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"Wake up! Wake up, Law!" Corazon shook the little boy into consciousness, an excited beam on his painted face.

"What's wrong, Cora-san?" Law mumbled sleepily. He squinted against the bright, late morning sunlight.

Corazon paused, his hand still laid on Law's head, reveling in the nickname.

It would be a week from now, and they could finally get hold of the Ope Ope no Mi. Sure, it would be heavily guarded, and, sure, Doflamingo's resulting wrath for this treachery would be unspeakable. But it was a risk he was willing to take. And then they could...and Law would...and... He sighed.

"My colleagues have told me about a famous Doctor who might be able to help us," Corazon said. He had been told of a reclusive doctor in Drum Island, with the most esoteric habits and a striking success rate with curing odd diseases. Surely she would know about Law's predicament? (Surely, she would take a look at him in wonder, not disgust?) Surely...

"Who?" Law insisted. He now sat up to rub the sleepiness from his eyes and yawned.

"Never you mind. It's someone we can trust," Corazon said as vaguely as he could.

"We can't trust anybody," Law frowned, and Corazon noted the sad tone of the statement.

Unable to break the tension, he turned to the basket beside him. "Look, Law. I found some wild rabbits earlier, let's cook these for breakfast."

Law gruffly assented; he got to his feet to help Corazon unload the haul and prepare a fire. He was weak with fever, but today wasn't so bad; either that, or he had gotten so used to it. His entire body ached where the white patches on his skin were biggest, and a dull throbbing in the back of his head made persistent thought impossible. Still, he was surprised by the five whole rabbits Corazon had caught; his strange powers were excellent for hunting.

As they ate, the mood lightened when Corazon accidentally thrust the entire rabbit, skewer and all, into his mouth. Law frantically beat against his back, hoping to dislodge the items, and at length Corazon coughed them out. He profusely extended excuses and gratitude toward Law who, despite being the sick one, was saving his life all the time.

~o0O0o~

Dark smoke gnawed at the edge of Law's vision. He blinked, and he found himself hefted up in a piggy-back ride on Corazon. The sun bathed everything in white heat. It took minutes before the rest of the scene materialized. Majestic blue skies over a wide, endless ocean.

Corazon carried Law all the time now when they had to move. Find shelter from the elements, run away from angry citizens after some self-important prick of a doctor proclaimed Law incurable. The poor thing could barely walk more than ten steps at a time! Corazon would rather carry this child through the ends of the world to see him safe and happy. He found himself humming gently as Law fidgeted uncomfortably, and he prayed direly that he wouldn't tumble over the smallest weeds or the roughest pebbles. (It happened twice already this past half-hour, and Law berated him unforgivingly for dropping him.)

He recounted tales of the other oceans, the legends of All Blue, the customs of faraway kingdoms, the terrifying powers that gripped the world, the mysteries of Devil Fruits, to entertain Law, who slipped into and out of consciousness aboard their shaky boat.

"Just one more week," Corazon promised, "and then our destination will be an ice kingdom in East Blue."

"Isn't that," noted Law, "too far away to travel on this raft?"

"We'll get a better ship, of course, maybe look for other crewmates to help us."

"We'll be pirates?"

"We'll be free," asserted Corazon with a grin.

Law turned over this thought as Corazon adjusted the sails. The waves lapped against their ship eagerly, almost playfully, and a tailwind pushed them steadily onward.

~o0O0o~

Law opened his eyes blearily. The boat was gone, and the sunlight, and the warmth enfolding him, vanished. Most importantly, he was an adult once again, and Corazon's absence left heavy pangs in his heart, like it did the first lonely nights, like it did for the first few years.

"That...that's it?" he asked.

A hunched form emerged in the smoky darkness beside him. For a moment, Law dared to hope that that was cigarette smoke, and that it was Corazon coming out to bid him a good night.

An old lady's voice spoke. "Yes, that's it. Now pay up."

Law felt his senses returning to him. He was in a dingy, back-alley store full of trinkets, glowing orbs, and heavy smoke. The lady, a fortune-teller extravagantly dressed in robes and necklaces of varying design, extended her hand expectantly; Law sneered at her as he dropped the fee of ten thousand beri into it.

"Now don't be such a sour grape, dear, I granted you your heart's desire, didn't I?" she rasped, her tone more civil in light of the payment. "I'm open for business every day, if you choose to come back. I can even let you stay permanently in the Other state, for a fair amount of your money."

"I'm not coming back. You're a sham," spat Law. He stood up and dusted himself. "That Other state was simply a dream!"

"A very vivid one, like no drug can provide!" The lady now raised her voice a little. "My Focus-Focus powers can pinpoint your deepest desires and transmit it as dream code to your brain. Isn't it amazing?"

"Isn't it amazing?" Cora-san had once said the same thing.

Law would've retorted, but heavy pounding on the door reminded him that his crew had been waiting outside for who knows how long. "Law-san! Are you okay?" came Bepo's voice. Others joined in at the same time so that he didn't catch what they said.

"How long did that take?" he asked instead.

"No more than five minutes," answered the lady, her expectant hand clutching at the air in front of her, as if expecting another payment, another indulgent soul lost in the past—or in an impossible future.

Law quitted the shop, ignoring the hag's persistent sales talk. Five minutes of dream for a day's worth of 'happiness'... It wasn't a bad idea. But the pain it left behind, the harsh rush of reality, was too much. He had wanted this maybe ten, twelve years ago: just one more day with Cora-san. Childish whims, but he was older now, he had moved on now. Those dreams were all wishful thinking; he knew that Cora-san loved him, but it was all in the past. The lady's work was dangerous, maddening. He had to get away. But for now, as he rejoined his friends, he allowed himself a wistful sigh and remembered the silence, the smell, the gentlest touch of his once-guardian.

END

Description
"Wake up! Wake up, Law!" Corazon shook the little boy into consciousness, an excited beam on his painted face.

"What's wrong, Cora-san?" Law mumbled sleepily. He squinted against the bright, late morning sunlight.

Corazon paused, his hand still laid on Law's head, reveling in the nickname.

It would be a week from now, and they could finally get hold of the Ope Ope no Mi. Sure, it would be heavily guarded, and, sure, Doflamingo's resulting wrath for this treachery would be unspeakable. But it was a risk he was willing to take. And then they could...and Law would...and... He sighed.

"My colleagues have told me about a famous Doctor who might be able to help us," Corazon said. He had been told of a reclusive doctor in Drum Island, with the most esoteric habits and a striking success rate with curing odd diseases. Surely she would know about Law's predicament? (Surely, she would take a look at him in wonder, not disgust?) Surely...

"Who?" Law insisted. He now sat up to rub the sleepiness from his eyes and yawned.

"Never you mind. It's someone we can trust," Corazon said as vaguely as he could.

"We can't trust anybody," Law frowned, and Corazon noted the sad tone of the statement.

Unable to break the tension, he turned to the basket beside him. "Look, Law. I found some wild rabbits earlier, let's cook these for breakfast."

Law gruffly assented; he got to his feet to help Corazon unload the haul and prepare a fire. He was weak with fever, but today wasn't so bad; either that, or he had gotten so used to it. His entire body ached where the white patches on his skin were biggest, and a dull throbbing in the back of his head made persistent thought impossible. Still, he was surprised by the five whole rabbits Corazon had caught; his strange powers were excellent for hunting.

As they ate, the mood lightened when Corazon accidentally thrust the entire rabbit, skewer and all, into his mouth. Law frantically beat against his back, hoping to dislodge the items, and at length Corazon coughed them out. He profusely extended excuses and gratitude toward Law who, despite being the sick one, was saving his life all the time.

~o0O0o~

Dark smoke gnawed at the edge of Law's vision. He blinked, and he found himself hefted up in a piggy-back ride on Corazon. The sun bathed everything in white heat. It took minutes before the rest of the scene materialized. Majestic blue skies over a wide, endless ocean.

Corazon carried Law all the time now when they had to move. Find shelter from the elements, run away from angry citizens after some self-important prick of a doctor proclaimed Law incurable. The poor thing could barely walk more than ten steps at a time! Corazon would rather carry this child through the ends of the world to see him safe and happy. He found himself humming gently as Law fidgeted uncomfortably, and he prayed direly that he wouldn't tumble over the smallest weeds or the roughest pebbles. (It happened twice already this past half-hour, and Law berated him unforgivingly for dropping him.)

He recounted tales of the other oceans, the legends of All Blue, the customs of faraway kingdoms, the terrifying powers that gripped the world, the mysteries of Devil Fruits, to entertain Law, who slipped into and out of consciousness aboard their shaky boat.

"Just one more week," Corazon promised, "and then our destination will be an ice kingdom in East Blue."

"Isn't that," noted Law, "too far away to travel on this raft?"

"We'll get a better ship, of course, maybe look for other crewmates to help us."

"We'll be pirates?"

"We'll be free," asserted Corazon with a grin.

Law turned over this thought as Corazon adjusted the sails. The waves lapped against their ship eagerly, almost playfully, and a tailwind pushed them steadily onward.

~o0O0o~

Law opened his eyes blearily. The boat was gone, and the sunlight, and the warmth enfolding him, vanished. Most importantly, he was an adult once again, and Corazon's absence left heavy pangs in his heart, like it did the first lonely nights, like it did for the first few years.

"That...that's it?" he asked.

A hunched form emerged in the smoky darkness beside him. For a moment, Law dared to hope that that was cigarette smoke, and that it was Corazon coming out to bid him a good night.

An old lady's voice spoke. "Yes, that's it. Now pay up."

Law felt his senses returning to him. He was in a dingy, back-alley store full of trinkets, glowing orbs, and heavy smoke. The lady, a fortune-teller extravagantly dressed in robes and necklaces of varying design, extended her hand expectantly; Law sneered at her as he dropped the fee of ten thousand beri into it.

"Now don't be such a sour grape, dear, I granted you your heart's desire, didn't I?" she rasped, her tone more civil in light of the payment. "I'm open for business every day, if you choose to come back. I can even let you stay permanently in the Other state, for a fair amount of your money."

"I'm not coming back. You're a sham," spat Law. He stood up and dusted himself. "That Other state was simply a dream!"

"A very vivid one, like no drug can provide!" The lady now raised her voice a little. "My Focus-Focus powers can pinpoint your deepest desires and transmit it as dream code to your brain. Isn't it amazing?"

"Isn't it amazing?" Cora-san had once said the same thing.

Law would've retorted, but heavy pounding on the door reminded him that his crew had been waiting outside for who knows how long. "Law-san! Are you okay?" came Bepo's voice. Others joined in at the same time so that he didn't catch what they said.

"How long did that take?" he asked instead.

"No more than five minutes," answered the lady, her expectant hand clutching at the air in front of her, as if expecting another payment, another indulgent soul lost in the past—or in an impossible future.

Law quitted the shop, ignoring the hag's persistent sales talk. Five minutes of dream for a day's worth of 'happiness'... It wasn't a bad idea. But the pain it left behind, the harsh rush of reality, was too much. He had wanted this maybe ten, twelve years ago: just one more day with Cora-san. Childish whims, but he was older now, he had moved on now. Those dreams were all wishful thinking; he knew that Cora-san loved him, but it was all in the past. The lady's work was dangerous, maddening. He had to get away. But for now, as he rejoined his friends, he allowed himself a wistful sigh and remembered the silence, the smell, the gentlest touch of his once-guardian.

END