ONE PIECE one shots,,

-PIECE BY PIECE-

The rain poured heavily over the sea as the Polar Tang cut through the waves, its steady hum blending with the sound of the storm. Inside the submarine, Trafalgar D. Water Law sat beside a bed, his expression stoic yet filled with an intensity only those closest to him knew. His amber eyes rested on the woman lying beneath the crisp, white sheets—his woman, the one he had saved, over and over again, piece by piece.

Her skin was pale, almost translucent, a testament to the sickness that had ravaged her body for years. But despite everything, there was a fragile beauty in her, a light that Law couldn't bear to let fade. She had been dying when he found her—an illness so severe that her home, her people, had already accepted her fate.

But Law hadn't.

He looked down at her, his gaze softening as his thoughts drifted back to the moment he decided. The moment he couldn't let go. She had been so weak, lying in that bed, her breaths shallow and strained, yet she had smiled at him—a smile so full of warmth and life that it had cut through all the walls he had built around himself.

He hadn't asked for permission. He hadn't told anyone. One night, he had carried her in his arms, leaving her village behind as he took her aboard his ship. The crew didn't question it; they had seen the way he looked at her. There was no doubt in their minds that Law would move heaven and earth to keep her alive.

For months, he had worked tirelessly, using every skill he possessed, every ounce of medical knowledge, to replace what was broken inside her. Organs that had failed, tissues that had withered—he had methodically replaced them, one by one, with his powers. It was slow, excruciating work, and there had been times when he thought he might lose her.

But he didn't.

Now, here they were—years later, with Law having risen to the rank of Warlord of the Sea. His title meant nothing to him, not compared to what truly mattered. The woman who lay before him, no longer on the brink of death but resting peacefully, her breaths steady, her body healing.

"Law..." Her voice, weak but steady, broke through his thoughts.

He leaned forward, his expression softening as he brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "I'm here."

She blinked up at him, her eyes glassy but filled with emotion. "You... saved me. Again."

Law shook his head, his lips pulling into a tight line. "I couldn't lose you," he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. "I won't."

She reached out a trembling hand, her fingers brushing against his. "You've done so much for me. You—" She coughed lightly, but Law quickly placed a hand on her chest, using his powers to ease the pain. "You didn't have to..."

"I did." His words were firm, leaving no room for doubt. "I love you."

Her eyes widened at his confession. They had never spoken the words before. Law wasn't the type to express his feelings openly. He was a man of action, of strategy. But now, looking down at her, he realized he couldn't let another moment pass without telling her the truth.

"I love you," he repeated, his voice breaking slightly. "I've loved you since the day I met you. That's why I did this. That's why I fought to keep you alive."

Tears welled in her eyes as she reached up to touch his face. "Law... I don't know what to say."

He leaned into her touch, closing his eyes for a moment, savoring the warmth of her hand against his skin. "You don't have to say anything," he murmured. "Just... get better. That's all I need."

She smiled softly, her tears falling freely now. "I'm trying. For you."

Law bent down, pressing his forehead gently against hers. "That's all I ask."

They stayed like that for a long while, the storm raging outside, but inside the submarine, there was nothing but quiet, nothing but the sound of their breaths mingling together. Law had always been a man consumed by revenge, by the need to right the wrongs done to him in the past. But with her, he found something else—something worth fighting for, worth living for.

And as he held her close, he promised himself that he would never let her go again. She was his heart, the part of him he didn't know he needed until it was almost too late. But now, she was here, alive and with him. And that was all that mattered.

"I'll always protect you," he whispered, his voice filled with a quiet resolve. "No matter what."

She smiled again, her eyes closing as exhaustion began to take over. "I know," she whispered back, her voice fading as sleep claimed her once more.

Law stayed by her side, watching over her as she rested, his heart filled with something he hadn't felt in years.

Hope.