One Piece 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece. **

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><p><em>No fucking way<em> is the only thought that remains in Law's head as a wave of utter astonishment washes over him. He just stands there, absolutely flabbergasted, speechless, mouth hanging open, eyes wide – a rather comical look- but he really doesn't think he can be blamed for that. What else is he supposed to do when there's a dragon in front of him – a creature that should only exist in myths and children books-, spitting in the face of everything he was taught? People have been deemed insane for claiming such impossible things as meeting a living, breathing dragon for centuries, and now it's there, all in its grace, larger than any beast he had seen, even with being restrained by shackles every part of it screams danger – the pair of horns, the blade-like claws, the spikes that follow the line of the spine to the very end of the tail, it seems that everything about the drake is suitable for killing – he'd dare say that it is _made _for killing.

He takes a hesitant step forward, regretting it instantly when the red dragon raises its head, showing its yellow eyes and narrow pupils. He curses himself for not memorizing the tales about dragons, maybe if he paid attention he would have at least a little clue that how he should act, if he should look away or stand the gaze – he wouldn't want to anger it for the world, but he finds himself unable to look away, enthralled by the wild beauty of the dragon. How can something be so terrifying and beautiful at the same time is beyond Law, and really, he'd spend the whole day just admiring every detail of the dragon – and maybe try figure out that in exactly what shade of red those scales plays- weren't it for the chuckle behind him.

His posture remains stiff, only his fingers twitches, itching for break something – preferably the bastard's neck. Not even the astonishment is enough to make him forget the deep hatred towards his lord. He turns around with a frown firmly plastered on his face, meeting with a disgusting, toothy grin that still makes him shiver, even after all those long years.

''Like what you see, Law?'' Doflamingo – his liege lord- asks, putting unnecessary pressure on his name.

''How did you…no, that's...it's _impossible_! .. ''

The massaging of his temple is a futile attempt to stop the upcoming headache, but he does it anyway. He lets out an exasperated sigh, his mind's reeling, the rational part of him just cannot believe his eyes. It has to be a bad, twisted, sick joke - one that'd only be born in Doflamingo's head. Or is it a part of a plan to get rid of him? Just a tiny slip, a leaked word of this…_incident_, would be enough for him to be executed – the world does not need an insane knight. And he agrees with them, if he was insane, he'd better be dead, not threatening others.

But _he is not_, it's just someone – or the fate itself- that is fucking with him.

Not that it makes the situation any easier – no, it just makes everything more difficult. Resigning himself into thinking that he went mad, that'd be easy. But convince himself – and possibly others- that it is the reality, it is true, dragons aren't just creatures of vivid imaginations… well, that _is_ a difficult thing.

'' It was sure an interesting hunt '' the blond begins, '' to find a dragon… Admittedly, I never believed in fairy tales'' he laughs '' I thought my eyes tricked me… That I went mad...'' well, you being insane isn't anything new, Law thinks. He stays still when Doflamingo begins to pace, getting carried away by his own story.

'' I must admit, it left me unable to think... What am I to do? Kill it? Capture it? Would we even be able to fight with it? Dead or alive? How do I make it believable? We must have the devil's luck, that we caught it, and were able to bring it here... And then what? '' he asks, with a sinister smile directed at Law, waiting for him to figure it out to himself.

Law narrows his eyes. Then what? Let the world know, be famous, make people doubt the dogma, weaken the reign of the church and go to hell for it. _Oh_. Understanding washes over him – what the Gorosei says is sacrosanct – and so, if the Gorosei says dragons don't exist, then dragons do not exist. Religion is what keeps balance among the oppressed peasants – the threat of going to hell keeps them disciplined – and the discovery of dragons' existence would make people doubt the dogma. _If once they were mistaken, they could be wrong about everything else. _The reign of church would weaken; the superstitious peasants would be driven into despair as their beliefs of a sacrosanct power would turn out to be lies. Going against the church – the biggest power ruling the Grand Line- one must have a death wish, which unfortunately Doflamingo doesn't have.

'' And what'd be my role in this? '' he finally asks, and his lord's grin widens '' The less people know, the less the chance of leaking. What's be known to two isn't even a secret anymore.''

Law suppresses a smirk of his own when the blond's lips pull into a taut line. '' A man of mine was killed two days ago '' the balled fists don't go unnoticed by Law '' We found the knife, but not the perpetrator. A commoner was guided into Marijoes, having a meeting with pope Sengoku himself '' he spits like the words are venom.

Law scowls, not understanding where is it going, but not liking it a bit – call it a hunch, but he can just feels that his head will be put on the line.

''Also – a broken glass was found in the bear meat '' Doflamingo nods his head in the direction of the eerily white and clean pile of bones, and his gaze wanders towards the dragon that is looking at them lazily, with one eye open, and as if sensing the knight's wondering about the remains of its dinner the drake licks its mouth, and had Law less self-control he would shudder at the sight. It's like a cat's tongue – full of tiny hooks,with the sole purpose of licking the meat off to the fullest, only it's a lot bigger and without doubt would tear down all the skin and flesh from a human within seconds. '' Luckily, this hellion was smart enough to pick out the glass shreds before eating''

Law doesn't think some glass shred would have been enough to actually kill it, but it might have been caused some internal damage. Still, the fact that somebody actually tried it is unnerving.

'' What do you want me to do? Guard it? '' he asks, insulted at the mere idea. What is he, a shepherd to look after animals?

''Fufufufu, yes, that's exactly what I want you to do. Or have you, perhaps, forgotten that under whose command are you? I am your liege lord; to you I am mightier than God himself! '' the blond laughs again, a malicious and humorless laugh, before his expression turns to a grave one. '' I do not forgive betrayal, Law. I am sure you are aware of that? '' oh yeah, he knows that by own experience. Contrary to his words, Law has a feeling that the blond wouldn't mind it, that he wouldn't mind some..._hunting_.

''Yes, my lord.'' the words are bitter on his tongue, just uttering them burns it, but has he had a choice?

While his pride as a knight have just died, he can't just risk to be labeled as an oath breaker – and that's exactly what he would be if he didn't fulfill Doflamingo's every wish – not without any back-up plan. And so, he resigns himself into accepting this humiliating job, suppressing the thought that he was just degraded into a guard dog, that from now he'll have to stay there, and breathe the same air as the bastard who he despises so much, to who he'll be linked forever by the damned oath he made, who he can't escape, not while living on these lands, not while his pathetic human life lasts.

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><p>It's been two weeks since he had started guarding the dragon<em>, his<em> _dragon,_ as he had come to refer to them. At first, he was nervous and reluctant, never going within six feet distance, barely stopping his spacing, never relaxing his rigid posture. Truth be told, he's had a hard time not to show just how freaked out he was after seeing the way the drake eats. How the razor-sharp teeth tear the raw flesh and muscle like it's made of butter, just how terrifyingly effective the rough tongue works at cleaning the bones. Law's no fool to believe that they could ever actually control or God forbid, surpass a beast like this, oh no. He has a hunch that the dragon is just playing with them, just see them as toys, and he realizes that fuck, actually, that is what they are to something as mighty as a dragon.

If he wants to compare the dragon to other animals, surprisingly they would show the most resemblance with cats, Law thinks. He knows that they're smart; he can tell it just by looking into their eyes; he knows they understand everything he says, they just don't cooperate, don't _care_. They might even find them and their efforts amusing, and the thought of humans having superior species is a horrifying thought.

About a week ago, some servants attempted teaching them to sit down by offering a big piece of deer meat, and when the dragon stood, all in their 15 foot height, he was quite alarmed and thoroughly pissed at their stupidity, his slightly trembling hands were already on the sheath of his eastern type sword, but the dragon just leant down, and with gentleness that should be impossible for a beast of their size, they took the chunk, and swallowed it in one piece. Then they trotted back where they were lounging just minutes ago, like nothing had happened, leaving a young servant shaking but otherwise unmoving, with plate-sized eyes glued to the red beast, and with an unmistakable smell and dark stain on the lower part of his pants.

Seeing that the drake never attempted to attack him, never made a menacing movement, he unconsciously let his guard down, his spacing stopped, and more often than not, he finds himself sitting under a tree, constant with just staring at the dragon. Or sometimes, the other idiots try to teach tricks, not giving up on training them like a dog, but they fail miserably every single time. Again, it's not because of the lack of intelligence, it's because of the lack of willingness.

Even if spending days with a dragon not half as bad as he imagined it would be, he still wants to get the hell out of there and never set a foot on these lands again. He hates Dressrosa from afar – he can't help it, the name is connected with Doflamingo's name in his head – and utterly despises it from close. The liege lord wants no word from him though, not about his release.

Maybe his walking is louder than usual, but he definitely isn't stomping, oh no, knights do not stomp and do not fuss. He lets out a 'tzheh' when he thinks about his earlier conversation with his lord, sitting down a little rougher than he intended to. He feels the dragon's eyes on him, but ignores it, being too occupied with his anger to notice how close he had gotten.

It's not until he hears the clanks of the chains that he realizes his mistake, and when the dragon towers over him, he officially deems the day as the worst day of his life. He closes his eyes, and a shiver runs up on his spine when a hot and reeking breath ghosts over his skin, giving away how unnaturally close are they to him, and also reminding him of the carnivorous nature of the beast, but his eyes soon snaps open when instead of the expected pain he only feels something heavy on his legs.

He glances down, and he meets with the familiar yellow pupils of the dragon staring back at him, with such intense yet unreadable emotions that his throat feels dry of all sudden.

'' What are you doing?'' he croaks out, then with the tip of their nose the dragon nudges his hands, and nuzzles into him, giving out a sound of satisfaction – an almost purring sound- when he pets their head tentatively. Soon, the short and undeniably awkward pets turn into long, soothing strokes, and they both close their eyes, and Law relaxes, his anger long forgotten.

He smiles to himself, realizing how true his previous statement was, the one about the resemblance between cats and dragons. Because, as messed up this situation is, he actually likes it, likes it despite how goddamn heavy is just their head, despite how he shouldn't be attached to a beast like this. But to the hell with it, Law thinks, because in the end, his dragon is just like a cat, comforting their owner in a way only a cat could. It's so warm, and so unbelievably soft that it's hard to tell that those are scales under his fingertips.

They stay like this, basking in the presence of each other, and it feels so intimate that Law can't believe it. He doesn't know how much time has passed when the unique atmosphere is disturbed by a maid, and it absconds like a bubble when touched, leaving him in with plenty of things to ponder later on.

He ignores the gawk, the shrieked "what?" question directed to him, and when the drake allows him – meaning when they takes his head from his lap – he stands up, with slight difficulty due the numbness in his limbs. Wincing, he massages his calves before he makes his way towards the castle, knowing that the maid was sent to inform him about the dinner, and absently notes that bugs would fly into her mouth if she doesn't close it, and all the while, under the nonchalant attitude, he might freak out a little.

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><p>A few weeks quickly pass, and as he thinks about it, he finds out that they – he and his dragon – have a routine now. That fateful day turned upside down their unwritten rules, expended their boundaries and drew new lines between the two of them. Ever since then, it has become a normal thing that the drake lays next to Law – they attempted to play lap-cat again, but after Law told them that he was uncomfortable in that way, they settled with their head pressed against Law thighs.<p>

And that's how they are right now, sitting – or in the drake's case, resting- under a huge tree that gifts them with sweet shadows, offering a hiding spot from the cruel rays of sun. A warm, but nonetheless welcomed breeze caress them, and it's seemingly so peaceful, so fucking nice that it's just plainly surreal, it's just like the calmness before a huge storm, it carries a foreboding and gut-wrenching feeling in it, it feels like an invisible hand around their necks, sneakily preparing to strangle them.

Law knows he isn't the only one feeling it; after all this time he had come to read his dragon fairly well, though it's the first time he sees them like this: tail swinging back and forth, whipping against the ground restlessly in uneven patterns, letting out occasionally huffs and snorts.

Soon enough, scarcely audible steps are heard, and they look up. Law tenses up in an instant, at the unpleasant sight of Vergo; the mere presence of the man is a bad omen in Law's eyes.

''They're there. Hide it.'' Vergo commands, and Law's blood runs cold, he doesn't ask who just prays for whatever god is out there that he's just misunderstanding it, but he notices the flaws of Vergo's mask; the barely noticeable wavering in his tone, the nervous twitching of his hands; and he instantly knows that they are in deep shit, so deep that even the ever stoic Vergo displays emotions. He shakes his head, and hops on his feet.

'' Where? '' it's a shame now, that he had never been interested in Dressrosa, if he was, finding a hideout for a dragon might have been an easier task. His sudden panic doesn't help his situation; not when he's so clueless that why he is so bothered about the dragon in the first place. What if they're- no, _it's_ killed? It's just trouble anyway, a burden that's holding him back. _It's_ what keeps him in Dressrosa. So why is there this heavy feeling in his chest?

Hearing the footsteps, Law actually freezes, panic and a nausea mixes in his stomach. He forces himself to turn around, readily gripping his sword, his brain already making scenarios about escaping routes and ways to get rid of a corpse, but all of his thoughts die in half way when he sees the intruder.

''You got to be kidding..'' he whispers in a shaky voice. Fear washes over him, something he thought he killed in himself years ago, his heart stops for a second.

A good 10 feet distance from where he is standing three men, each of them wearing identical white robes, their face covered with abstract masks that makes them appear more threatening, _inhuman_ even. The CP-0, a secret organization under the Celestial Dragons' personal command. Law isn't a short man, with being almost 6 feet tall, but he easily dwarfs even next to the shortest member.

The tip of his sword scratches the ground as his arm goes limp in helpless resignation, his brain shutting down once again. A voice in his head screams at him to run, fight, kill, to do something, anything to escape, but his body doesn't cooperate. He curses, his free hand balling into fists. _Goddamn it._

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><p><strong>AN: Basically, I made the World Government into the Church there, the Gorosei is like the pope, only it's 5 person instead of one, the Celestial Dragons are the priests, the Cipher Pol are crusaders. I'm so terrible at explaining things OTL Feel free to ask if you have any questions!**

**So, what do you guys think? I think I'm gonna regret posting this, since I'm a little tipsy now, but oh well. Actually, I've written this in July I think, but I kinda forgot about it? ^^ I'm kinda excited since this is the first time I post an actual story, not just an one shot. I'm not sure when will I update ( if anyone is interested in the next chapter) since there's the OP BigBang project to work on and I'm pretty slow so yeah. But I hope you enjoyed it! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.**

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><p>To make pretence of giving a proper a trial to this case, a makeshift court took place in one of the various lounge rooms of the castle. They sat around a huge table that granted them the opportunity to be as far from the CP-0 as it was possible. Law found the whole thing disgustingly hypocrite; the more he heard from the negotiation, the more he wanted to draw his sword, slaughter the fuckers in the room and flee on the back of his dragon.<p>

What could be saved was saved – meaning Doflamingo's position-, after his lord so generously pledged his word and money to the church, but the condition was that the dragon and all evidence of its existence should be annihilated before sunset. He would be lying if he said that he honestly believed that his dragon could be spared, but the harsh reality punching him in the gut still catches him off-guard.

Gloom hovers over them, the air is heavy with tension, the sunset casts orange light on the world, making it look like it was on fire. Law thinks that it would really only take a spark to ignite -just one little spark to set the unbearable atmosphere on fire. It's hard to walk – his feet feel like they have a boulder tied to them, he's sweating and his lung screams for more air while his gut twists itself around in him, and he feels sick.

He's the one to get the dragon, as he is the one whose presence they're the most used to.

They raise their head as Law gets there, staring at him almost unnervingly, and he forces a smirk on his face. A few moments later the flimsy imitation of a grin is off of his face, leaving a frown there and the dragon cranes their long neck to be on the same height as he is.

They push their face to Law's side, nestling gently, the blunt lower part of the horns brushing against his ribs through his clothes, but it doesn't feel threatening or painful, it's just there to remind him that they are a deathly spawn of hell, not some house cat despite how much they act like that. Hell however, doesn't even sound all that bad, if every demon there is like that – at least he knows that he is going to a good place once he dies. He doesn't have the slightest doubt that he is going to end there.

He slides one hand on the back of their head, pulling them in an awkward half-hug. He scratches the top of their head, and keeps them in his hold for a minute before he pulls away.

He takes the end of the chain which is supposed to keep the dragon grounded. ''Come'' he says, not wanting to tug at it – he feels bad enough with leading them on a leash. What makes everything worse that they just fucking obey, without the slightest doubt they just do what Law says, like they fucking trust Law to do whatever he wants. It's probably the case. The knowledge of that doesn't make him feel any better.

It blurs together, or plainly slips his memory, how he handed the leash over, or how the dragon got to the CP-0; all he remembers is their eyes boring into him, not accusing, not angry, they were calm, is if they were saying "it's alright", like they _understood_. The fucking resignation there is the worst of all.

He faintly hears a monotone voice talking but he's too anxious to listen to it.

" In the name of the Holy Church, under authority of the Gorosei, I shall take the beast's head" the voice says suddenly, all too soon, and that seems to trigger everything.

Kikoku's in his hands, blades crash, gasps are heard, and Law only realizes what he has done once he has done it. He directly went against the church. He ensured his own execution to be the next one. He basically gave up on his life for a beast. He never thought he was the self-sacrifice type. On the brighter side the brighter side though, he at least got a seat in hell reserved only for him, where he might be surrounded by creatures like his dragon.

Fuck it all, he thinks, charging forward again, hasty and predictable movements driven by anger easily dodged by the CP-0 agent. He feels ridiculous and pathetic, compared to his opponent he's the child throwing a tantrum while the parents look on unimpressed. He can't be so humiliatingly weak – even with uncontrolled, amateur movements, the masked guy is just impossibly, inhumanly strong.

It was obvious from the very beginning, from the moment their swords met for the first time, that Law doesn't stand a chance. While he's skilled in material arts, his strongest point has always been his brain; he is more of the strategist type than the muscle headed type. He's used to plan things thoroughly before acting, not just pulling stunts like that. What was he thinking anyway, when he attacked? Oh right, he was not thinking _at all._

That being said, that he's going to lose, it was not a secret. Still, a hint of panic is present in him as the familiar, comforting weight of his sword disappears from his hands. Law watches helplessly Kikoku dragging against the ground, the metallic rattle ear-splitting in the muted world.

_Game over._

He straightens himself then, choosing to meet his demise standing proudly, but what his brain isn't completely registering is the clanking in the background, though his gut tells him that something is off there. The setting sun glistens on the blade, coloring it reddish orange that resembles a sick mixture of fire and blood, like death and the eternal flames of hell; a foreshow of what awaits him.

He feels a gush of wind hitting him from behind, and hears rustling through the rattling of his heart and the persistent clanking, then there's the shrill sound of something breaking, more rustling, and in the next moment a pained growl. He opens his eyes, and sees a bloodied sword inches from his face. The blood isn't the only thing that paints it red, there's a crimson light surrounding them, like a protective shell around him, and he gets a very, very bad feeling from it.

There are rip-like patterns, dark compared to the area where the light travels through, and he feels like he is in a mist of blood. The sword turns to the side so that the blade points towards the ground, and with a harsh push downwards the material tears and shakes a bit, and there's an earsplitting screech filled with agony, and Law looks on horrified when he realizes that what defended him was his dragon's wings, and the patterns he saw are the blood vessel in it.

He wants to throw up from the metallic smell that fills up the air.

The wings twitch, retreating from the source of pain, and finally the dragon folds them up, and Law is dragged backwards by two clawed paws. The touch is gentle and careful, but his clothes still tear from it and it presses against his skin a little uncomfortably, like he is being poked with something sharp. Even with all the trust he puts into the dragon, he can't help feeling like a mouse in the claws of a cat. He's completely powerless, not for the first time that day. It's slowly becoming a habit, and a very irritating at that.

He's used to be in control, and losing every control over his own life isn't easy to deal with.

His breath gets stuck in his throat as a wave of fire comes from behind him, setting a tree on fire. He doesn't even have the time to be surprised before he's lifted up, and he instinctively kicks, trying to reach the ground with his legs. Panic takes its hold on him as the wall of the castle is rapidly nearing him; he's positive that if he gets stuck between a four feet thick stone wall and a dragon that weights around thousand pounds then pancake is the best thing he could end up as.

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><p>The impact doesn't come, but his breath is knocked out of him from the abrupt stop they came to. Rubble falls from the castle as the dragon sinks their claws into it, and starts to crawl upwards clumsily on the ninety degree wall while still holding Law in one paw, leaving only three limbs moving. He almost feels lightheaded from the sudden change of height, looking down from the roof of the castle's tower, he thanks the god for not being born with a fear of heights.<p>

Then the dragon opens their wings, splashing blood to the world below, and then they push themselves off, using the building as a catapult, making a crater and more rumble to fall down. Wild, cold wind hits his face like countless tiny needless, hurting his eyes to the point where he has to close them. He feels like sinking, like in those falling-of-into-nowhere dreams, and he snaps his eyes with a dreadful feeling, relaxing slightly when he notices that they are descending gradually.

They land on a clearing and Law has a hard time restraining himself from jumping down as soon as they're within a distance that wouldn't be fatal to fall from, not wanting to spend any more time off of the ground. Humans were born to walk on the ground and not to fly.

The grip on his waist lessens as his feet touch the ground and he sighs in relief. He hears shuffling and a pained, grunt-like nose from behind him, and he instantly turns around, worried about the wellbeing of his dragon. They got injured defending him after all, they put their head on the line for him. He feels guilty about that.

But what more concerning is that what in the seven levels of hell are they going to do now? The dragon might have somewhere to go, but he sure as hell doesn't, not to mention that with that damage on their wings they cannot fly, which would be essential if they plan on fleeing as hiding something as enormous and flamboyant as a big fucking red dragon is quite the difficult matter – impossible even.

He thinks his eyes are tricking him when the drake begins to glow – firstly in a vibrant red color that quickly fades into white, nearly pellucid. Soft, cracking whimpers are heard as the beast seems to shrink significantly, becoming shorter and slimmer, the tail and horns seems to retreat into their body, the claws morph into hands, until there's a naked human – more like a human _looking_ creature in front of him. It's plainly too surreal to not be true.

Law allows himself a glance downwards. A male.

''Nggh'' the boy – in lack of better term- says, moans as he stretches his arms, popping his spine out. Law almost winces; that creak couldn't be natural or healthy. '' It's been a while..'' he says after that, voice sounding weirdly unused, like it doesn't even belong to him.

He also notices that his voice is oddly high-pitched, higher than a puberty-stricken teen's, but has a more mature feeling to it. It's strange, but he likes it. It's nice to listen to, he thinks.

''What the fuck are you?'' he asks, maybe a little bit more rudely than he originally intended to.

''Me?'' the dragon asks back, tilting his head innocently, like he doesn't fucking know what Law's referring to.

''Who else?!''

'' Isn't it obvious? I'm a dragon, you silly!'' he declares, sporting a proud, toothy grin like he didn't just say that he's a fucking dragon in human form. He also called him silly.

They remain in silence after that, in a long, awkward silence – at least Law feels like it is. Then, thankfully, the shorter male breaks it.

'' I'm Luffy! And you're Torao, right?"

" Just call me Law.'' he nearly begs, mortified at the idea of being called by that ridiculous misnomer. His dignity suffered more damage during this insane month than ever, there's no need to add another embarrassing-factor.

''Thanks for wanting to save me, Torao!''

'' It was just a spur of the moment.'' he says, ignoring the butchering of his name. '' More importantly, what are we going to do now?''

'' What do you mean?'' Luffy asks, placing his hands on his hip.

''They'll be on our tail soon – where should we go? ''

Luffy hums, looking up to the sky as if expecting an answer from here. '' I gotta go home – Ace and Sabo are gonna be mad '' he says absently, pondering on something.

Law doesn't ask who Ace and Sabo are; he figures it's none of his business.

Luffy continues. '' But you got into trouble because you wanted to help me… I'll help you!'' he says, putting his fist into his open palm.

Law takes off his cape and drapes it over Luffy to hide most of his body, feeling uncomfortable of his nudity. He's rather attractive in this form. ''Whatever. We can talk about it later, once we're safe. I assume you can't fly with that damage?''

Luffy shakes his head with a pout, muttering a 'no'.

''Will they heal?''

''Yeah, but without Kureha or Chopper it'll take forever..'' he whines.

There's the sound of the drawbridge being lowered near, along with shouted commands. ''We're parting – comb the forest. They couldn't be far"

He just quickly grabs Luffy's wrists and drags the boy after him, breaking into a run. ''Hurry up!''

''Alright, alright…''

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><p>By the time the sun completely set, they've managed to lose them.<p>

They're hiding in a nearby cave now, he and Luffy, and Law's relishes in what little warmth the fire offers them. Luffy, on the other hand looks perfectly fine while being covered only with a cape – but maybe that isn't really a surprise, since he wouldn't be wearing anything if he were in his dragon form either.

Law can't say he's comfortable, because of multiple reasons.

It isn't the drastic drop of temperature, not their wet surroundings, not even his slightly damp clothes – he can get over that. It's still the shock that makes his mind reel; having Luffy – a dragon – taking a human form… It'd make sense that once you wrap your mind around the fact that dragons exist, it shouldn't be really surprising, really.

It is, apparently.

His eyes drifts to Luffy's lap, to the bare thighs and the cape pulled over the crotch, but he quickly averts them when he realizes what he is doing. It isn't like he hasn't seen a penis before, it's just…

It's just the fact that Luffy has one – and a human like at that.

When he first met his dragon, he just treated him like he'd treat an animal. Somehow, during their time spent together he acknowledged Luffy as an equal partner, he has grown to respect him like he would respect some people worthy to it, as rare as it is.

Never once, though, the thought of checking for a gender crossed his mind. Vaguely it did, yes, but that was before Luffy wormed himself into his heart. Back then, the avoiding of the matter was only question of fear, fear of what a beast would do if some human messed with their genitals.

Later on, it just felt wrong, _disrespectful_. You can't just go to someone and look into their underwear, Law thought, so he just left the question hang in the air. And with time, he found himself seeing Luffy as well, _genderless_. Because it didn't matter – he has come to like him as he was

With Luffy taking a human form – something that was familiar to him – it was answered, probably with the least awkwardness possible in the given situation. Luffy doesn't seem uncomfortable or anything, he is obviously used to nudity, but Law still feels really, painfully awkward.

He even knows that it is his fault, though. Not that he can help himself, it's not like he can stop himself from finding Luffy attractive. He knows he likes men, knows he is going to hell for his unnatural preferences and sodomy, big deal. He has done worse things than that, and again, he didn't ask for be like that.

However, he knows one thing for sure, that being sexually attracted to a dragon must be the bottom of how deep one could sink in the sea of morality. In a sense, it's like being attracted to an animal – sick, even in his own standards. Still, Luffy is not just an animal – he's a lot more than that.

What even makes a human to be a human? Intelligence? Luffy has that. The look? He can take a human look. If he looks at the subject like this, there isn't anything really wrong with it, only the gender, but to him? It doesn't matter. They won't have children – big deal. It's probably for the best.

He shivers, not from the morbid image of a half-dragon half-human creature, but from the cold. He squirms closer to the fire, feeling Luffy's – in this form – dark eyes resting on him. He avoids looking into them though, resolutely keeping his eyes on the dancing fire that reminds him of the flames Luffy breathed a few hours ago. He hears a quiet shuffle and soft steps, and then he feels something warm pressed against him.

The skinny arms wrapped around him remind him of a rope, but it doesn't feel threatening; it feels strangely comfortable. ''Luffy?''

The dragon just hums, pressing closer to Law, pulling his cape over their lap, making the situation even more awkward.

''What the fuck are you doing?''

''Keeping you warm!'' he beams, and Law isn't sure what to think of that. He doesn't seem like the kind of person who would backstab him, though usually that's what makes the catch-the-traitor game interesting; they never usually look the type. He decides on believing him, for now.

He's way too tired to think about the possibility that that wonderfully comfortable and warm body pressed against him means ill. His body heats up a little, starting from where Luffy's touching him, and it isn't until he feels really warm that he realizes how cold he had been. Drifting to sleep is really easy like that, so he just does that, pulling Luffy closer in his half-asleep state.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey! I was going to update this yesterday, but FF just went nah ._. Oh well. Anyway, I'm glad you guys liked the previous chapters! :) What do you think about this one? :D**

**Reviews: **  
><strong> Guests: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it! :)<strong>

**reader b: I can totally see him as an every animal kind of person :3 I'm glad you found it interesting.**

**Paulie MickeyJ: I'm not going to abandon it! I'm glad you found it interesting, and the dragon just ought to be adorable - afterall, we're talking about Luffy there :)**

**Bluebird42: I'm glad you like the settings! I admit, I was a little insecure about it after I published :C Thank you!**

**The One Piece Virus: Here's the next chapter! :) I'm glad you liked it! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

''I'm back.'' receiving no answer, Law frowns. Luffy?'' he asks, looking around, holding a pile of clothes he just got from a nearby shop. ''Fuck'' he curses, noticing that his company has disappeared.

Law couldn't hold back that curse even if he wanted to at Luffy – more like at the absence of Luffy. He told him not to move, to stay right there until Law comes back, but did he listen? Of course he didn't. He nearly does a double take when he turns around and finds Luffy standing in front of him with a – is that a squirrel there?

''What the-'' he begins, but stops himself to recoil in horror as Luffy just opens his mouths and brings the living animal to his mouth. Law quickly slaps his hands away, making the squirrel flying out of them. He sighs in relief as it scurries away instantly, but winces when Luffy punches him on the arm. ''What was that for?''

'' Do you even _ask_?'' Luffy huffs, raising his voice for the first time since he transformed into his human form. He has the galls to look scandalized, to what only Law should have the right to do. '' I was going to eat that!''

'' You're not going to eat anything raw, especially living in my presence!'' Law says, his stomach turning at the very prospect. That would be just plain disgusting to watch, although he's aware that it's not a big deal for Luffy. He must be used to eating animals in whole, and Law isn't about to make him stop doing that, but he will not allow him to do that while he's there to see, smell, hear or even know about that.

''What's your problem?! I'm doing that all the time!''

''You're not-''

''Ah!'' Luffy exclaims suddenly, looking like he just solved a big mystery. He narrows his eyes then at Law, pointing an accusing finger at him. '' So that's what you were up to!''

Law looks at him like he was a retard, and to be honest, he does think that he really is one. He decides he doesn't want to hear whatever he wants to say, because it's going to be stupid anyway, so he tries to change the subject. '' I don't know what conspiracy you have come up with, but I-''

''You wanted the eyes!''

''The ey- what?'' he asks, flabbergasted, his curiosity getting better of him despite his rational part begging him not to indulge himself deeper into the dragon's twisted mind.

''The eyes! You know it's one of the tastiest parts!''

''You..you mean of the squirrel?'' he asks, mortified. He has heard about fish eyes, or lamb, but squirrel? He can't be serious, he would understand if they were cooked although he wouldn't eat them even then, but to talk about how savory it is? You're a menace, he wants to yell but the words stubbornly stay glued to his tongue.

While he's having his inner fight with his momentary muteness, Luffy nods furiously, obviously believing in his theory to the fullest. ''You know, you could have just asked me, I mean I _don't_ share, but I like you, so I might have given you a bite – you didn't have to be all rude!'' he says disapprovingly, nearly _scolding_ Law.

Law though, is still trying to shoo away the images of raw eyeballs, doing his hardest not to think about how it would feel under his teeth, how _squashy_ it must be. Luffy apparently likes that. And here he was, the fool that wanted to _kiss_ that mouth. He's not going even near those lips after learning that despite how nice shaped they might be.

''I was going to eat today'' he deadpans, choosing to forget that this conversation ever happened.

''Huh?'' Luffy asks, tilting his head to the side.

'' You took my appetite, ugh'' he grimaces.

''That means I can get your share?''

''Yeah, whatever.'' he sighs, crouching down for the clothes he dropped in the process of the ordeal involving living squirrels and their eyes. '' Here'' he says, pushing the freshly bought materials into Luffy's hand.

Luffy unfolds them. '' Am I supposed to wear these?''

'' Obviously. You can't go around completely naked''

'' But aren't they too...I don't know... small?'' he asks, confused. Law doesn't get what he means – the clothes might be even a little too baggy for him, but not by any chance to small. They're big enough to fit even Law, although that would be a little too tight.

Luffy slides into a simple hosen and a long sleeved tunica that reaches a just little under his bum. He doesn't seem to be comfortable in them, raising his arms so that they're in one line with his shoulders to show his distaste. ''These are too tight…''

''What are you talking about? They fit you perfectly'' he says, seizing the opportunity to check him out without the inevitable awkwardness of his nudity. His limbs are just nicely toned, skinny but powerful, not bulky from the tons of muscles. Just the way Law likes it.

''But they stick to me'' he whines, tugging at the sleeves a little.

''They're supposed to do that''

''But it's uncomfortable!''

''Stop complaining and put on the boots''

''No.'' Luffy says, tone carrying a finality with what Law doesn't even try to argue. He guesses Luffy will do like that – it's summer and people probably won't give a flying fuck about him being on bare feet.

He just sighs in defeat. ''Alright, no shoes then. Now get going.''

* * *

><p>They agreed that Luffy will take him to Sabaody, more like Law agreed because he didn't really have any chance. According to the legends, Sabaody is the last town just before the Red Line, the town that marks the end of the world. It's where everything ends, supposedly – the existence of Sabaody had always been just a legend after all, the mysterious town<p>

Law always thought it was presumably a little too far-fetched that the world has an end where it just stops existing overall, but he didn't know any better, never having been there to see it with his own eyes, and anyway, who was he to say that? People smarter than him said that it was a fact and so it was a fact, and he never felt the need to go on an adventure, put his head on the line just to prove them wrong and be able to say 'hey shitheads I was right and you were not' only to end up losing his head.

According to Luffy though, Sabaody is just the last town of the continent, the last place where the human species set foot, and over the Red Line there is an enormous ocean that doesn't have an end. He thinks that's far-fetched too.

'' We can see it, from up the sky'' he says, dreamily, the campfire painting orange lights on his face, casting protracted shadows with every motion he makes with his arms, imitating flying. '' When it's clear, and there's no clouds, if you spin long enough you can't even tell where's the water and the sky anymore!'' he says, twirling a bit while balancing on his tiptoes and nearly ending falling face-first on the ground. He manages to keep his balance though, and looks at Law after that, waiting for an answer.

Luffy looks so eager and hopeful that Law doesn't have the heart to tell him that the idea of spinning, or even flying doesn't sound appealing to him in the slightest. ''That must be really…great'' even he can feel the obvious lack of enthusiasm there, so he just adds '' You keep saying 'we'. Who are 'we'?''

''My tribe!'' he says, completely naturally, and although it was axiomatic that Luffy had to come from somewhere, from parents most likely, but hearing it is still rather unbelievable.

''And where do you live?'' he inquires further, albeit he isn't really sure if Luffy would be sharing enough to tell him that. There must be a reason that dragons keep themselves hidden from the human eyes, and he has yet to give Luffy a reason to trust him that much to tell him vital information like that.

''In Raftel'' Luffy replies easily, and that really catches Law's attention if it's even possible – he's been _drinking_ the dragon's words already whenever he accidentally hinted something about his heritage, knowing that he's one lucky bastard to have the opportunity to learn so much about the world. He's never going to get a chance as good as it is, he's well aware of that.

''You mean Raftel do exists?'' It shouldn't have caused him any surprise after almost everything he was taught had been shaken to the core, so it's beyond him why did he even ask such a foolish question; it just slipped out.

''Mhm.'' Luffy hums, seemingly starting to become bored by the conversation. Law supposes his attention span can only last for that long, or he just doesn't like explaining things that comes completely natural to him – that's pretty understandable.

Still, he presses, curiosity and desire to learn, to _know _burning him. ''What is it like?''

Luffy must sense something of him because he forces himself to concentrate on Law again. ''Well, it's big. Like big. And we don't have tight clothes like this'' he says, pulling the material on his arm to show his distaste. '' Our clothes are long and baggy and easy to move in. And we got lots of amazing food there, like the sea kings we fish from down, and the lambs and-''

He appreciates that Luffy's trying despite how uninterested he's, but he's too much of a glutton to stay off of the food topic – or maybe that's just an instinct in him. Animals put a lot of efforts to feed themselves, and maybe it's not the best way to try to understand him, but it'll do it for now. He tries to take the things into his hands before they get completely out of control.

''So, you're all in your human forms there?''

''Yeah'' Luffy nods '' the streets were built to be wide enough for us, but it's more comfortable like that''

''You said you fish sea kings. I assume it is true then that dragons and sea kings are in a constant war?''

'' Nah'' Luffy drawls, '' We don't fight them. They're weaker than us. We eat them. They're tasty ''

He once again wonders that just what kind of a _monster_ he has befriended there. Sea kings are the worst thing that can possibly happen to you on the sea – they're enormous and deadly, sinking ships as if they were toys. He's heard that the wealthiest can afford their meat once in a while, when one falls prey to the toughest sailors on the sea, but such luxurious things are only for the most privileged.

It doesn't take him a long time to realize what a shame is it that of all people –dragons-, the only resolution for him to go for information is Luffy. He likes his company, don't get him wrong, and Luffy was keen on telling him stories, the problem is that their priorities doesn't meet. Luffy has his head in the clouds – sometimes quite literally – and Law walks on the solid ground.

Luffy's interested in adventures, food and in things he deems fun, and in all honesty that fits his brash personality. Law is more on the rational side, especially interested in the medical field. He wanted to be a healer ever since he was a kid, following the step of his father, but things don't usually go in the way one plans them to.

He hopes that in Sabaody he will get the opportunity to study about anatomy and such – Luffy said people there relatively often get in contact with dragons. (Often there only means that it isn't unheard of.) Tales that aren't all about depicting Luffy's kind as evil creatures that kidnap princesses and steal treasures out of pure greediness tell that they're much wiser than humans – though what he has seen as far leaves him with some rightful doubts-, carrying ancient knowledge that hopefully rubbed off on the people there. It would be a nice way to restart his life.

He nags Luffy until he gets bored with him, trying to glean as much precious information out of him as possible, but sadly, the dragon soon becomes bored of him. Luffy kind of just plops down next to him at the fire and falls over, resting his head in Law's lap comfortably. Law recognizes the gesture; it's his way to comfort Law. He cradles his hands through Luffy's black mane, his fingers tangling in the coarse mess.

He can probably sense that what he has to offer to Law isn't enough to satisfy his thirst for knowledge and tries to make up for it, or he just wants to show affection, maybe just wants Law to pet him – he can't really tell it with Luffy. He settles with not trying to figure out what's going on in the dragon's mind, content with listening to the soft cracking of fire and the calming purring Luffy's emitting at the moment.

* * *

><p>Luffy's off to chase down some animals – Law couldn't bring himself to care what is it this time-; he just hopes that he doesn't mark the poor thing out for a meal, or if he does, it's something big, of what there'd be left something for Law to cook too. He also prays that Luffy would not lack the mercy of killing the prey before starting to eat, it if he caught something at all.<p>

The forest becomes less and less dense with each step he takes, always keeping an ear open for Luffy. He can hear him rustling – he's far from a stealthy person- , or occasionally his unique laugh. He found it odd at the beginning, maybe a little irritating even, but he grew to quite like it rather soon – it's carefree and honest, capable of lifting other people's mood as well. Just hearing it puts him at ease.

He sees stud horses grazing on the pasture, and also sees a town from afar. It would be nice to know how far their evil repute has gotten, he thinks, and his back vehemently protests against spending another night sleeping on the hard ground, but he also knows that their arrival to such a small, insignificant town would bring unwanted attention. They can't afford that.

''Luffy'' he calls, not even raising his tone. He knows it would be in vain; Luffy can perfectly hear him like this, if he isn't coming that's because he doesn't want.

The brushes rustle behind him as the dragon gets closer to him. 'Yeah?''

He turns to face the boy. '' There are our horses'' he says, pointing with his thumb over his shoulder.

''Horses? Why?'' Luffy asks, tilting his head.

''You didn't seriously think that we will go to the fucking end of the world on our feet, did you?''

The dragon just stares at him for what feels like minutes without blinking even once, and Law realizes that he indeed thought that. He's contemplating waving his hands in front of Luffy's face as he's still spacing out, but he snaps out of whatever stupor he was in before Law has a chance to actually do anything.

''Oh! You sit on them, right? I heard about that. It sounds funny!''

'' Ride them'' he corrects without putting any thought into it albeit he's aware that it's, no use; if Luffy decides on something, then he could tell him anything, could try to convince him in any way, it goes in on one ear and comes out on the other. As expected, he ignores him, and Law thinks it's ridiculous how he's getting used to that.

It could have been fun, to put it in Luffy's way of saying, if the horses hadn't been unreasonably terrified of Luffy. He could understand that if he was in his dragon form, because what creature wouldn't be terrified of a goddamn dragon, but he didn't expect that they can sense his being regardless of the appearance.

He personally would have just thought that Luffy was an eccentric, surprisingly attractive although borderline lunatic man, but nothing more than that.

They still managed to get two horses, even taking them to the wood was a success, so Law thinks it's going to be absolutely wonderful if they went through all the trouble for nothing; as the things are now Luffy can't ride them. He wonders if it was technically possible for the dragon to do that; the learning process of how to ride a horse properly is something that takes years – it can't be done in a few days on a horse he doesn't even know.

Not counting the fact that Luffy's in reality a carnivore and a predator of every breathing creature, they still don't even have an equipment – he'll manage somehow, but Luffy? Not by any chance. The more he thinks about it, the more impossible it seems.

''It isn't going to work, huh?'' he says, watching the animals as they begin to roughly tug the rope they're tied to a tree with as Luffy took a step in their direction.

Luffy doesn't reply, just keeps walking closer, tearing down a fistful of leaves from the tree above him on his way. He stops in front of the calmer horse – that doesn't look like it would rather smash its head against the tree than let Luffy go near him – and slowly reaches out to pet it. He coos and murmurs softly, comfortingly stroking its side, mindful of the potentially dangerous kicks the stallion does to keep him away.

After the horse calmed down more or less, Luffy reaches out his open palm with the leaves on it, offering it to the animal. It's pretty brave to just give any kind of plants to it, foolishly so as it could poison it, but he decides to trust Luffy for now.

Although hesitantly, the white stallion eats it, looking remarkably calmer than it was minutes ago, the nervous tail swishing is still present though. Luffy takes his hands to the head now, making the horse relax into his touch.

''Good'' he praises softly, and Law has a hard time believing that this is the same Luffy he came to know. While he's aware that even he can't always be all riled up, and also having been on the receiving end of his affectionate cuddling – and he did not move around much at that time-, but that comforting tone sounds off – Law would have sworn he wasn't one for talking, preferring the acting more than anything.

Getting its fellow to relax apparently had a good effect on the other horse as it calmed down too under Luffy's magic hands to the point where it's willing to bear his presence. It's a good progress; now they're left with two horses to take them to Sabaody. There's still one more problem left unsolved: his companion being completely clueless to how to do it.

His point seems to be proven true when Luffy turns to him and asks, in all sincerity. ''How do I get them to pick me up?''

* * *

><p><strong> Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece<strong>

**A/N:** Alright, I'm not happy with this chapter at all. Like seriously. I got the first 2.5K words of it done in 5 days after the last update, and the last 700 words took two more weeks, but in the end I just cut it b/c it was a torture ._. Whatever. I hope you found it enjoyable! :)

Oh, and for the updates. I'll try my best to update faster, but as things are now, this story is just secondary b/c opbigbang is my priority now, I work on this mostly when I got bored with the other or need a break and write some fluff (that shit ain't all sweet), so this baby doesn't really get the attention she would deserve - it all goes to her little brother who grow bigger than her already. I'm a terrible mother OTL. Well, I'll try to get one update done every month until April, after that I'll aim an update every two weeks but I'm not making any promises just yet.

**reviews: **

** .sun** : I'm glad you liked it! :D The LawLu fandom needs a lot more kind of AUs :3 Luffy is really the easiest to put into any role, but I find him the hardest to write. I mean, his character is so complex and well-developed, but he's so simple minded and unpredictable at the same time. Hell yeah do reviews motivate me! :D

**PaulieMickeyJ**: Dragons just make everything a tad better! You know, I don't blame you for that. Like there is so many amazing story out there with so much potential abandoned - it's like when a talented and potential orphan child doesn't get the chance to succeed on life. It makes me so sad. I'm glad you liked it! :D

**Me**: I'm glad you liked it :D

**Bluebird42**: First of all I'm glad you like the story so far! :D I sent you a PM a bit back but I'm not sure if you have seen it? Could you be a little more specific please?

**Out-thereinparadise:** I'm glad you liked this! :D Well, I used 'they' deliberately, as a gender neutral pronoun - I've seen it used before this way so I guessed it was correct. I started with 'it' but I wanted to show that Law thinks more of Luffy than an animal. Who wouldn't respect a dragon anyway? I surely would ;) I'll keep it in mind though for the future :)

**MealdWine**: Our tastes are very similar as it seems! I've been searching for stories with historical settings but there's a serious lack of them :C You're very welcome and I'm glad you liked it! :D

**AuthenticAussie:** Well, I almost pity Law too - I feel like a cruel person for putting him through so much surprises. But he can take it, can't he? :D We'll see where I am going! :D

**See you next time:3**


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One Piece, Fantasy, Romance