𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑 // 𝐓.𝐋𝐀𝐖 𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐂

10 : The Purpose

Valeria kept her eyes on her mug, trying to make sense of Law’s sudden appearance at her family’s bar.

The room around her felt suffocating with tension, even though Shanks and Rayleigh continued their conversation as if nothing unusual had happened. But she knew better.

Trafalgar Law was never one to be anywhere without reason, especially not in Sabaody.

A sudden realization hit her. He wasn’t here for leisure—he had a purpose. The timing, his calm demeanor, the way he avoided any direct conversation with her. It all pointed to something more pressing.

Valeria finally turned in her seat to face him, her voice low but firm. “You’re not here just for drinks, are you?”

Law’s eyes flicked toward her, that unreadable expression still in place. He set his mug down on the bar, his fingers lightly tapping the wooden surface.

“You’re sharp, Lieutenant Commander.”

There was a pause, as if he was weighing whether to continue, but then he glanced over his shoulder toward the far side of the bar.

Valeria followed his gaze, her eyes landing on a door tucked away in the corner, one she hadn’t paid attention to when she walked in. A door that led to the back rooms of the bar—the quieter, more private area where her father sometimes allowed special patrons to rest.

Valeria’s breath caught as the pieces began to fall into place.

Luffy.

Of course.

Trafalgar Law wasn’t just here for Rayleigh. He was here to treat Monkey D. Luffy—the man who had survived the war at Marineford, but at a devastating cost.

She had heard rumors of Luffy’s injuries, of how his brother, Portgas D. Ace, had fallen before his eyes. And after the war, there had been no word on Luffy’s condition, only whispers that he had gone missing, along with Jimbei, the Fishman captain.

Her fingers clenched around her mug as she stared at Law, understanding dawning on her. “Luffy… He’s here, isn’t he?”

Law didn’t respond at first, but his silence was answer enough. He stood up from the bar, his calm demeanor never wavering as he adjusted the hat on his head.

“Yes,” he finally said, his voice quiet but resolute. “I brought him here to recover after Marineford. Jimbei, too. They’re both… not in the best shape.”

Valeria’s chest tightened. She had seen the aftermath of that war. The blood, the chaos, the devastation left behind in the wake of the greatest battle the world had seen in decades. If Luffy had survived that, then it was a miracle, but she knew Law was no stranger to saving people from the brink of death.

“Rayleigh knows,” Law continued, his gaze shifting back to her father. “He offered this place as a safe haven for Luffy to recover in secret. No Marines, no bounty hunters—just time to heal.”

Shanks, overhearing the conversation, let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. “I figured as much,” he said, his tone softer than usual. “Luffy’s been through hell. And Ace…”

Valeria didn’t need to hear the rest. The pain of losing Ace was still fresh in everyone’s mind, and even now, the wound of his death lingered like a dark cloud over the world.

She couldn’t imagine what Luffy had gone through, watching his brother die in his arms. But now, knowing that Luffy was just behind that door, recovering in the very place she had grown up… it felt surreal.

“You’re not going to interfere, are you?” Law’s voice cut through her thoughts, a hint of warning in his tone.

Valeria looked up at him, meeting his intense gaze head-on. She knew what he meant.

She was still a Marine lieutenant commander, after all. Luffy was a wanted pirate, and technically, if she reported this, it would lead to a full-scale manhunt. The consequences could be devastating.

But she wasn’t here as a Marine right now.

“No,” she said firmly. “I’m on vacation, remember? I didn’t see anything.”

Law’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, as if gauging her sincerity, but then he nodded slightly in approval.

“Good girl.”

There was a brief, tense silence before Law turned toward the door. “I’ll be checking on them now,” he said, more to Rayleigh than anyone else. “They’re stable, but Jimbei’s wounds will take longer to heal.”

Rayleigh nodded, his expression serious. “Do what you need to, Law. This place is safe.”

With that, Law pushed open the door to the back room and disappeared inside, leaving Valeria alone at the bar with the weight of the situation settling in her chest.

She knew she wouldn’t interfere, not with Luffy’s recovery—but the fact that the Surgeon of Death, one of the most dangerous pirates of his generation, had entrusted her father’s bar as a sanctuary spoke volumes.

Valeria exhaled slowly, running a hand through her hair. “This island never stops surprising me,” she muttered under her breath.

Shanks grinned, raising his mug in a mock toast. “That’s the beauty of Sabaody. You never know what—or who—you’re going to run into.”

Rayleigh gave his daughter a knowing smile. “Rest easy, Val. Luffy’s in good hands. Law’s a skilled doctor, and Shakky’s been looking after him, too. They just need time.”

Valeria nodded, though the unease didn’t leave her. Luffy’s recovery was fragile, and the world outside was still in turmoil after Marineford. The Marines would be relentless in their pursuit of him if they found out he was here. But for now, Sabaody offered a brief reprieve, a moment of peace in the storm.

As Valeria settled back into her seat, she couldn’t shake the feeling that this quiet wouldn’t last long.

Not with someone like Trafalgar Law involved.