“Kh…kh…kh…” Sanji glowered down at the object in anguish. “This…”

The crew’s eyes were hooded and they all couldn’t touch the food on their plate, with the exception of Luffy, Franky, and Zoro who were digging right in.

“…is an abomination to culinary arts,” Sanji finished.

“So da ne…” Nami agreed, still distraught.

Earlier that day, when the rest of the crew had woken up, they were expressly warned by Trafalgar not to eat anything Usui prepared for them. His words might’ve been the wisest that had been uttered in the past century.

Usopp gritted his teeth and grabbed his spoon. “I’m going in!”

“Oooooooh!” Chopper said in awe and mostly shock.

Usopp scooped up some of the substance and his face the semblance of determination, prepared himself.

“Be careful, Usopp,” Nami warned, tense.

“It was nice knowing you, nose,” Sanji said.

Usopp painstakingly lifted the spoon to his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, forcing it into his mouth. He swallowed…

Then instantly fell unconscious.

“Usopp!” Nami and Chopper yelled.

“I don’t think this is safe to eat…” Brook said.

“That should be obvious!”

“What are you guys making a racket about?” Zoro asked through a mouth of food.

“How can you eat that garbage!?” Sanji yelled. “And don’t talk with food in your mouth, damn marimo head!”

“It’s not that bad.”

They turned to Robin. She was sweating with effort and her plate was layered with ketchup.

“Robin, sugoi,” Nami blinked.

Sanji sighed through his nose and pushing his plate to slide over to the three people with the stomachs of steel, stood from his seat.

“I can’t let the ladies eat this monstrosity,” he rolled up his sleeves. “Real food will be done in 15 minutes.”

“Food!” Luffy cheered.

Sanji kicked the top of his head. “Not for you!”

“Why not?!”

“You ate all of the unidentified matter! I don’t know how you did it, but you’ve had enough ‘food’ for the hour!”

“Usopp’s not waking up!” Chopper said in a panic.

“Hurry! Someone preform CPR!” Franky said.

“Zoro! Save Usopp!” Luffy ordered.

“Why me?!”

_

Usui knocked on the door of the boy’s dorm and entered. He turned on the lights and walked over to the figure lying in a hammock. Wal sat up and watched Usui approach him.

Usui grinned and held out a plate of… food… and Law sweatdropped.

“I made it myself,” Usui said proudly.

I know that… it’s obvious…

Law accepted the plate unwillingly and placed it on the desk.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Usui asked when Law didn’t start eating.

Wal shook his head.

Usui frowned and went to sit in the opposite hammock across from Wal. He stared at the older man.

“Have we met somewhere before?”

Wal shook his head quickly.

Usui tilted his head back, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I feel like I should know you…”

Law’s mouth creased into a frown behind his mask. He reached for a notepad and scribbled something on it before tossing it to Usui.

“Tell you about myself?” Usui raised an eyebrow.

Law lazily made a gesture for the notepad and the blue haired teen tossed it back. Law scribbled again and Usui read the message.

“You want to get to know me?”

Wal nodded.

Usui cracked an elated grin. “Sure!”

Usui held out a limp hand. “Room!”

Blood poured out of his palm and floated above the floor. He made a complicated sign with his fingers. “Extraction!”

Iron separated from the liquid and bent and swerved like silvery fluid.

Usui melded it with his hands and it floated above his skin. He clamped it shut and then divided his palms again. The metal had been melded into a shape. Law recognized the island of Dressrosa.

“I live here,” Usui said, the iron disfiguring and then forming the castle. “The king is my boss and his name is Doflamingo. He’s a warlord and we call him young master, although he’s already an old man.”

Usui let out a chuckle and Law shifted in his seat a bit, uncomfortable with how warm Usui looked speaking of that vermin. Usui hid the iron in his hands again and the next shape was of all the people that were part of Doflamingo’s crew.

“That man there,” Usui pointed at the tall slender creep. “Is my doctor. He’s the closest thing I have to a brother.”

Law flinched a bit but tried to put that aside. He wrote something down and held it up for Usui to see.

“Why do I have a doctor?” Usui frowned. “It’s complicated. Let’s just say…”

Law saw Usui’s hand clench over his chest where his heart should be.

“I’m not in the best of health.”

“Moving on,” Usui smiled. “These are all my friends and they’re the strongest people I’ve ever met! The Donquixote family are the best and I’m lucky to have been accepted by them!”

Little bastards… Law thought as Usui prepared the next figure. You don’t give a shit about some broken experiment, so stop using him like this.

“I don’t have much of a life. I just do assignments Young Master gives to me and I usually just hang around the island in my free time,” the 3 dimensional image this time was a park bench.

Law straightened at the sight of it.

“This is a bench in a forgotten park I go to,” Usui explained. “The strange thing is, I don’t remember when I first found it and for some reason, I always instinctively turn my head as if I expect someone to be sitting next to me…”

Law stared as the light vanished from the teen’s eyes. Law snapped his fingers in front of Usui’s face to break him out of his daze. The teen jumped and his eyes refocused on Law, he smiled apologetically.

“Sorry, don’t know what happened there.”

Wal nodded in understanding.

Usui cleared his throat and continued energetically. “I like ice cream, blueberries, almonds, and sweet potato! I hate bread, don’t ask me why, I just don’t. One of my goals for the future is to see snow!”

Snow?

“I’ve always liked the cold better than the heat. I like to wear baggy sweaters and warm hats,” Usui leaned forward. “Have you ever seen snow?”

Law remembered Punk Hazard and nodded.

“Lucky!” Usui’s eyes sparkled. “I want to see it…”

Law scribbled something down. How about I take you some day?

Usui hesitated. “With a suspicious guy like you?”

Wal’s glare penetrated him through the mask.

Usui laughed. “You’re really a nice guy, aren’t you Wal?”

Wal didn’t respond.

“And and and I also want to see a polar bear!”

I have a friend that’s a polar bear.

“Seriously?!”

Wal nodded.

“Can I meet him someday!?”

Sure.

Usui was so happy he couldn’t speak. Law smiled softly. He remembered now… this was one of the things he found cute in his little ototo. Law reached out and patted Usui’s head, ruffling his hair. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly removed his hand but Usui grabbed his wrist.

“Do it again,” Usui said, wide eyed.

Law faltered, but Usui’s grip was iron and he didn’t want to invoke anything inside the teen. Law allowed Usui to move his hand back onto his head. Law patted it and Usui… started crying.

Law pointed at his face and Usui looked surprised to see the tears.

“Na-nani…” his voice cracked as he wiped the tears away. “Why am I crying?”

Law frowned. He lifted a tentative hand, reaching for his brother.

I’ll be fighting, Law no aniki.

He gripped Usui’s shoulder and pulled the teen into a hug.

So you don’t need to worry about me.

“Eh?” Usui stared wide eyed over Wal’s shoulder. “What’re you…”

You go and have your adventures.

Law’s grip around him grew firmer.

And I’ll catch up with you later!

Law gritted his teeth and his eyebrows were furrowed. Usui!

Luffy’s face was hooded and he was leaning against the wall beside the boy’s dormitories door. He lifted his hat off his head and stared at it, then he cracked a smile.

“You’re finally going for it,” Luffy chuckled. “After all, that’s what we pirates do best.”

_ _ _

It had been a month since Law had seen the little boy. He was still refusing to go on assignments until he got to see Usui again. But whenever he tried to go to his brother’s room, a member of the family was guarding it and he didn’t stand a chance in a fight with any of them.

When he had angrily asked what Doflamingo had done to the kid and why, the answer only made him rage further.

“I tweaked his memories a bit,” Doflamingo had sneered. “You were getting too close to him, Law. You have to remember, he’s my test subject first and your companion second.”

When he had went to Corazon for assistance, the man he had revered just sat in silence.

“Cora-san!” Law had screamed. “You care for him too right!? Don’t just sit there like an old geezer!”

Corazon didn’t answer.

“Che...!” Law stormed out of the room.

Law stampeded through the hallway and passed an unsuspecting Buffalo.

“Trafalgar! Wait!” Buffalo cried in vain.

Law slammed the door open and fought against the hands that were pulling him back. “Usui!”

The boy had jumped at his door crashing open and stared blankly at the teen. Usui was reading at his desk, bandages wrapped around his entire head.

“Usui!” Law threw off the adversaries and rushed forward.

Usui, wide eyed, didn’t react as the hands pulled Law back again, Law’s hands clawing at him, trying to reach him.

“Let me go!” Law bellowed. “At least let me talk to him!”

“I can’t do that, Trafalgar!” Buffalo said. “I’m already going to be in trouble for letting you in here!”

“Usui! Listen to me!” Law said frantically. “I’ll be back! I’ll always come back for you! So don’t worry!”

Usui stared in incomprehension. “I’m sorry. I think you have the wrong person.”

Law abruptly stopped moving, breathing heavily.

“My name isn’t Usui. It’s Vellane Sin. Who are you?”

Law’s heart throbbed, he gritted his teeth. “I’m your brother, you waste of space…”

“Huh?”

Law’s head snapped up. “I’m your worthless brother who couldn’t even protect you! I’m your brother!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Usui said, slightly shaken up. “Please leave me alone.”

“Usui…! Come on! Remember!” Law threw Buffalo off and he stood over the little boy.

“I don’t know… I don’t know…” Usui said frightfully.

Law grabbed Usui by the wrist and made his fingers curl into a fist. He forced it to meet his. “Remember?”

Usui took a rattling breath.

“You have to remember! What do you say? What do you say when we do this?”

 “You’re…”

Law gulped, hoping against hope. Throwing everything to the winds.

“You’re coming back… right…? Law no Aniki…?”

Law’s lips parted and he exhaled. He cracked a smile. “See? You do remember.”

“Gomenasai…”

“You don’t need to apologize—“

Usui began to pant hard, face contorted in pain. “That’s the last time in a while… that I’ll be able to call you that…”

“What’re you talking about!?” Law shouted.

“I’ll be fighting it, Law no Aniki…” Usui coughed up blood. “I’ll be fighting it with everything I have.”

“Usui…!” Law stared at the blood dripping down the boy’s chin.

“So, don’t worry about me,” Usui said hoarsely. “You go and have your adventures.”

Law slowly looked up and saw the bloody smile Usui had forced onto his face. “And I’ll catch up to you later!”

Usui’s eyes rolled back and he fell forward. Time slowed, and Law watched Usui fall.

“…Usui…!” he was barely able to form that name, barely able to lift his hands up in time to catch him.

“Now look what you’ve done!” yelled a voice from behind. “You’ve gone and reset him! You know how much of a bother it is to repeat the same information over and over again?”

Somebody forced him to his feet and ripped Usui out of his arms. He was frozen in a state of shock.

_ _ _

And when I did as I was told, go about my life and go on adventures. After Cora-san was killed by Doflamingo. The warlord knew how to mess with me. The truth is, Usui has met Bepo. He’s met everyone on my crew. And he’s tried to murder them each time, along with me.

Because after I had made an enemy out of Doflamingo, he didn’t just make Usui forget me, he created a frothing hatred for me. And, because it was so out of character for Usui to hate me, it messed with his head. To make up for the strain, his brain had rewired it so that all of his personalities could work without hindering another. His child like persona, to make up for his past being completely traumatizing, the bloodthirsty monster, and what would’ve been his normal temperament had nothing messed up his mind.

The one fighting inside of him now was the child. He was still trying to break free. That’s why Usui cried, because the kid inside of him was so happy. He recognized me, even with this ridiculous mask on.

When Usui resets, he forgets everything back up to two months. Resetting isn’t like the little span of time Usui doesn’t remember anything because that time had been taken over by another identity out of the three. No, it’s worse. Usui’s eyes would roll back and he would fall onto his face. Then blood would secrete out of him like a dam had been broken. He would twitch and shiver like he was having a seizure. I still had nightmares.

“Wal?” Usui said uncertainly. “You can let go now. I stopped crying.”

Law let go and Usui grinned. “Thanks, I needed that.”

Wal nodded and Usui suddenly punched him on the arm. “Don’t tell anyone about any of this. My manhood is at stake.”

Wal nodded again, remorsefully rubbing his arm.

Usui headed to the door. “Let’s join the others outside!”

Law followed more calmly and when he escaped into the light of the outside world, he saw that the Captain of the Straw Hats was waiting for him.

“You need a hobby, Mugiwara-ya,” Law smirked.

“Shishishi,” Luffy pushed off the wall and they both looked over at Usui who was laughing with the rest of the crew. “You have an answer now.”

It wasn’t a question but Law answered all the same. “Yeah. I suppose I do.”

_ _ _ a couple of days ago

"Is that hat important to you?"

Trafalgar's eyebrows creased. "Huh?"

"Or are those tattoos?" Luffy picked up the long katana that had been leaning on the wall. "Or this sword?"

"What're you trying to say?" Law sat up in his hammock.

Luffy observed him from the corner of his eyes. He sighed suddenly. "You're disappointing, Tra-guy. I expected more from you."

Agitation emitted from Law in waves, hostility close to flooding out. "What do you want, Mugiwara-ya?"

Luffy had been balancing Law's sword on his forehead. He grabbed the sheathe and tossed it at Law, who caught it. Luffy crossed his arms and looked passed his nose at Law.

"Aren't you a pirate?" he stuck out his bottom lip.

Trafalgar didn't bother answering, glowering at the rubber man.

Luffy uncrossed his arms. "What is your treasure, Tra-guy?"

Law recoiled at his words, shocked.

Luffy headed to the exit. "And why aren't you trying to protect it? Why aren't you trying to get it back? Are you just going to stand back and let it go?"

_ _ _

The pair watched Usui laugh and run around with the others. Law looked to the side at Luffy.

"Thank you, Mugiwara-ya."

"No problem," Luffy grinned. "After all, if it had been a huge stack of meat I wouldn't let it go that easily. I understand your feelings."

Law sagged in exasperation. "Please don't compare my little brother to meat."

Luffy laughed.