Marine || One Piece [ENG]

31

"What do you mean we're late?" Vincent asked, frowning.

"That's what it means. Ace set off. You're late," Law said dispassionately, sitting on a log with his hands folded.

"Where?" Leona asked, just approaching them, carefully picking up on their conversation. Even though she already knew the answer, there was only one place Ace could go.

"At Whitebeard's grave," Law replied, turning his dead eyes on her. "He has not specified whether and when he will return."

Leona pursed her lips as she looked at him. They looked into each other's eyes in silence for a moment.

"Leave us alone," she said into space, taking a seat on the ground in front of Law.

Vincent backed away slowly, heading towards their ship.

Leona looked at Law's companions, who only moved slightly, uncertainly, looking at each other.

"Go on," Law said, waving his hand slightly. His crew moved, also moving some distance away.

"How's Luffy?" she asked after a moment, resting her elbows on her knees.

"He is unconscious. He's stable, but whether he wakes up is up to him," Law muttered.

She closed her eyes for a moment, her facial expression unreadable, it was blank.

"I see," she said after a moment. " Do you think he'll wake up?"

She wasn't looking at him, she was looking down at the grass. She immediately picked a blade of grass and began to grind it into small pieces.

"I'd rather not assume anything," he said after a moment, his eyes focused on her hands. "But the probability that he will wake up is greater than that he won't."

She didn't answer. Her fingers lightly tore a blade of grass, then grabbed the next one.

"He'll definitely wake up," she said confidently.

She sounded sure of it. Maybe she wanted to convince him that it would happen. Although maybe she was actually trying to convince herself. Or maybe she was actually sure of it. Who knows.

Law didn't answer, he just looked at her.

"And Ace, how is his condition?" she asked, returning the look.

"All right. The sea stones weakened him greatly, but once they were gone, he began to recover quickly."

"Okay, okay..." she muttered, letting go of the blade of grass. "And what about... What about his psyche?" she asked quietly after a while.

"Stable enough for this situation," Law said, resting his chin on his joined hands. His eyes looked so dead. "But it's not for me to judge. I am a doctor, not a psychologist."

"Okay," she muttered, then fell silent again for a long moment.

She quickly considered the information she had, the options she had.

"Will you take care of Luffy until he wakes up?"

Her question hung in the air.

"Yes. I can."

Her careful, focused gaze analyzed him for a moment. She knew that all this, the way he helped, wasn't the simple kindness of his heart. He had some interest in it.

Her mind was racing, trying to see it, to find a reason. She even found a few theories, a few ideas of what he could gain from it. She knew what he was aiming at, who he wanted to hit.

She sighed quietly.

"You're aiming ambitiously," she said suddenly, her dark eyes looking at him, simply knowing. She got up from the ground. "Take care of Luffy until I get back. As long as he needs someone to take care of him."

She didn't ask. She ordered.

Lava's eyes narrowed, looking up behind her.

" In the future, I will pay you back with interest." She threw it over her shoulder, heading towards the ship. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye, her inky, watchful eye boring into him. "You know when. You're going to need me."