Porcelain Waters

Sun Burst

"Hey Law! How come you always go sit off by yourself, huh?"

Law suppressed a scowl, heavy lids half hooding striking grays as the sound of footsteps approached his quiet recluse. It'd been a long day filled with the noise of planning and mapping, fussing from Giolla, incessant pestering from Baby 5 and Buffalo, constant 'hey! hey hey hey!' from Trebol, and of course just the general energy from the family being together in one area. The only quiet one was Corazon, though even that wasn't much of a blessing when Law was still skeptical over his silence on the boy stabbing him. Regardless, he hadn't gotten to enjoy some much needed alone time since he first roused himself from restless sleep long before the first morning rays had the chance to.

Even now that peace was being, yet again, stolen from him as the footsteps came to rest behind.

'Ignoring them never works. The sooner I indulge them, the sooner they'll leave.' Law grumbled in his head. "What do you want?"

Baby 5's face came into view of the corner of his eye, pouting expression firm. "Huh if you're gunna act like that, maybe we should leave you here all on your own anyway. No wonder you're always on your own, you big jerk!"

Law turned fully to her with a fierce gaze, making her recoil and turn to Buffalo for protection long before her accuser even came to rest in his seat. The young boy scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Don't you have anyone else you can go bother? Go play with Dellinger."

"He's still just a baby. What's there even to play with someone like that?" Buffalo leered. "Besides, you shouldn't be so quick to chase us off or I might go hang around the Young Master. Maybe I'll forget and say a little too much-"

"Whatever. I get it." Law hissed and settled back in his spot. He could feel exhaustion already sandwiching between his thoughts. "I just like the quiet. It's been loud all day."

"The quiet?" Baby 5 huffed and shook her head. "All you ever want is quiet and your books. You're weird."

Buffalo nodded in agreement. "Really weird. Like Chaapa."

Law's eye twitched at that. He could admit that for a pirate, he was a little odd. After all, he had never intended to be one from the start. But to be compared to the strangeness of him? That felt a step too far.

"I am not!" Countered Law and Baby 5 whined in defense into Buffalo's arm again. "Tsk no one's as weird as that freak... When'd he even show up here anyway?"

"I dunno." Buffalo shrugged and grinned. "Why dontcha ask him yourself? He was out by the pier a bit ago. You should go talk to 'em since he's always with the Young Master any other time."

'I don't want to talk to him...but maybe he knows some things I don't. Either way, I surely don't want to talk to him with everyone hovering around.' Law dug around in his pocket and pulled out some berries. "Why don't you go get some ice cream with Baby 5?"

Buffalo's eyes lit up and he snatched the money before Law got the chance to reconsider; tottering off with Baby 5 scurrying right behind. Law let out a sigh. Those two worked like clockwork- they were easy to predict and even easier to influence into doing what he wanted.

'How do people like that end up in a place like this?' He thought as he stood, dusting off his shorts and making for the pier.

Though that seemed a little hypocritical. People like that in a place like this? Others could easily think the same of him. Just another punk little kid that wound up taking a bad path in life. But that wasn't his fault. That was the Navy's fault, the surrounding town's fault- the world's fault.