Chapter 42: The Feeling of Family
Marine Headquarters - Roy's Quarters
Morning light streamed through the windows. Roy, with Law in tow, paused at his own front door, a faint smile on his lips.
"Hmm?" Law looked up, confused, but Roy just pushed the door open—
"AMBUSH!!"
The instant the door opened, two small black blurs launched themselves from behind it!
Ace, his hands coated in a faint sheen of Armament Haki, was grinning, eager for a fight.
Luffy was airborne, yelling, "Gum-Gum Rocket Kick!" as he aimed for Roy's chest!
Law's eyes widened, and he instinctively took a step back, but—
THWACK! THWACK!
Two crisp, sharp sounds echoed in the hall.
The next second, Ace and Luffy were both on the ground, clutching the giant new lumps on their heads, wincing in pain.
"An ambush?"
Roy retracted his fists, looking down at them with an amused, taunting smile. "With this level of skill? You're going to have to do better than that."
"Damn it! He saw us!" Ace pouted, rubbing his head. "Next time, I'll get you!"
"Owww! Roy's 'Fist of Love' hurts even more than Grandpa's!" Luffy whined, his eyes watering.
Just then, the kitchen door opened, and the smell of stew wafted out.
Belle-mère was carrying a steaming pot, a warm smile on her face. "Oh, Roy. You're back."
"Big Bro Roy!" Nami and Nojiko popped out from behind her, their eyes shining. "Welcome home!"
Roy nodded at them. "I'm back."
Ace stood up, still pouting. "You were gone for days without a word! I thought you got sent on another dangerous mission!"
Luffy, rubbing his lump, nodded vigorously. "Yeah! Yeah!"
Roy just sighed, ruffling Ace's hair. "Fine. Since you've got so much free time, I'll ask Instructor Zephyr to give you extra training this afternoon."
"Fine by me! I'm not scared!" Ace said stubbornly, though his eyes darted away nervously.
Luffy just cheered. "Awesome! Extra training!"
It was then that Ace finally noticed the new kid standing silently behind Roy. He frowned. "Hey, why's there another brat here?!"
Law just glanced at him, saying nothing.
Roy chuckled, placing a hand on Law's head. "He's not a brat, Ace. He's four years older than you."
Ace stared. "Four years older? Seriously?"
Roy smiled. "Everyone, this is Trafalgar Law. He's Fleet Admiral Sengoku's grandson. He'll be living and training with us from now on."
"WHAAAAAT?!!"
Ace and Luffy's jaws hit the floor.
"S-Sengoku's... grandson?!" Ace stammered, pointing at Law. "You mean that old goat-beard's grandson?!"
Law's eye twitched. "...Are you trying to be rude?"
Luffy, however, just got excited, his eyes sparkling. "Whoa! Does that mean you're super strong, too?!"
Law raised an eyebrow. "Stronger than you."
"HEY! YOU WANNA GO?!" Ace instantly bristled, but Roy put a hand on his head, stopping him.
"Alright, alright, that's enough."
Belle-mère shook her head, laughing. "Let's eat before the food gets cold!"
"Yeah! Food!" Nami and Nojiko chimed in, already setting the table.
Roy looked at the chaotic scene, a truly warm smile on his face. He ruffled Ace's hair again. "Settle down. Law's part of the family now."
Ace scowled, but finally just mumbled, "...Hmph. Whatever. I'll just get stronger than him, anyway!"
Law looked at Ace, and the faintest hint of a smile touched his lips.
"Family...?" he thought, his gaze softening.
Roy suddenly looked up, a fond look in his eyes. "Speaking of which, I haven't been home to see Mom and Dad in a while... I should take this whole chaotic bunch to visit."
On the dining table, Belle-mère's feast was piled high: a massive, golden-brown roasted pig, a mountain of glistening beef stew, sizzling fish steaks, and countless side dishes.
Law just stood there, his eyes wide.
"...There are seven of us. Do we really need this much food?" he asked, looking at Roy uncertainly.
Roy seemed to read his mind and ruffled his hair. "Don't worry. Eat as much as you want. No one's going to judge you here."
Nami, who was placing forks, winked at him. "You better not get scared, now~"
Law: "...?"
He got his answer a second later.
"TIME TO EAT!"
At Roy's signal, Ace and Luffy became blurs, launching themselves at the table.
"This meat is MINE!" Ace's hands were a flurry, stuffing an entire chicken leg in his mouth while simultaneously shoveling half a platter onto his own plate.
"MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!" Luffy simply grabbed the entire roast pig platter, pulled it in front of him, and unhinged his jaw, his cheeks puffing out like a chipmunk's.
"You two, save some for the rest of us!" Roy chided, though his own fork was moving at a speed that made the food on his plate vanish just as fast.
Law: "..."
The cool, aloof boy's expression completely broke. His jaw dropped.
Is... is this how humans are supposed to eat?!
Belle-mère laughed, patting Law on the back. "Shocking, isn't it? I had the same reaction my first time."
She put a large piece of roast beef on Law's plate, her smile kind. "You better eat up. If you wait, those two will clear the table."
Law stared at the steaming food on his plate, then back at the battlefield that was once a dinner table. He stiffly picked up his fork and took a small, hesitant bite.
"...It's good."
His eyes lit up, just a little, as if a layer of ice was beginning to melt.
Nami grinned. "See? Belle-mère's cooking is even better than the head chefs' at the Marine cafeteria!"
Nojiko handed him a glass of juice. "Don't just eat meat. Have something to drink."
Law nodded, his movements still stiff, but the corners of his mouth had turned up, just slightly.
Across the table, Ace and Luffy were now physically fighting over the last meatball, forks locked in combat.
Roy, who was calmly sipping his soup, would occasionally reach out and bop both of them on the head. "No fighting at the table."
"My, my, it's so lively..." Belle-mère said, her eyes full of warmth.
Law ate quietly, listening to the sounds: Ace and Luffy yelling, Nami's taunts, Belle-mère's gentle laugh, and Roy's exasperated, but fond, scolding.
Is this... what a family feels like?
He looked up, his gaze moving from person to person, and a warmth he'd never felt before spread through his chest. His eyes finally landed on Roy.
"...It's... not bad," he muttered, then quickly looked back down, stuffing the beef in his mouth, as if to hide the small, soft smile that was forming.
The breeze blew through the open window, carrying with it the sounds of a family, and chasing away the last of his shadows.
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