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“-ight! Go right!”
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“Fuck, fuck, fuck! It’s co-“
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“LUFFY!”
Luffy wakes up screaming.
He can’t see. He can’t hear. But something is wrapped around him, entangled in his legs and keeping him pinned down. No matter how hard he struggles, he can’t shake it off. Adrenaline and fear roar through him, urging him to to keep fighting.
Then the world gets a little brighter. A little louder. A voice begins to drift into his consciousness. Luffy doesn’t recognize it, but he grabs onto it like a lifeline, lets it pull him through the darkness even as he continues to thrash around.
“…ou..me?”
Colors bleed into Luffy's vision, blended shades of white and grey slowly coalescing into shape. An unfamiliar beeping noise grows louder like a warning, but Luffy shoves that all aside, still clinging on to that voice. Despite the note of urgency in it, it’s low and smooth.
“Lis…hat!”
If he can only just -
“Luffy!” The sound of his name cuts through Luffy’s world with a sharp clarity and Luffy gasps to life.
With that, his surroundings finally come together. A white ceiling and shining lights above. The thick blanket on top of him, coarse against exposed skin.
But it’s a deep shade of gold that catches Luffy’s eye and makes him pause. The gold belongs to a set of eyes, he realizes. He doesn’t recognize who they belong to; a stranger’s face, handsome but fatigued if judging by the dark bags under his eyes. But in the few seconds of their gazes meeting, the universe bursts free and something slots into Luffy’s heart, locking into place. The feeling is unfamiliar, strange, and completely alien.
Luffy doesn’t want to let it go.
Distantly, Luffy is aware his hand is moving, reaching up and up even as it trembles violently. The stranger grabs it, inked, slender fingers cradling it with an unexpected gentleness. Something flashes in those golden eyes, too quick for Luffy to catch. But the touch is enough to stop the chaos raging inside him. The storm begins to ebb.
Then the stranger jerks his head to the left, as if startled by something out of Luffy’s line of sight. Luffy opens his mouth, needing this man’s attention back on him, but the world suddenly grows fuzzy again. Exhaustion sweeps in like a summer storm, swift and powerful. Luffy tries to resist - he wants to see the stranger again, wants another glimpse of gold. But his efforts are for nothing and all he does is sink back into a sea of black.
The next time Luffy wakes, the stranger isn’t there. Eventually though, he learns his name.
“Torao,” Luffy says. Three days since he’s seen the man and this is the first time he gets to say his name. It’s a comforting weight on his tongue.
A pause before Marco laughs. “Please call him that when I’m around. I’d love to see his face.”
“You said that was his name though. What else would I call him?” Luffy asks, confused, but Marco waves him off, still chuckling. It softens the bags under his eyes and eases the tension in his face. He resembles the Marco Luffy knows - always smiling, always laid back. Not the tired, somber man that has been checking in on Luffy every day since he woke up.
“But Dr. Traf - Dr. Torao - “ Marco coughs to hide another laugh, “ - was pulled back into HQ to look at that Kaiju you took down.”
Sharp, glassy rocks jutting out from a body swirling with red hot lava -
“Luf, watch his teeth!”
Broken glimpses of a memory pass through him and Luffy’s head begins to ache. Luffy rubs between his eyes, hoping that’ll do the trick and ward off the headache. “So he’s one of our guys?”
“Yeah. He’s posted with the scientists since he knows a fair bit about Kaiju anatomy. But he’s a trained surgeon hence the - “ Marco gestures towards Luffy’s chest, still bound tightly in bandages. Luffy puts a hand over his chest, feels the textured fabric rub against his palm.
“Oh.” Torao didn’t look like a scientist. The scientists at HQ wear lab coats and they’re stuffy and old and a little weird. Torao wasn’t old - but maybe he was stuffy and weird.
Marco watches Luffy with inquisitive eyes. “Why so curious?”
Luffy shrugs. His hand drops from his chest. “Just want to meet him. He saved my life.”
Marco hums. “I’m sure we can arrange something.”
That ache in Luffy’s head gets sharper, enough to make Luffy wince. Marco clocks it and frowns, stepping closer.
“What’s the matter?”
“My head,” Luffy complains. He rubs his forehead again but this time the pain lingers, so much that he misses how quickly Marco moves to his bedside.
“Can you open your eyes and look up for me?” Marco’s voice is calm but with an underlying edge. Luffy does as he’s told, flinching when Marco checks his eyes with a quick flash of his penlight. “Anything seem off? Dizziness, double vision, blurry vision?”
“Yeah, your light is too bright,” Luffy whines.
Marco lets out a weak chuckle, lowering the penlight. “Your brain scans have been normal, but we need to keep an eye on you. We’re still worried about brain damage.”
“What, did I hit my head?” Luffy tries to parse out the battle in his mind. The earlier wisps of memory have already disappeared into a void. Shivers crawl through his spine the longer he tries to peer beyond that void. The ache in his head only gets bigger.
Marco must notice the confusion on his face because his expression softens. “You really don’t remember anything?”
“No.” The word is as sharp as glass.
A shaky sigh, then Marco takes a seat on the bed. He stares out the window for a moment before speaking up. “You know, it’s technically a myth that one person can’t pilot a Jaeger.”
Luffy brings his knees up to his chest and nods. “Ace’s dad did it. Gramps said it was because he was the strongest.” Even just saying Ace’s name makes Luffy’s heart clench. If Ace were here, he would berate Luffy for saying anything that praise his father, probably punctuate it with a smack upside Luffy’s head.
Instead, Ace is in isolation, unconscious and fighting for his life. Marco hasn’t told Luffy much, his calm voice unusually shaken but Luffy isn’t that dumb - even with the battle missing from his memory, he knows the situation is serious.
But Luffy also knows Ace. Ace is strong and unbeatable. He’s not going to die - not like this.
Marco nods. “Gol D. Roger was one of the best pilots we had. But after he passed, Rayleigh told me Roger felt like he was losing a piece of himself every time he did a solo run.”
Losing a piece of himself? The image of that gaping void drifts back in Luffy’s mind.
Marco studies Luffy with sharp eyes. “Ten minutes after that Kaiju yanked Ace out of that cockpit, that bastard was dead.”
The sudden shift in topics gives Luffy whiplash. He blinks, letting the words sink in. “Was another team called in?”
“You took him down yourself before we could.”
Luffy’s mouth drops, breath stuck in his chest. “I did?!”
Marco frowns, not pleased that Luffy doesn’t remember. “Yeah. You piloted Sunny on your own for over 10 minutes.”
Luffy has no memory of that. He thought…he thought he and Ace took it down together. But then Ace - Ace wouldn’t be in the condition he’s in now, would he? Luffy's fingers dig into the hospital sheets, curling against his legs. “I don’t remember,” he reiterates through grit teeth.
“Could be from brain damage. Or trauma from the battle.” Marco pauses, taking a quiet moment to himself. “But it’d fit, wouldn’t it? With what Rayleigh described.”
Luffy hums thoughtfully. Sure, maybe losing memories might seem like losing part of yourself. But there are other parts that make Luffy who he is. Not being able to remember one battle isn’t enough to take that away from him. And maybe it would’ve been cool to remember piloting Sunny on his own but all he imagines is a drift devoid of any other life besides him. That’s not something he’d want to experience.
Luffy looks out the window. Sun is streaming into the hospital room and there is a light breeze coming through. It smells of the sea and home. A much-needed comfort in this sterile environment.
“I hope Ace wakes up soon,” he says absently.
Marco inhales sharply. “Me too.” There’s that same shaken tone, the one that Luffy doesn’t like. It already sounds like lost hope. He looks back at Marco, taking in the way the man’s head is bowed, posture tense.
“He’s gonna wake up,” Luffy tells him. That Kaiju didn’t kill him. So Ace is going to make it out. There is no other possible option.
Marco glances up with a sad smile. “Yeah,” is all he says, but Luffy doesn’t mind. Marco will believe it soon enough.
Luffy is cleared to leave the hospital after a week. Zoro and Nami come to pick him up and the moment she sees him, Nami wraps him up in a big hug. The burst of affection is unexpected considering she and the rest of the crew visited him often enough to have gotten kicked out of the hospital - twice. But when Luffy shoots Zoro a panicked look, Zoro just shrugs a shoulder, a silent “let her be.”
“Is Ace any better?” Nami asks when they’re in the car, driving away from the hospital.
Luffy looks away from the open window, a hand pressed to Shanks’s straw hat, now back in his back in his possession thanks to Nami. “Still asleep. But they moved him to a regular bed yesterday!”
“That’s gre - left, Zoro, I said left!”
“That was a left!”
“Are you blind? That was a right, you idiot!”
Luffy laughs over the sound of their continued bickering. Time in the hospital had slowed to a crawl and ceased to exist whenever he was alone. It feels good to be free from that too-sterile room, out in the sun, and among friends again. It’s even better when they arrive at Franky and Robin’s place, the rest of his friends swarming him with hugs and shouts of “welcome back!”
It feels like coming home after a long time away.
The group eventually settles in the living room, Sanji having already prepared a stack of what look to be juicy, delicious-looking cheeseburgers. Luffy doesn’t waste a second as he dives right in.
“Careful Luffy!” Chopper squawks when Luffy rips a chunk out of the burger in his hand.
“He’s fine, Chopper,” Sanji dismisses as he lights a cigarette. His eyes flicker over to Luffy and his lips turn up in a smile. “He’s not going to let his injuries get in the way of his appetite.”
Chopper puffs up, his youthful face marred by a stern frown as he opens his mouth up - only to light up when Robin hands him an ice cream bar.
“Oooh, ice cream!” Luffy says - or tries to, in between bits of hamburger and bun.
Nami wrinkles her nose. “Luffy, close your mouth!” Her hand flies up as if to smack him like she always does but it freezes in midair, hovering just above his bandaged arm. A look of horror crosses over her face and she lowers her hand. Luffy shoots her a questioning look.
“How about after your burgers?” Robin proposes after a beat of uneasy silence. Luffy shrugs - as long as he gets ice cream, he’s happy.
The conversation is steered elsewhere while Luffy polishes off his food. The topics are light and fun, catching him up on the week’s events. Luffy soaks it all in, the sound of his friends’ voices a thousand times better than the aggravating beeps he heard nonstop from the hospital machines.
Then Franky mentions Sunny and Luffy perks up. “Is she okay?!”
Franky grins. “Don’t worry, Luffy. She took some damage but I’ll get her ready as good as new for you.”
Relief hits Luffy full force and he sinks back into the cushions. “Phew. They wouldn’t tell me anything at the hospital, I was really worried.”
“Franky and I are already talking modifications,” Usopp chips in, chest puffing up with pride. “Throw any ideas you have our way. We can get them done before you and Ace are cleared to pilot.”
His words sink in and Luffy can’t help it - his body stiffens. Usopp, sitting right next to him, notices immediately and his good mood falters. “What?”
Luffy stares down at his hands. It takes him a moment to find his voice. “Ace won’t get cleared.”
The room is quiet. With the utmost hesitancy, Brook calls out softly, “Luffy?”
Luffy’s thumb sweeps back and forth over his palm. A week ago, it had been held by a stranger like something delicate, something fragile. It’s shaking now, he realizes absently. “He can’t pilot a Jaeger anymore,” he explains. He’s found his resolve and the words come out hard and steely.
“Why not?” Sanji asks, dumbfounded.
When Luffy doesn’t respond right away, Chopper steps in. “Is it his heart?” When Luffy nods, Chopper’s face twists into something pained.
Nami narrows her eyes at Chopper. “What do you know?”
Chopper fidgets, darting a nervous glance at Luffy. “Just gossip from the other residents. Someone said Ace’s heart took so much damage, they had to replace it.”
From his spot on the couch, Jinbe looks grim, setting his beer down on the coffee table. “Heart transplant?”
Shaking his head, Chopper murmurs, “Artificial one…”
Sanji swears under his breath and Jinbe closes his eyes. Zoro tilts his head down. “Well that’s an automatic ban from the field,” he states tonelessly.
“How?” Nami demands, rounding in on Zoro. “Top brass can’t be picky about pilots, it’s not like we have very many people who can pilot those juggernauts!”
Zoro fixes her with a stern look. “If the heart fails during a fight, you’ve got a Jaeger dead in the water and wide open for an attack.” He downs the rest of his sake and sets the cup down. “New pilots can be trained. We can’t afford to lose a Jaeger.”
“A shame,” Robin says softly from her spot in her rocking chair, staring out the window. “They say a pair of D’s make for the strongest Jaeger team.”
Robin has always talked about “D” with strange curiosity, as if it’s some mythical thing. It’s never meant anything to Luffy. Sure, Luffy and Ace have a D in their names but she never seems to believe Luffy when he tells her it’s just a letter. Luffy has given up trying to convince her.
Gnawing on his lip, Usopp turns his head to look at Luffy. “Without Ace then, does that mean you’re out of the program too?”
Luffy shakes his head firmly. “I’m going to keep piloting.” Being a Jaeger pilot has always been his dream. No matter what happens, the world won’t ever be able to take that from him.
Sanji looks thoughtful, smoke curling up from his cigarette towards the ceiling. “So looking for a new co-pilot, eh? Maybe I can join you on the search.”
“I’m already your co-pilot,” Zoro says dumbly.
Sanji sighs, pained. “Exactly.”
“Oi.”
“What do I need to do for that?” Luffy asks, wrinkling his nose.
“Lots of dumb tests. Written assessment. One-on-one fighting, piloting simulations, the works,” Zoro replies.
“Newest bout of candidates were just hired a few weeks ago,” Franky pipes up. He pops open a cola and takes a big gulp, letting out a belch. “Iceberg said they were pretty green though.”
“Great, more moss.”
“Shut it, cook.”
Ugh, sounds awfully boring. Not the piloting simulation part - he and Ace sneak into the simulation lab at least once a week to compete for best score - but tests and writing? No way is Luffy going to do any of that just to get a co-pilot, not when he and Ace never needed to do it. They have always been perfectly in sync, knowing how each other moved, knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses. The perks of drifting, some would say but it was more than that. They were brothers that grew up and trained and fought together. Even when Ace left Dadan’s a few years before Luffy, the time apart had done nothing to dull that bond between them.
That’s what Luffy wants - a deep, unwavering connection that feels right. That feels natural.
Sabo briefly comes to mind but Luffy dismisses it. Sabo has never wanted to pilot, not like Ace and Luffy. Besides, he’s away again on some stupid mission, staying completely out of reach for over a month now. With a twist in his chest, Luffy wonders if Sabo even knows what happened to Ace. Probably not - Sabo would’ve come running if he did.
With a sigh, Luffy leans back into the couch, gaze drifting towards the ceiling. His conversation with Marco drifts back into his mind. “Maybe I just pilot on my own…”
Silence. Then a cacophony of sound all at once, as his friends protest in unison.
“Are you insane?!” Nami and Usopp both shout.
“A single person can’t pilot a Jaeger,” Jinbe chides.
“It’s insane,” Sanji adds.
“But I did it,” Luffy points out. Immediately, the room falls into a hush.
“You remember?” Zoro asks sharply, the only one not to issue any protest. He’s watching Luffy with a strange intensity Luffy only sees whenever Zoro looks at swords.
Luffy shakes his head. “No. But Marco said that I kept fighting even after Ace was pulled out. So I could do it again.”
“Even if you did Luffy, the fact that you don’t remember is a sign of trauma to the brain,” Chopper says softly. “You risk making it worst by doing it again.”
“Unless he trains for it,” Zoro suggests. His arm flies up to block the leg Sanji swings his way.
“Dumbass, are you deaf? Didn’t you hear what Chopper said?”
Zoro twists his head to glower at Sanji. “Loud and clear. Doesn’t mean he can’t do it.” His earrings catch in the light, a flash of gold that reminds Luffy of the phantom touch of warmth on his hand, where tattooed fingers caressed his own. That tug on his heart. That connection.
An idea sparks up in his head and Luffy perks up. A grin spreads across on his face.
Nami catches that his smile and narrows her eyes, suspicions heightened. “What is it?”
Luffy laughs, tucking his hands behind his head. “Just had a great idea.”
It takes entirely too long to find Torao.
The first people Luffy asks when he shows up to Jaeger Initiative HQ the next day look at him like he’s crazy, eyeing his bandages apprehensively as they say they don’t know a “Torao.”
So Luffy starts asking everyone he comes across - foot soldiers, janitors, civilian workers. They all shoot him the same weird look when they hear the name “Torao.” He only gets somewhere when Luffy spots an older woman in a lab coat. She too has no idea who Torao is, but when Luffy mentions that Torao is a scientist, she guides him to the research wing.
The research wing doesn’t look like much at first glance, a vast space that resembles an empty warehouse rather than a laboratory. Then again, there are plenty of stuffy-looking people milling about in crisp white lab coats, heads bent in deep discussion and looking at their tablets. So this has to be the right place.
But Luffy has already wasted an hour trying to find Torao and near the end of his patience. Cupping his hands around his mouth, he takes a deep breath and then yells, “Is Torao here?!”
Startled, several scientists freeze in place to gape at him. Bewildered by his intrusion, no one speaks up.
Then, thankfully, someone clears their throat. “What’s the name again?”
Luffy wheels around. A younger man is facing his direction, dressed in a boiler suit instead of a lab coat. A penguin cap sits firmly on his head, obscuring his eyes.
“Torao,” Luffy answers impatiently. It’s not a common name as far as Luffy knows - how hard can it be to find the guy?
A guy comes to stand next to Penguin Dude, also dressed in a boiler suit and a hat, though the latter in the shape of an orca. He catches sight of Luffy’s straw hat and frowns. “Wait, aren’t you Straw Hat?” At the mention of “Straw Hat” there are a few murmurs among the other scientists.
The mention of his most prized possession makes Luffy reach for it, putting it on his head. “Yep. Monkey D. Luffy. Nice to meet you.”
“You got discharged already?” Orca Guy exclaims, incredulous. “Captain’ll be pissed. He said you’d be bedridden for at least two weeks.”
Luffy has no idea who “Captain” is, but their judgement is way off base. He crosses his arms over his chest. “I feel fine.”
“Should you even be back here?” a voice from the back of the room pipes up.
“Oh hush, Hakugan, it’s not a big deal.” Penguin Dude steps closer, dusting off his hands. “I don’t know a ‘Torao’ but if you tell me more about who you’re looking for, maybe I can point you in the right direction.”
“He’s a scientist,” Luffy stresses, feeling like a broken record. He may just have to talk Koby into letting him use the loudspeaker system - it’d be easier at this rate. “He did my surgery.”
Penguin Dude stares at him. Then stares some more. “Are you talking about Trafalgar Law?”
The last name doesn’t mean squat to Luffy, but the first name pings something - Marco’s voice, telling him about Torao.
Weird. Maybe Penguin Dude just mispronounced his last name? “That one!”
Behind him, Orca Guy chokes on something that resembles a laugh. Penguin Guy grins, all sharp edges and fond amusement.
“Oh, I know exactly who you’re talking about. I’ll take you right to him.”
Bingo! Luffy brightens, jogging over to them. “You will? Thanks!”
“Don’t mention it,” Orca Guy says as they begin the trek towards the back of the room. There are some grumblings from the other scientists but Luffy pays them no heed. “I’m Shachi. And this is Penguin. We’ve heard a lot about you.”
“You have?”
“Absolutely. You took down Akainu all by yourself, right?”
The name doesn’t ring any bells and Luffy frowns. “A what?”
“The Kaiju you just fought. That’s what he’s been named anyway. Devil of a beast,” Shachi says with a low whistle.
“Oh.” Luffy crosses his arms behind his head, an uneasy feeling settling in his gut. “I guess.”
“That’s so cool,” Shachi says, awed. Luffy shrugs, not sure what to say when he doesn’t remember much. Thankfully, Shachi seems to get the hint, pivoting the discussion elsewhere when they reach the elevator. The elevator car is nothing more than steel beams and glass, giving them a crystal-clear view of their destination as they descend several feet below.
Wide-eyed, Luffy presses up against the glass as he spots massive skeletal structures strung up from the ceiling and along the walls. Rib cages, skulls, horns, tails, and more loom like giants over the rows and rows of messy tables and swarms of people in lab coats bustling around. There’s even a skull facing the elevator as they step off, jaw open wide as if to swallow them whole.
It’s one of the coolest things Luffy has seen. “Are those from real Kaiju?!”
“Yep. The ones we’ve managed to collect and study anyway,” Penguin confirms, pride in his voice. “Pretty awesome, huh?”
Luffy nods, grinning from ear to ear. He doesn’t tear his gaze away from the skull or any of the other bones, even as Shachi prods him to keep moving past the tables towards the back. So distracted, he misses the way Shachi says, “Oh, there he is.” And then Penguin yells out, “Hey Captain! Got someone special here for you!”
“What?” A voice rings out, grumpy and annoyed. A pause, then: “What the fuck?”
A hand clamps down on Luffy’s shoulder, shaking him out of his daze. He turns around to see Shachi grinning at someone straight ahead, expression quite gleeful. Luffy follows his gaze.
His heart skips a beat.
It’s the same man Luffy saw when he first woke up. Tall and lean, he’s dressed in the same white lab coat Luffy remembers, though now carrying a clipboard. Fatigue still hides in the lines of his face and his mouth is twisted in irritation. But when Luffy looks him in the eyes and sees that familiar shade of gold that enraptured him that first time they met, he knows that this is the right choice.
Luffy grins. “So you’re Torao! You’re a hard man to find, you know that?”
Laughter erupts from Penguin and Shachi, while the large man with curly, frizzy white hair standing beside Torao frowns. Torao - Law - just looks confused. But Luffy doesn’t let him speak, plowing on. “Marco told me you were the one who saved my life. So thanks!”
Law eyes him warily. With Shachi’s arm still around his shoulders, Luffy can feel him shake beside him, still unable to wrangle in his laughter. Luffy has no idea what’s so funny, but he appreciates that the guy enjoys humor at least.
Finally, Law huffs, shoving his clipboard into the arms of the man beside him. “Why are you out of the hospital? I told Phoenix-ya you should be on bed rest for two weeks.”
Luffy pulls a face. “Ugh, no. I’m totally better.” He spreads his arms out as if to prove it.
Law doesn’t look convinced. “Yeah, right.” He strolls up to Luffy and Luffy barely has time to react to Law being in his space before the man is poking at the bandages still wrapped around Luffy’s chest.
Luffy perks up. “Do you want to help me take these off?” He was going to do it himself later today. The material scratches him like crazy and it’s annoyingly tight.
Law scoffs. “You’re leaving these on.”
“But why? They’re itchy!” Luffy whines. A hand presses to the center of Luffy’s chest, a solid weight that shoots warmth straight through him even through the layers of gauze. But then it’s gone, as Law pulls his hand back, gold eyes searching for something.
“No bleeding or spotting,” he mumbles to himself.
Luffy huffs. Law is clearly not listening to him, but that’s okay. It’s not like Luffy is here for a check-up anyways. “See? I’m perfectly. Now can I ask my question?”
Law doesn’t even spare Luffy a glance. “You had a question?”
“Do you want to be my co-pilot?”
Golden eyes flicker up to Luffy’s face in shock. “Excuse me?”
“I need a co-pilot since Ace can’t do it anymore.” Something aches in the back of Luffy’s mind but he shoves it aside to focus on the man in front of him. “So I’m asking you.”
Silence follows his words. Luffy can feel the eyes from all four men on him, digging into his skin.
“No,” Law finally replies, voice strained.
Well, that’s not the answer Luffy was expecting. He frowns. “Why not?”
Law keeps staring at him. “I’m not a pilot.”
“So? I can train you!”
“Is he serious?” Luffy hears Shachi mumble and he frowns in his direction.
“Of course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
“My work is here,” Law explains. He’s still staring at Luffy like he’s some sort of apparition, but his earlier irritation is creeping back in his tone. “I’m not going to leave it to be a pilot.”
“Why? It’s so much cooler than this!” Luffy waves an arm about, gesturing vaguely to their surroundings.
The guy behind Law chokes on something. Law’s face twitches.
“Regardless that the operation vital to the survival of humanity and our planet is ‘cool’ -“ The last word drips with disdain, “- I’m not interested,” he says shortly.
Luffy studies him, eyes mapping the glint in his eye and the sharp line of his mouth. “Yeah, you are,” he says. Something flickers in Law’s gaze but it’s gone, slipping away before Luffy has a chance to understand it.
Law clicks his tongue and takes a step back from Luffy. “Believe what you want. But I’m not going to be a pilot. Go find one from the new hires they just brought in.” He turns on his foot, but then pauses. “After you finish your two weeks of rest.”
Law’s tone makes Luffy bristle, either from the bossy attitude or the fact that Law isn’t telling the truth. Luffy normally hates liars, but there doesn’t seem to be anything nefarious about Law doing it. Maybe Law just doesn’t know how to be honest.
“I’m not gonna rest. And I definitely will come back and ask again!” Luffy shouts as Law begins to walk away. Law throws a hand up, an obvious dismissal. But Luffy thinks of that shade of gold in his eyes, thinks of the touch of their hands, and he grins to himself.
This is just the beginning.