes. Luffy feels like his brain is a *bag of marbles* cascading down a flight of stairs. There are about three large, brightly colored marbles, usually attributed to his cohesive thought lines, and sometimes hit the target. No one is sure how, least of all him, but of the three, one *usually* hits the mark of what he wants to say, and the others just bounce off randomly following an exciting distraction. He can be serious when he wants to be. He was trying to be a little serious, even with himself. But no. Marble Brain decided to sink every fucking glass ball into the *'just say exactly what you're thinking, it's fine'* box. Leading him to where he is now. Law hasn't said anything. He's stone still, staring intently at Luffy like he's grown a second head. Maybe it's just his nerves making it seem like that's what Law is thinking. It certainly feels like *he's* grown a second head. [[Luffy watches the other man open his lips, close them, and open them again.]]

"…Excuse me?" Law says finally. His tone and expression are hesitant, a poem between suspicion and confusion. Yet, he doesn't look away and isn't moving his hands to summon a room and teleport away (yet). It reminds Luffy of their earlier times together when nearly everything Luffy did sent a tidal wave of mortification through the other captain. It was funnier then. Right now, Luffy wants to punch himself in the face for IMMEDIATELY failing to do the one thing he told himself he wouldn't do. Desperate, he reaches to smooth it over. "I'm hungry! Aren't you hungry? LET'S HUNGRY." He sweats, pushing past the other and following the only thing he can trust: his stomach and the smells of grilled festival foods. Shouldering past Law without a second wasted, he redirects them both towards the street in search of food stalls. Luffy doesn't need to turn to see if Law is following him. The sound of Law's heels is unmistakable even against the mixed pavement and dirt path, so he doesn't see the amused smile of the other man trailing behind him. [[Let's hungry…?]]

Okay, yes, technically, they need to make their way back to the harbor, and the fortune teller never did give them directions. But they are already late, and Luffy doesn’t care. They won't be any less late by stopping for food along the way, so what's the rush? And it allows Luffy to shove something other than his fist in his mouth to prevent more fuck ups like that last one. There's nary an excuse Luffy can't make to justify food detours. It also works wonders for his nerves; food always lifts his spirits and smooths out wrinkles. He's not Sanji, who can go on and on about the details of what's in the food and why it's good, but Luffy knows what he likes about it! If he tries to imagine himself with a severe expression, swirling a glass in one hand and holding the food in the other, his own review would go something like: “The best part of this particular food was the sticks because they can be used as tiny swords or weapons when you're done eating. Really, though, the best parts were the meat chunks, of course. The smokey flavor probably came from the wooden skewers or something; there was wood involved somewhere. The burned edges of vegetables glazed with some tangy sauce were also tasty. It looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, so that's a five out of five score for him.” See? That is a perfect review; Robin would definitely agree with him, even if Sanji wouldn't. Law might agree, and even if he doesn’t, then more food for Luffy. [[More is better, anyway.]]

"Aren't you going to sit down?" Law says, cutting through Luffy's thoughts and stopping him in his tracks. "...Why?" "To… eat." It's finally Luffy's turn to give Law an incredulous stare. He has five (previously six) different skewers in his hands, compared to Law's four. "But this food can be eaten while we walk," Luffy gestures with his hands around for emphasis. "Kabobs!" Law has the audacity to laugh at him quietly, not like Luffy's belly laughs, but in a way that he rarely ever sees the other captain do in front of others. "Mugiwara-ya, humor me for five minutes." Luffy *SIGHS VERY LOUDLY*. "It's to-go food! So we can go." "I do not want to go right at this very moment," Law says, taking a seat at one of the few cafe tables nearby. He crosses one leg over the other and levels Luffy with a challenging expression that is way too smug for his liking. It makes him even antsier, to the point where Luffy actually paces back and forth a few times before giving up and heavily dropping into the adjacent chair with a harrumph. Scowling at the Hearts captain and munching through another two kabobs for his effort. It's a victory for Law, and he doesn't even try to pretend he isn't pleased about it. "So glad you chose to join me." [["Whatever, it'll be easier to get more kabobs this way."]]

They sit in relative silence, Luffy finishing his portion in easily a quarter of the time it takes Law to get through half of his own. It leaves him with very little to do after he's broken all the leftover skewers into a pile of tiny twigs. He's also stocked the pieces and arranged them from largest to smallest before feeling like he's fully exhausted their entertainment value. So he leans forward, resting his head in his arms, and stares intently at his table mate (until the next food order gets called, at least). "See something you like?" Luffy hums at the question, flopping his head to the other side. There's plenty to like, but he already reviewed what he liked about the kabobs. So that leaves what he knows about Law and what he likes about the man. He is prickly, like a thistle, which is fun to poke at because, past the barbs, is Law's cooler, friendlier temperament. He is as sharp as he is goofy, even if Law refuses to admit that second detail to anyone out loud. Luffy also really likes his dry humor, especially when his deadpan delivery gets a rise out of Chopper and the others. Law is crazy enough, like him, to want things other people say are impossible, but he is smart enough to come up with a way to do it. As Zoro pointed out, the best part is that Law is dumb enough to go along with Luffy's impromptu changes. [["Sure. What's not to like?" He shrugs, unembarrassed.]]

Law's eyes narrow. He is probably trying to determine if Luffy understands what he's saying or is just answering the question before reaching across the table to steal food (something he has already tried once). Still, they have glaring differences; Law is reserved. When Luffy charges in, Law waits for the right moment and cuts away something as soon as it doesn't work. Luffy hasn't yet found himself in that category but has *never* seen how Law *reacts* to affection. At least more than the usual amount of Luffy Brand affection. As far as he knows, Luffy wouldn't consider himself an expert on this stuff, but it sounds like there's a very good chance that as soon as Luffy says how he feels, Law will bolt, teleporting himself or Luffy as far away as his room will allow him. And that is the kicker. Luffy is used to being tossed around and pushed away, but this is different. Suddenly, the idea of being shambled away becomes less fun when combined with the possible reality of Law doing so to get rid of Luffy. It makes him want to grab onto Law's coat sleeve and anchor himself to the other, to do anything that can prevent him from leaving. He knows this is idiotic, but the alternative just makes his stomach feel like a cold ocean current is coursing inside him, and he has no way to calm it. It makes him desperate and confused. This isn't like with Ace when they were kids; they aren't trapped on an island together with nowhere else to go. He can't rely on his old 'follow them around the jungle until they admit we're friends' tactic in this scenario. Not when he wants to be more than friends with Law. A rough cough yanks Luffy out of his thoughts, refocusing his vision on the other man across the table again. [["That isn't so terrible, is it?"]]

"I *guess*. It's just boring." Luffy lolls his head back again, bouncing his leg under the table enough for it to rattle from the vibration. He's still too antsy and is reaching critical mass in his ability to stay put. Glancing across the table again, Luffy catches Law staring at him with that amused grin from earlier. It's his turn to send a questioning look. "What?" Luffy sits up, looking behind and around him. "What are you looking at?" "You." Law answers, pointing his last kabob at Luffy. "Why? Is there something on my face?" Law waves his hand from side to side like a scale trying to balance, as if to answer the first question and move on. "I thought you're probably the most ridiculous and stubborn man I know." Luffy laughs, unbothered, and lets himself be pulled along in their banter. "I've heard that one before. How can you stand me?" "Hm, I wonder." "Well, you're stuck with me now. You saved me, and you asked to be my friend. You only have yourself to blame." His heart swoops at the memory. It isn't often that someone asks. Usually, he does all the pursuit. Law exhales a tired, exasperated note as if he's still going to debate this, if only for posterity. [["I asked to form an alliance."]]

The wanting comes in waves. Luffy wants, then pulls, and labors. Then Law looks his way, and he calms, and it's easy. "Yeah, that's what I said." Law snorts, muttering, "Inuring yourself to others must be a latent survival instinct." "Did you just call me manure?" "I said you inure yourself-" Law pauses and adjusts his vocabulary. "You grow on people like a fungus. In insane conditions, without recourse, occasionally against their will." "So I'm a mushroom." "Exactly." Law punctuates, jabbing that final skewer again in Luffy's direction like a taunt. It was working, too. "Mushrooms are tasty." "To some people. With the right foods." "Do you like mushrooms? I'll eat yours if you don't," Luffy says, eyes following the vegetables on the stick. Fingers already wiggling to reach. Law seems stuck thinking about his answer as if it could mean anything more than the food right before them. By about the minute mark, Luffy decides Law doesn't want that last kabob anyway and reaches for it. Like a whip, Law yanks his hand away and takes a protective bite, consuming the kabob completely. [[The End ]]

Torao is here, but not his Torao. It’s an older version of him, wearing reading glasses that make the wrinkles around his eyes stand out. There are pretty white streaks in his hair, and in his full beard. Torao is leaning back against the kitchen counter. His shirt, too big for him, is falling off of his shoulder, and he’s not wearing any pants. He looks like he just rolled out of bed, his eyes still half open from sleepiness. The usual eye bags are so much lighter than usual too, he must be well rested. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/05/03/truffytwine_World_ART_AWOOOGA3.png" width=550 height=700 alt="A colored illustration of Law leaning seductively back against a kitchen counter. He's older than in canon, his hair and full beard graying. He's also wearing glasses. His shirt is oversized, implied to be Luffy's, and it's falling off his shoulder, revealing a large part of his chest." { max-width: 100%; }/> Most importantly, he is way smaller than Luffy remembers him. “Torao shrank…” He whispers, wonder-struck. Luffy wants to hug him close. Torao blinks in surprise for a moment, his eyes now very much awake. “I didn’t shrink, you’re the one who grew gigantic.” Torao huffs. He looks quizzically at Luffy for a few seconds. Suddenly, he sighs. He redresses, tucking the shoulder of his shirt up and buttoning it higher. He readjusts his glasses and Luffy… [[Luffy stares.]]

“So, you’re not my husband, are you?” Torao asks, calm and patient. He doesn’t look scared or like he feels threatened at all. Is he *that* powerful that a stranger entering his home doesn’t phase him? “Wait, husband?” Luffy asks, his cheeks heating up. “Mmmh… Your Haki isn’t different, though… You really must be Lu-ya, somehow… You just feel… younger?” He looks at Luffy for answers. “Well, I’m… I was sent by an old man with a deck of Torao cards, he trapped my own Torao and I need to find him in the cards.” Torao hums and Luffy stares some more. He’s still stuck on the husband part. “You said husband, does this mean we are… married?” Luffy asks, surprised his heart doesn’t do happy somersaults in his chest. Instead, his heartbeat is calm and comforting. Torao smiles and lifts his hand, showing off his wedding ring. [[“We are. You are the Pirate King and I am your husband.”]]

Luffy gasps, grabbing Torao’s hand to see the ring more closely. It’s a simple gold band, but it makes something possessive roar in Luffy’s chest. This is his. He put it there, as evidence of his love for Torao and of Torao’s love for him. <img src="https://images.squidge.org/images/2024/04/29/truffytwine_World_ART_Ring.png" width=600 height=500 alt="A colored illustration. Middle-aged Luffy is holding Law’s left hand as he admires a wedding band on Law’s ring-finger. His expression is one of wonder while Law smiles kindly in response." { max-width: 100%; }/> “Oh, and there’s this too.” Torao says, opening his shirt and pulling the fabric aside to show off… a patch of skin of a different color? Luffy frowns, he hadn’t noticed it earlier. He reaches out to touch it and Torao lets him, smiling softly. There’s a heart beating right under Luffy’s hand. Luffy would recognize that rhythm anywhere. It’s his own heart. His own heart is inside Torao’s chest, beating overtime as he gasps. “I guess a vivre card wasn’t intense enough for us.” Torao chuckles. Suddenly Luffy understands why the heart in his chest has been so calm… It’s Torao’s. [[He has Torao’s heart inside his own chest.]]

“*Oh!*” Luffy whispers as his own heart in Torao’s chest starts beating all over the place, out of order and so loud. “Mugi-ya?” Torao asks, confused by the sudden change in the rhythm. Luffy feels like he’s going to explode. He feels so much love and tenderness for this Torao… And he *yearns*… Yearns for the life this Torao has with his own Luffy, his Lu-ya. Luffy wishes he could have this with his own Torao too. He wants this. The house, the titles of Pirate King and his Husband, the ring, the swapped hearts… Torao takes a step closer, holding Luffy by the shoulders, his eyebrows furrowed in worry. “Are you okay, Mugi-ya?” “I’m in love with you… I’m in love with Torao.” Luffy replies. Torao gasps, then blushes furiously. “Is this… Is this it for you? The moment when you realize?” “Yes.” Luffy nods, resolute but lost. “Torao, what do I do?” Torao smiles, the fondest smile Luffy has ever seen on him. He lifts one of his hands from Luffy’s shoulder, to caress his cheek instead. “You tell him. You tell me. Your version of me.” Luffy doesn’t have time to reply, because everything around him fades to black. (if:$readDevilEnding)[ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more ]] ] (else:) [ [[Luffy wakes up at the Fortune Teller's once more]] ]

“Sfine, hurts to… talk anyway,” Luffy admits, finally grasping where he is and why. There’s nothing manly about hiding pain. Pain doesn’t care who or what you are. It makes you miserable, electrifies your nerve endings, and punishes without opportunity for justice. It can be all-consuming. So, while he doesn’t bother hiding it, he won’t let it win. He hasn’t forgotten the soul-crushing agony he lived through years ago. The crater in his heart, figuratively and literally, gaping open, leaving a hollowed, echoing shell in the shape of his brother's too-short life. That pain ate his grief like a starving animal, trying to gain a firm hold and devour any parts of himself he couldn’t rebuild fast enough. It was a dark place he never wanted to return to. Pain doesn’t need to be physical to take root. Mingo is that monster in Law's life and for the people of Dressrosa. He doesn’t understand how he’s back in his memory like this, but he also doesn’t need to. He never needed the long history or the warnings of repercussions; he knew enough to act. It didn’t matter how much Law insulted him, threatened him, or tried to turn him away. He’s done this same dance a decade ago with Ace and again, each time with his crew when they needed him. He will defeat Mingo, and Law and Dressrosa can be free again. [[He just needs a few minutes.]]

But, there’s a telltale sound of fingernails sliding across metal guitar strings: “*Found you.*” Everything is wrong. Luffy is wide-eyed and forcing his still loose limbs to stand. Mingo looms above their stone refuge—the pink feathers of his coat swaying in the wind, the very visage of fury. “*Run—*“ Law's voice cuts off with an unnatural, short, sharp, cracking sound, like a pine log snapping in a fire. No longer next to Luffy but thrown once more against the rock boundary of the rooftop. This isn’t how he remembers it. Already, he’s not fast enough; his body reminds him of this truth when it fails to dodge the burst of strings—Luffy’s heart rabbits in his chest. He shouts a wet, gasping snarl to summon anything from the well of energy he usually holds, but it isn’t back yet. Waves of threads wrap tightly around his neck. Without Haki, all he can do is claw at his own throat against the tightening noose until the thread winding itself around each of his limbs drags his hands away. “You’ve wasted enough of my time, you rubber rat,” Mingo grits through his teeth. Rage floats off his body in the pink feathers falling from his coat, leaving a molten trail amongst the wreckage. He stops somewhere in the middle of the two men he’s trapped. *He had more time before.* [[Damnit. How much does he still need??]]

“What a joke. You destroyed my country, threatened my business, and really ruined everything. I’m usually willing to forgive, Law,” Mingo says with a sharp, punctuated laugh. “That’s how generous I am, but this is another matter entirely.” Law glares up at the towering figure before him; his eyes flicker for barely a second to meet Luffy’s. A shadow passes through them, and Luffy can’t stop the dread pooling in his gut the same way he can’t stop his body from being stood up. He can’t stop his feet from moving forward; each step, another beat in the measure of this fight. He’s sick with exhaustion, beaten, and barely holding on through the dregs of his anger, but it’s that look in Law’s eyes that chills him to his core. “*Don’t-*“ “—that’s what you get for underestimating the straw hats.” Law talks over his protests. Mingo raises a hand in crescendo, and it’s all too fast. “Before I kill you, I’m going to have you eviscerate your pathetic partner with your own hands; I hope you enjoy.” Metallic strings flood and drag Law to his feet against the stone wall. [[NO.]]

Luffy lets out a garbled shout, thrashing forward, pulling with all his might, letting the strings cut and carve new valleys into his flesh, but he’s held tight to his spot. “Hey!! Our fight’s not finished!” Anything to drag Mingo’s attention back to him alone. Luffy desperately scans their area, studying for a tool and a solution. The broken stone, the ashen mixture of dirt and blood, shards of fractured wood. Nothing. There is nothing. The air in his lungs sours, and his teeth ache from all the heavy breathing he’d been doing. Frantically, he catches Law’s eyes again and sees that he looks *calm*. Even as Law’s arms are being forcibly raised in a Richter, his feet are being dragged forward, an unwilling ragdoll with a quiet look in his eyes, the silence wraps inside itself. It's deep and wide like the sky around them. It's heavy, like an anchor sinking through watery depths. It's a patient, cut-flower sound of a man who's waiting to die. Two steps is all it takes, and there’s a sword in Luffy’s chest. Plunged deep through his ribs, the hilt pressed right to his sternum. [[It doesn’t hurt.]]

Luffy sucks in a wobbly breath, “What are you—?” “You’ll know what to do,” says Law. “Torao,” says Luffy, and again more incoherently, “*Torao—*” “If you don’t do it, what I’m about to do will be pointless.” The more he watches, the more Luffy can’t breathe. He *doesn’t* know what to do. He wants to beat Mingo to a pulp, free Law, and save Dressrosa. *He doesn’t want this.* Instead, he stands there, frozen, slowly engulfed by the light blue glow of a palm-sized devil fruit power he barely understands. Law sighs in no little relief and falls limp in the strings. There is silence afterward about what should be done and what could no longer be. Dust is flying around in the air. [[He can taste the stone fragments against the blood on his lips.]]

Luffy doesn’t. He. What was he doing? He tries to move against his bindings and finds both of them dropped like weights. “There, now die already.” He hears Mingo say through a fog. *He was supposed to be stronger.* The blue glow evens out, and time speeds up, blurs, and moves in bright lights before him. All at once, he’s back at Sabaody, back at Marineford, and yet entirely in the ruins of Dressrosa. One blink and the mangroves replace the strings of the birdcage surrounding them. Another blink, and it’s the frozen grounds of Marineford, ice painted again with his brother's blood instead of the sandstone city. Gunshots whizz and echo in his ears through the smoke and distant screams of people he can’t see. The ground shakes, and Luffy meets it with his knees. The shock of impact fires through his joints, but it doesn’t matter. He can’t tear his eyes away, vision swimming beneath the question. Trembling hands cling desperately to Law’s coat. To his arm, his chest, his throat. Anything. *Anything.* He’s still warm but isn’t breathing, and Luffy can’t think of what he’s supposed to do. Luffy chokes on the sob that bursts from his lips. Tears spilling freely. Bloodied hands rested on the other's face, tears raining down and mixing into the blood streaks, and hating himself for the answer. Every part of Luffy is raw, stinging, and hollow because he can’t bear to let go—not like this, not again. He draws in a tight breath, his eyes burning, and tries not to feel himself unraveling at the seams. [[Luffy wakes up]]

''Trigger warnings for each individual scene:'' Hanged Man scene: Blood and Death The Devil scene: Graphic description of violence and Multiple Major Characters Deaths The Tower scene: Graphic description of violence and Major Character Death If you don't want to see those triggers, please avoid these scenes. Done reading the warnings? Go back to [[Introduction and Rules]].