Law fully embodies how tragic experiences can change a person. Despite his past, he overcomes his shackles and becomes a powerful pirate in One Piece.
One Piece is well-known for portraying the depth of its characters through their backstories and character developments. With over 1,000 characters introduced over 25 years, the series has shown audiences a lot of incredible backstories. So many have suffered in their lives, but this suffering has made them what they are now, blossoming into amazing figures. One such character is Trafalgar D. Water Law. After going through hell during his childhood and witnessing the cruelty of the world, Law lost all hope in life.
He was the victim of the World Government’s schemes and had to struggle each day merely to stay alive. At one point, all he wanted to do was destroy everything he came across — that is, until Corazon saved him. One Piece amazingly portrays him in all stages of his life; how his sufferings made him desire nothing but destruction, and how later on he was freed from his inner demons and his past.
The Tragedy That Changed Law’s Life in One Piece
Law was living in a flourishing country called Flevance, known for its white lead that fetched a high price in the global market. His parents were both doctors and he also aspired to become one. He was a natural genius and had a talent in the medical field long before he ate the Op Op Fruit. Law also had a younger sister who was frail in health. However, he still lived in a happy family without worrying about his livelihood. In a rich country like Flevance, people never starved or had to suffer any injustice from poverty. When tragedy struck, however, Law’s entire world came crashing down.
The beautiful White Town was dyed red with the blood of the innocent. To keep their secret hidden, the World Government massacred the entire country — which was already poisoned due to the side effects of white lead. Because the mineral was expensive, the World Government hid its poisonous nature for their profit. However, when the truth was out in the open and the victims started retaliating, they silenced everyone and declared to the world that the people in Flevance were suffering from an epidemic and they had to be killed so the disease won’t spread anywhere else. In reality, the disease was not contagious at all.
How Law’s Past Affected Him in One Piece
Any child who would have to go through this will find themselves lost, unable to figure out how to move forward. After the incident, ten-year-old Law had to survive by hiding beneath a pile of corpses just so he could leave Flevance. He had lost all traces of life within himself. Being affected by the disease meant he had been given a death sentence.
Since he had been studying medicine even as a child, he deduced his own condition and concluded he could live longer than three years. Thus, Law sought to destroy the world as it had destroyed him. Before joining Doflamingo’s crew in One Piece, Law told them all he wanted to do with the remaining years of life was to kill everyone in his sight.
How Corazon Helped Law Overcome Major Struggles
During the worst time of his life, Law met Corazon, Doflamingo’s younger brother. Corazon devoted his efforts to finding a cure for Law’s disease, even to the point of his risking his life for it. They both abandoned the Donquixote Pirates and set out to the sea, but only met with disappointment in search of the cure. However, Law and Corazon forged a powerful bond during that time. Corazon knew that Doflamingo desired the Op Op Fruit, and yet he fed it to Law to save his life — and his heart as well. He appeared in Law’s life when he had no hope left, and even though the two didn’t hit it off at first, Law later accepted his goodwill.
Law had always hated the navy since the Flevance incident. However, despite knowing Corazon was a marine, he didn’t reject him. It can be said that Corazon helped Law realize not everyone in the world is evil. Just as those marines in Flevance followed orders to kill innocent people, there are also those who risk their lives to protect others. Corazon’s words “He is free!” were deeply etched into Law’s heart. He wanted his friend to live a happy life without any hatred consuming him.
What Makes Law Such a Great One Piece Character
A lot of details make Law a fan-favorite One Piece character. He is well-written and has experienced all stages of his life. His goals kept changing and improving throughout; first he wanted to destroy everything in sight, but then he desired to live a better life with Corazon. After Corazon died, he wanted to avenge his friend’s death; and after putting down Doflamingo, Law devoted all his efforts to taking down a Yonko. He was not stubborn enough to hold on to his original beliefs. When Corazon reached out his hand to help him, Law took it willingly after much thought. This shows that even though he was in despair, deep down he wanted to change his life for the better.
Moreover, Law’s dualities are among his best-loved features. He will take a serious beating and then pay it back tenfold, his fight with Vergo in the “Punk Hazard Arc” being a testament to that. He is kind but not overly compassionate, which makes him pretty relatable. Though he comes off as stern and introverted, he has a comical side to him as well. Seeing such a serious character getting excited over Germa 66 was certainly entertaining. Furthermore, he is intelligent and aware enough to know both his strengths and his weaknesses.
