Chapter Text
With the Polar Tang surfaced on the wide open sea, it was supposed to be a relatively calm day. The submarine flowing with the current of the water, the small chatter among the crew on deck, the humming from those fishing in hopes of new meat. It all pointed to a norm Law had been accustomed to since he acquired the ship near a decade ago.
Which was why he did not expect a flash of bright light to appear out of literally nowhere.
Shouts of alarm echoed and Law gritted his teeth, angry at himself for letting his guard slip. He hadn't sensed any presence within miles, how could anyone have gotten so close-
"What the- Straw Hat!?" Someone proclaimed.
The bight light cleared away, leaving a broken table where Shachi and the others had been playing a card game. On the ground was the familiar face of Law's ex-ally, groaning as he sat up. Hair the same rat's nest but fitted in a bright yellow shirt and ripped shorts with worn sandals.
Exasperation had Law sighing, rubbing his face because whatever Luffy had been dragged into meant it had unfortunately become his problem too now that he had a wayward pirate captain on his submarine. Although they were no longer allies, it did not mean Law wouldn't help him in an effort to be far away from the man as much as possible. Luffy brought too much trouble everywhere he went. He was essentially a walking hazard.
Law was already making his way over to the young man when he called out, "Straw Hat-ya! You better not have dragged me into any-"
But the words died in his throat the second he took a closer inspection at the intruder.
That's not Luffy.
The face was there- practically a copy and paste of the newly minted Emperor of the Sea, the round dark eyes and round face, but there was a glaring absence of the white line of poorly healed tissue underneath the eye. He was also, notably, missing the tattered straw hat he was titled for.
The fake Luffy looked up at him with wide eyes, "Oh shit."
If Law needed further proof, that would have done it. He had never heard Luffy cursed.
Glaring, Law unsheathed Kikoku. The lookalike quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"Wait! Wait!" He looked panicked, the expression strange on a face that resembled Luffy far too much. It unsettled Law immensely. "I'm not an enemy! Or a marine! Or anything bad, honest!"
Law knew better than to fall for pleas like that. But he softened. Because he was weak to that face despite how much he tried to deny it. And as if that wasn't enough, the faker sounded like Luffy too.
Teeth gritting, Law returned the cursed sword to her scabbard and bit out, "Explain. Now."
"Uh, okay, first of all, my name is Atlas," he sheepishly grinned and Law hated how the smile made him ache. "As you can see, I look a lot like Straw Hat. That's because he's my dad. I'm his son from, like, waaaay in the future," he timidly waved, hunching in on himself, "It's nice to meet you all, shishi…shi."
Silence.
Then, a riot among his crew.
"I don't believe it!"
"What kind of bullshit story is that!?"
"Even the marines lie better than you!"
"You should have just said you were a clone!"
"There's no way Straw Hat ends up with some woman when he's clearly into our Captain!"
"Yeah exactly! You're lying!"
"Who said that!?" Law barked, his brow twitching as the crew pointed random fingers at each other.
The lookalike- Atlas, Law corrected- snorted. Law whirled his head at him, still ferociously glaring and the boy flinched. Again, Law despised how much he looked like Luffy- it had his glare dissipating, softening around the edges.
The boy's claim was entirely ludicrous but weirder things had occurred in the Grand Line. The implications of what that meant hurt in a way Law thought he was long past it. Because it meant Luffy's future did not include Law in any way or form. Not when he had a son- a creation between a man and a woman and Law was very much a man and so was Luffy. That wasn't to say it was only way to have children but Atlas quite literally shared Luffy's face. Which meant he was Luffy's biological son.
The universe really liked to kick him when he was already down.
Stomach churning uneasily, Law rested his cursed sword over his shoulder and gave Atlas a curt look, "Get up and explain properly how you got into this mess before I change my mind and throw you overboard."
There was another flinch, the hurt plain on the young man's face. Law wondered if his future self had made peace with Luffy falling in love with someone who wasn't him, if his future self had remained tentative allies and therefore knew and cared for the son of the man he loved.
It was pathetic. It sounded like something Law would do.
Quick to jump back on his feet, Atlas raised his head and Law raised a brow. The young man's height nearly rivaled his.
The Snake Empress is tall too, came the unbidden thought. Law didn't let it rummage in his head for long, jealousy an ugly thing and not one he wished to revisit.
"I'm not lying, I really am Luffy's son," Atlas stressed, "We were sailing to Egghead when Lilith's weird contraption hit us and next thing I know, I'm here," the young man looked up at the sky, chin in hand as his head tilted, brows deeply furrowed, "I think she said she wanted to create a temporary space distortion? I wasn't really listening, I was too busy making sure my food wasn't getting stolen by my sister."
The name Lilith was unfamiliar and Law inhaled through his noise. A new member of the Straw Hats they eventually picked up on their journey? The word sister hadn't escaped his notice either, neither did the fact that Atlas wasn't the only one who was hit with this space distortion invention. For being Luffy's son, he sure didn't inherit his father's brain cells. Thank the sea for that.
The crew speculated, looking over Atlas with curious gazes and when the boy shifted uncomfortably with the attention, Law decided to move this conversation somewhere private. Barking out orders, the crew returned to their duties while Law led the supposed son of Luffy away from prying eyes and ears.
Settling into the infirmary, Law crossed his arms and turned to face the other. In contrast, Atlas's round dark eyes were everywhere but at him, twisting and looking with a sort of glee. Mesmerized by the Polar Tang, like how Luffy had been before they left Wano.
The similarities were glaring. Like father like son.
Even more so when Atlas bumped into him, so busy sightseeing he failed to realize Law had stopped walking.
"Sorry-" he bit his lip, catching himself before he said anything else.
Law wondered what the son of Luffy called him in his future. Uncle? The thought of it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Shaking that thought away, Law questioned, "Do you have any idea on how to return to your…future?"
Atlas winced, another foreign expression that didn't belong on Luffy's face. He fidgeted under his stare, head tilting forward, and uncertain.
"No. Maybe? Lilith did say temporary sooo… I think I just have to wait it out?" Atlas said, flashing a bright but sheepish smile.
Sighing, Law begrudgingly accepted his new fate of looking after the son of the man he was hopelessly enamored with. What else was he supposed to do? He couldn't throw him overboard- he didn't have the heart for it. And he couldn't keep him imprisoned. Law wouldn't be able to stand the sad puppy face.
It was not the first time he questioned what Luffy had done to him.
"Alright, fine," Law's shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit, "You can travel with us until then. But you'll have to pull your weight."
The young man's smile widened. The sight of it punched Law in the gut.
"I can totally do that! I'm an engineer! I can fix anything, count on me!"
Law blinked, the words leaving his mouth before he could stop it, "You're an engineer? Really?"
"Yeah, really! I learned…. from the best," Atlas stated, surprisingly tight-lipped.
Whoever his mother was, it was clear Atlas inherited her brain. The thought made Law irrationally mad.
He sneered, "I doubt you're smarter than my engineers but that will do. You can shadow them."
Again, the same hurt flashed on Atlas's face and Law couldn't help but inwardly question why.
Thin brows furrowed and Atlas pointed at him, "What are you to Monkey D. Luffy?"
A question so out of the blue, it left Law floundering, "What- How is that in any way relevant?"
The answer clearly disappointed Atlas, "Oh. I see."
Agitated, Law's jaw clenched, "See what?"
"That."
"What the hell do you mean by that?"
"You know, it explains everything," Atlas did a double take at the porthole, attention completely taken and growing with a boyish excitement, "A sea king! I'm gonna go get one! I'm starving!"
The boy ran out of the infirmary, caring more about his empty stomach than the fact that he was displaced through time on a submarine of a former ally of his father.
Sighing heavily, Law shambled a bottle of whiskey and took a huge gulp.
-
"Even though you have Straw Hat's face, you're not so bad kiddo!" Shachi exclaimed, throwing an arm over Atlas's shoulder.
Atlas munched on a thick drumstick, cheeks full, and murmured something entirely incomprehensible.
Disgusting. Just like his father.
"Do not talk with your mouth full," Law snapped, "You'll choke."
The boy mumbled something else, careless and shrugging. He started choking afterward.
Law watched as Shachi quickly smacked Atlas's back, saving him from an untimely death choke. His gaze flittered to the others in the cafeteria, all in a similar good mood from Atlas's catch. It was not a surprise that the young man was strong, he came from a family line of beasts after all. Garp, the Hero of the Marines, Dragon, Leader of the Revolutionary Army, and Luffy, Emperor of the Sea and contender for the Pirate King.
If anything, Law could put Atlas's strength to use while he stayed here.
"By the way, kid, how old are you?" Penguin asked from across the table, "You don't look older than your dad."
Perking up, Atlas swallowed before he replied, "Is he nearby? Everyone always told me that I look so much like him when he was my age!"
Shachi chuckled, "Kiddo, we literally thought it was him when you showed up."
"Um, we haven't seen him since we left Wano a few weeks back," Bepo inputted, nibbling on the last of his food.
Shoulders slumped, Atlas muttered, "Boo. I wanted to see him," he raised his chin, "Well, I'm 17! I'm old enough to sail on my own!"
For some reason, Atlas pointedly stared at him when he made that last statement.
"That is a reasonable age," Law said, taking a sip of his brewed coffee. The hot beverage helped block out the thoughts of Luffy has a kid with some damn woman, aka, not ME. Whiskey would have been perfectly fine too but Bepo had confiscated it.
The smile on Atlas twisted to a very smug one, "I'm glad you think so."
In the background, someone gasped. Shachi and Penguin exchanged a look. Law observed this with an appropriate amount of caution. His crew were reasonable most of the time and they had been behaving good recently. The board hanging over the galley entrance proved that- 19 days since the last incident.
"So, Atlas," Ikkaku clasped the teen's shoulder with a sharp smile, "Care to tell us how we're doing in the future?"
Atlas stared at her for a pause and then slowly at everyone else in vicinity, "I don't think that's a good idea."
Law silently agreed with the boy. He had no desire to know about a future self who was no doubt still pining for that idiotic smiling man.
"Ugh, okay then," Penguin suddenly grinned, leaning over the table as he whispered conspiringly, "What about telling us about your mom? Who's the lucky woman who caught Straw Hat's attention?"
Atlas glanced at Law, a quick fleeting thing, and Law tightened the hold on his coffee mug. That was no coincidence. Did he know? There was no way he'd know- unless Law was a fuck up in the future. He probably confessed and got rejected and Luffy might have seen it fit to tell the sobbing story to his son.
Oh god. Law made up his mind on the spot. He was never going to confess to that man. He would rather take his feelings to the grave.
But then Atlas revealed;
"I don't have a mom."
Law loosened his hold on the mug. That still didn't change anything, only perhaps that Luffy was not straight. A sobering thought.
"No mom?" Ikkaku crossed her arms, eyes glinting, "You only have your dad or what?"
"I have two dads, actually."
Bepo nearly crushed Shachi when he scooted closer, beady eyes bright, "Who's your other dad?"
Law hadn't realized he was holding his breath as they all waited for Atlas to answer.
The boy took a moment to ponder it before sighing, "I'm not saying. No one will believe it. I look nothing like him."
Groans echoed around the galley. Law sharply inhaled and lifted his mug to take another sip. It was smart of the boy to keep that to himself; Law wasn't sure what he would do if he knew who the other father was. Probably dissect him to pieces and scatter them in the wind.
Hakugan slid over until his shoulders collided with Penguin's, who in turn jostled Law and caused a minor spill. His brow twitched. He shambled the hot content back into his mug. He wasn't going to waste perfectly good coffee.
"I have a crazy question- if something were to happen to this other dad of yours, will you, like, stop existing?"
Penguin frowned, "Dude."
"It's a valid question! You all know I like time travel conspiracies!"
"I… don't know?" Atlas went incredibly pale, "I never thought about that- oh shit, what if me being here ruined my existence already?"
Atlas turned to look at him, round dark eyes pleading, and Law stiffened, regretting right then and there for thinking of disposing his other father. The boy looked like a kicked puppy.
"Oh great, look what you did," Penguin elbowed Hakugan with a scowl, "You gave the kid an existential crisis!"
Glaring at them, Law softly exhaled and regarded Atlas with something akin to sympathy. He didn't like the thought of having a distressed kid on board. Especially when that same kid shared Luffy's face.
"Don't listen to them. If you ruined your own existence, you wouldn't exactly still be here talking to us," Law proclaimed.
The words visibly eased the boy, slouching with relief. Law silently scrutinized him, questioning why his reassurance carried such weight. It was clear that Atlas valued his opinion highly.
Maybe the kid idolized him? And wasn't that a thought. Luffy's son admiring him.
Law looked down at his mug. If only the father could do the same.
Conversation picked up quickly, Atlas bright eyed and eager to know the ins and outs of the Polar Tang. The teen's fascination with the submarine was well welcomed and even more when he proved he was competent at engineering. The terminology exchanged over the table would have no doubt had smoke coming out of Luffy's ears, his poor brain fried from trying to comprehend any of it, but his son excelled at the complex designs and works.
To the point where Law found himself growing fond of him. He really was doomed for life, wasn't he?
Stupid smiling idiot. Luffy wasn't good for his heart at all.
Before he could drown his miseries away in another pot of coffee, his vision went white suddenly and quickly. An intense flash of light all too reminiscent of when Atlas first appeared. Shrieks and yells rang in his ears before they eventually died out when the light disappeared.
Blinking away the blind spots, he hastily searched for the teen and found him still here. Atlas wasn't whisked away. Law couldn't tell if he was disappointed or relieved. He focused back to the matter at hand, swiftly searching the area. If the bright light wasn't for Atlas, than what-
There were two kids on the floor behind him, one sprawled on top of the other. Tan skin and with big doe eyes that had Law's stomach sinking. They looked younger than Atlas, faces much rounder with baby fat clinging to their cheeks and hair pulled into a high ponytail. Identical faces with matching attire- shorts and oversized red tees with pink sandals on their feet. The major difference, however, was the color of their hair. One was as dark as the night, the other had hair the color of snow.
But the most alarming piece in all this was the fact that Law could easily see the strong resemblance toward the other displaced teen on the Tang.
Law felt lightheaded. Luffy had more than one kid? And one of them had white hair? Who had white hair? Law quickly scanned through a list of names; the son of Kaidou came to mind first, followed quickly by the infamous vice admiral alias Chaser. Neither options made him happy.
Atlas jumped over the table, frantic with worry as he helped the kids stand up, "Chrys! Dany! Are you two okay!?"
"I'm fine!" The dark haired one snapped, frown in place as she smacked a hand away. She was a foot shorter than Atlas, "You're such a worrywart, Atlas, relax will you?"
The other twin glared at her as she stood up with Atlas's help, equal in height as well, "I'm not fine! Your pointy elbow hurt my ribs!"
"It's not my fault I landed on you!"
"Yeah, because nothing is ever your fault-"
"Hey! Hey! Don't start!" Atlas raised his voice, face shifting to something more solemn. Another odd expression that didn't fit with Luffy's carefree face. "We're not home, so behave."
"You're not our father so stop telling us what to…do…"
The defiance of the twins seemed to have deflated and died out as they realized they weren't alone. Their wide eyes took everything in- his giggling crew and Law's stoic mask.
Placing a hand on each twin's shoulder, Atlas purposely coughed and smiled albeit strained, "Sorry about that. These two are my sisters. Twins. This one is Chrysina and this one Danae," he gestured to the white haired teen before bowing his head, "I know this is unexpected, but I would really appreciate it if you all looked after us until this whole thing blows over. You… all of you are good friends with our dad in the future, so please don't drop us off on some random island."
One of the twins, Chrysina, looked sharply at her brother, "But-"
Atlas forced her to bow her head, yanking her head down, "You heard me, Chrys, behave."
The other, Danae, kept quiet but her eyes were sharp too. She simply followed her older brother's lead, bowing her head.
Law was in a conundrum. Atlas was old enough to take care of himself and strong enough that he wouldn't have to necessarily worry about his safety. But the twins looked marginally younger and the Grand Line was no place for a couple of kids to sail, especially not with a crew of pirates. At the same time, he recognized the plea Atlas was giving. That of an older brother asking for their help because he couldn't protect them by himself in these unfamiliar out of time seas.
"Captain, come on, we can handle a couple of kids," Ikkaku said.
"Plus, Atlas said it was temporary," Shachi reminded him, "It's not like they're gonna be here forever."
Bepo came up beside him, voice low, "Law, I really think you should let them stay."
Let a couple of kids who were clearly Luffy's children from a future where Law was likely still a pining mess? The thought of it was pathetic. Yet…
Law eventually exclaimed with an irritated tone, "Your sisters are your responsibility. They better not get in our way."
The twins flinched. But Atlas didn't and his smile even softened.
"Thank you-" and again, Atlas bit his lip, cutting off whatever name he had been about to call Law.
With that resolved, Law stood up with his coffee mug and turned his back. He left the galley, having better things to do than look after a bunch of children. His crew would manage just fine looking after them since they were so adamant on having them onboard.
For now, he should focus on their next destination. The Will of D. wasn't going to magically explain itself. And it would help distract him from the tormenting thoughts of a future where Law was present in Luffy's life but only as a friend.
Law was beginning to hate that word.
-
Time passed but the only way Law noticed was because his eyes were begging to be released from straining so hard at the small text on the book in his hands. That and because by the time he looked up, the porthole in his quarters showed a dark starry night. He stood up from his chair, back cracking with stiff joints, when his door squeaked open.
Expecting his first mate, Law's smile was already in place when he turned to greet him. He froze.
Instead of a towering furry figure, he was met with the twins. Both looked just as shell shocked to see him.
"What are you two doing here?" Law demanded, his smile replaced by a deep frown.
They cowered under his stare and Law closed his eyes, frown easing up, because the last thing he wanted was to scare children that were under his care. Besides, they really did look too much like Luffy for his poor heart to handle.
"We got lost," Danae said, notably not looking at him and fidgeting.
Chrysina stumbled over her own words, lips pursed, "W-What she said."
Right. And Law was born yesterday.
"You two really are Luffy's kids through and through. He's a terrible liar too," Law closed his book and resigned himself to guiding them back to Atlas lest they continue snooping around the submarine. He made his way to the door, looking at them both with indifference, "If you two cannot listen to your brother, than perhaps it's best I leave you three on the next island we spot."
"You wouldn't," Chrysina retorted while putting on a brave face.
Law's patience was thinning as he closed the door behind him, "Don't try me and I won't."
Unexpectedly, she burst into silent tears.
His frown slipped, panicked as she vehemently rubbed at her eyes. Her white-haired twin hid behind her, her own lips wobbling the tiniest bit.
Before Law could remedy the situation, Chrysina exclaimed, "I'm not crying! This is- you're so mean!"
Danae glowered from behind, round eyes watery, "You are mean."
Relief washed over Law. Better they be angry than sad. Anger, he was familiar with.
"I'm a pirate captain," Law dryly remarked, "It comes with the title."
"That's not true! You're not-" Chrysina stopped herself, face pinched into something hard.
Danae raised her chin, "You and our dad are really good friends. You should be nicer to us."
There was that word again. Friends. Law despised it so much at that moment.
"Then you both should know I'm nothing like your father. Let me guess, Straw Hat-ya let you two do whatever you wanted, right? He's already so incredibly irresponsible, I doubt fatherhood changed him one bit," Law scorned, "And might I remind you that no matter what your father says, I am not his friend."
The twins stopped crying altogether.
Danae tilted her head. Chrysina blinked wide-eyed.
"Oh my god."
"You called our dad Straw Hat."
The sudden shift in mood left Law confused. Confused and wary.
Whatever tension there was disappeared too. Chrysina mumbled something under her breath while Danae nodded in agreement to it. What did she say?
Law decided he was better off not knowing. Teenagers were a brutal species.
"You're wrong, by the way," Danae spoke up, "Our dad used to throw us into the sea when we misbehaved."
Chrysina crossed her arms, huffing, "Which was all the time."
What the fuck-
"Your father is an idiot," Law hissed, biting back the curse words, "That's not how you should handle kids. Who would even save you two from drowning? Straw Hat-ya can't do it himself because he'd sink to the bottom of the ocean."
The twins shared matching grins and Law stopped before he could ramble even further. He felt like he had just been played. But why bother doing so? He resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.
These kids were going to give him a migraine at this rate. Why did they act so strange? Why did they keep grinning at Law like that? Once again, he found himself blaming Luffy.
An annoyed voice called out, "Chrys! Dany! I told you two not to…" lo and behold, Atlas arrived with a sheepish smile thrown at him as he slowed to a stop next to his sisters, "Erm- Captain Law," he greeted stiffly, "I'm sorry about them- they're old enough to know better than to poke their noses in places they don't belong," Atlas ended by giving the two a stern look.
In response, the twins didn't look particularly apologetic. Briefly, Law was reminded of his own trouble-making sister long ago. In that regard, he sympathized with the boy.
"It's fine, just take them back and head to bed. It's too late for children to be up and about."
Chrysina was perturbed, "We're not kids!"
"We're 14!" Danae added with the same vigor.
Law lightly scoffed, fighting the amusement, "Well, neither of you act like it."
Atlas softly laughed and Law glanced at him. The boy smiled again, genuine and dare Law say, fond.
"You do care about us, in your own prickly way."
The denial was already at the tip of his tongue but Danae beat him to it.
"It's true! Atlas, he told us dad is an idiot for throwing us in the water when we were kids!" She exclaimed excitedly.
"And he looked pretty upset when we were not-crying!" Chrysina proclaimed.
"Not-crying?" Atlas caught on, concern written all over.
Danae whispered but Law could still hear every word, "He was giving us a scary face."
"Oh," Atlas relaxed, "Yeah, it is a scary face. Now we know how dad feels."
The conversation was giving Law a whiplash at this point. There was something there- this casualness they used when they spoke about him. As if Law were a constant presence in their life. Familiar with them and familiar with Luffy.
Heart thundering under his rib cage, Law was seconds away from retreating back into his private quarters, unable to handle- unable to comprehend how and why. He had to hide and crush the fleeting swirl of hope lingering around his chest- because this did not mean anything. Worst case scenario, Law was an utter fool in the future who couldn't let go of the bright smile that changed everything for him and it was why these children knew him.
Was that what the future held for him? To longingly pine after a man for decades, to see and do nothing as Luffy and some random play family with their growing number of children?
Bile threatened to rise and Law's hand shook as he gripped the door handle. He needed-
His breath was caught as a blinding flash of light manifested. Illuminating the dimly lit halls of the Polar Tang, forcing Law to shut his eyes tight while the others gasped and cursed.
Dread filled Law.
More of Luffy's kids?
Why? Why was this happening to him? Couldn't he have been left alone in his misery? Why did the universe continue to taunt him with a bunch of children from the man he foolishly fell for, children he decidedly have not with Law?
When the light eventually cleared, Law blinked until his vision returned to normal, already defeated to the fact that he had to stay and acknowledge another brood of Luffy's.
The new child laid before his feet and Law blinked, wide-eyed. Frozen stiff. Limbs refused to move.
Law had been expecting another kid with a painful likeness to Luffy. Just like Atlas and his sisters.
So why was he staring at a face that mimicked his own?
The white hair was out of place but the narrow shape of his eyes, the long nose, the golden irises blinking back at him. The child- for he was so much more younger than the twins, scrambled to his feet, unshed tears in his still golden eyes.
The small child practically jumped him, arms wrapped around his hips and smashing his face against his tee.
"Father!" The child cried out, lips quivering, "That was so scary!"
Law couldn't move. Mind racing as he stared down at a child with his goddamn face.
"Herc!" Atlas shouted rather distressingly, hand reaching out toward the child.
At the same time, the kid sniffed and looked up. He squinted, observing him closely before he cried out again and stumbled backwards. Atlas caught him before he could fall on his back and the child readily embraced him.
"Atlas! Why does father look like that!? What happened!?"
"Well," Chrysina dryly remarked and it hit Law how similar in tone it was to his, "Cat's out of the bag, Atlas."
Danae nodded, "Hercules looks too much like father to pretend we're not his kids either."
What the fuck.
What the fuck.
"What the fuck."
Atlas winced and the child he was consoling turned back to him accusatory.
"You said a bad word! We're not supposed to say bad words!"
"Hercules, stop crying about it," Chrysina settled her hands on her waist, "Can't you see father is going through a crisis?"
In contrast, Danae looked him over with concern, "Father, are you okay?"
"I'm having a dream," Law slowly said, trying to find reason. "I fell asleep reading and this is all-" he gestured to everything around him, "Just a very vivid dream."
Atlas gave him a knowing look, "You know this isn't a dream," the boy sighed, patting Hercules's back before, "I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner. But… none of us look like you, and not to mention you're not with dad yet… You wouldn't have believed me. I mean, you called dad Straw Hat, I knew then it was probably better to play it safe."
It was a miracle Law hadn't screamed.
The child scrunched his face, "What are you talking about Atlas?"
Atlas patted his head, "We time traveled to the past after getting hit by Lilith's invention. That's why father looks different."
Hercules nodded as though it made perfect sense, "Oh. Okay."
"Are the others gonna pop in too?" Danae pondered, tilting her head, "We're missing half of our siblings."
Law found his voice and it broke in a way it hadn't since hitting puberty, "Half? You mean there's 8 of you?"
"Don't look at us like that," Chrysina scowled and it felt like Law just got sucker punched because the expression was very reminiscent of Law's now that he was paying attention and not wallowing in his unrequited feelings that apparently were not so unrequited. She pointed at him, "You and dad keep having kids!"
"Chrys, enough!" Atlas scolded, "You said it yourself- father's having a crisis!"
"I think you should sit down, father. You look pale," Danae pointed out.
Swallowing the lump in his throat, Law tried to take calm and measured breaths. He failed terribly.
"I need to be alone," Law blurted out right before twisting the knob on his door and swiftly slamming it shut behind him.
"Uh, father?" Atlas gently called through the door, "I know this is a lot to take in. I'd be freaking out too if this happened to me. Just… take care. Goodnight."
"Goodnight father! Love you!" The child plainly said, so effortlessly, it tug at the strings on Law's heart.
"Hercules!" It was no doubt one of the twins hissing, "Stop!"
They argued for a bit and their footsteps eventually faded away.
Law was finally alone.
He heaved an enormous sigh of relief, back sliding against the door and his behind collided with the cool floor of the Polar Tang.
So.
Those were his kids.
The kids he had with Luffy.
Law's heart soared traitorously.
Maybe the future wasn't as bad as he thought it was.