A big thank you to my beta DeathGod777 for the help in spotting errors.
Dark Truth
Chapter 7: No Mercy
"Get 'em, boys!"
That was the only warning Luffy had before his eyes widened as a hulk of a man charged from the trees behind him with a warbling battle cry, spiked club held high before he thrust it forward with all his might towards Luffy's head.
Chopper didn't register that his body had moved until he felt the acrid liquid inside the rumble ball slipping down his throat and Luffy's attacker tangled in his oversized horns. For once he harboured no hesitation or restraint in his attack as he thrashed the screaming man around in his horns, piercing his body more than once before he jerked his head hard enough to send the oaf hurtling back into the trees from where he came.
For a moment the scene appeared frozen, both the Strawhats and their attackers awed at Chopper's transformation. For the bandits it was merely a surprise that the little reindeer was more than a cute pet for the oddball pirate troupe that was the Strawhats, but for the crew it was a whole other level of awe. They had seen Chopper fight countless times before, but never with such ferocity. Right now he looked every part as dangerous as his Monster form condensed into the smaller version that was 'horn point'. Chopper seemed consumed by instinct and emotion as though he had cast aside the logical thought that usually ruled his mind. He snorted loudly, large body hunched protectively before his captain and beat the ground with his hand and jerked his head once more in a silent warning as blood dribbled from his horns. Usopp couldn't be sure, but he could have sworn he heard his usually placid friend growl. In that moment the reindeer looked every part the wild animal he was before he ever ate the devil fruit.
As fast as it had come the moment was over as the slimy bandit that had spoken before roared furiously at his men. "Get 'em I said, you snivellin' bastards! Get 'im!" he spat and jerked he arm, finger outstretched in Luffy's direction.
The entire scene erupted then; blades clashed with deafening screeches, bodies thumped to the ground and flew through the air, slamming into the trees they'd emerged from. Robin stood a little ways to Luffy's left, close enough to hear her mutter her attacks followed by the brunching of bones and agonised screams of her victims. Luffy watched on as though caught in a daze. His body remained still, an odd sense of calm settled deep into his bones. Chopper wrestled in front of him with a huge burly bandit twice Franky's size.
At the thought of his shipwright Luffy glanced to his right where Franky's legs and backside flailed uselessly, still corked in the cave's exit. He almost felt a bubble of laughter rise in his stomach but he found himself attentive to the fight before him once again as Chopper was forced back, allowing Luffy to see the entire fight playing out before him. His eyes drifted over the mass of moving bodies and though he couldn't see Usopp, he could definitely make out the shrill cry of his attacks and the familiar 'twang' of each shot as it was fired.
A high pitched scream drew his attention entirely and his muscles clenched in response, his body aching to track down its owner; Nami. His eyes found her first, the vibrant shade of her hair stood stark against the earthy colours that surrounded her. A flash of panic surged through Luffy's body that sent his heart racing. Nami was pinned to the ground under the weight of one of the bandits as he sneered and muttered something Luffy couldn't make out into her ear, one hand grabbing roughly at her chest. Then Nami looked scared.
The next thing Luffy realised, his fist held that familiar tingle of having met with something hard and he stood over Nami, one leg on either side of her body and arm outstretched in the remnants of a punch. He didn't have time to contemplate just how he had got there as a bandit moved to jump him from behind. His first instinct was to dodge, but a startled cry of his name from below reminded him that she would most likely end up taking some brunt of that attack if he did. Instead he stood his ground and slipped into a familiar fighting stance, knees bent and prepared to take the impact. A fist connected with his face and Luffy felt his body bend backwards in response. He didn't fight the motion as his back arched, though grunted softly as he felt a couple of stitches in his chest bust. The attack was nothing to his rubber body as it absorbed the impact, though his burns protested the motion. In half a second it was over as his body rebound the motion and his forehead collided with his attacker's nose as he bounced back upright like a rubber band. The man yelled, and staggered back, clutching his face as blood seeped between his fingers.
The fighting around them fizzled out slowly as the rest of the bandits were taken care of and Luffy felt the adrenaline that pumped into his body slowly leaking away. He staggered back as his legs finally gave way and landed on his rear with a thump beside Nami. The navigator was quick to move as she scrambled to her knees in front of Luffy and cupped his face in her hands. The fighting was finished now, Luffy realised as the crew gathered around him fretfully. Nami was saying something but he could only hear the blood rushing in his ears and the pounding of his heartbeat. His body screamed in protest now, his arms quivering behind him as they held him upright in a sitting position. He looked up at the concerned faces of his crew that surrounded him and then back to Nami. The roar of blood in his ears dulled as his ragged breathing slowed to a pant and he could finally make out her words. She was asking him if he was alright; she was crying, he realised. Numbly, he nodded and the whole crew seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
A loud crashing to his side made Luffy flinch suddenly but he quickly relaxed as he saw Franky emerge from the crumbled cave entrance as Sanji followed behind him muttering profanities about the cyborg's fat ass.
"Look at you... you're a mess!" Nami muttered softly, and in rare moment of gentleness, she used the wrist of her sleeve to wipe away some blood scattered about Luffy's forehead when he'd head-butted his attacker.
A small slither of panic settled in Luffy's stomach at the touch, but a glance around at his tousled crew calmed the feeling. It was an odd sensation; for weeks now his crew had been nothing but a source of terror, but as his eyes settled on wet blood that stained Chopper's antlers he felt calm wash over him. They had protected him. He sat placidly as Nami wiped away the bandit's blood and then stepped back. Luffy looked up at the smiling, relieved faces of his crew but tilted his head in a confused manner as their faces suddenly fell, they're eyes widening. A muddy arm suddenly closed around his throat and he winced as he was hoisted to his feet and then off the ground, held in a choking grip around his neck by none other than the slimy bandit that had started the whole fight.
"Where the hell did he come from?!" Usopp squawked, panic evident in his voice as he noticed the blade clutched in the man's hand and held all too close to Luffy's neck.
"He's a devil fruit user..." Robin answered as she figured it out herself. "Some kind of earth variation...?" she mused, though the tension in her body gave away the concern lacking in her tone.
"That's right little lady!" the bandit grouched. "Your crew 'ere did a number on me men so I think I'll cash in yer captain's 'ead and fix me up some new ones."
Nobody dared to move as the blade bit into Luffy's neck causing a fine trickle of blood to roll down his neck. Blood was slowly staining Luffy's shirt through his bandages from the busted stitches in his chest and Chopper watched anxiously as they all waited for a chance to do something. Luffy was the one to give them that chance as he slammed his head back into the bandits face. In his shock, the man dropped his devil fruit ability, obviously not skilled with his control over it and at the sight of solid flesh before his eyes, Luffy clamped his teeth down on the man's arm hard enough to draw blood. The bandit erupted with a loud scream as Luffy's teeth crunched down hard enough that he felt the bones begin to give way. He didn't have a chance to worry about it though as Zoro swept forward and with one graceful motion his blade plunged into the man's torso. There was a moment of pause as the bandit seemed to comprehend his fate before Zoro pulled upward mercilessly, effectively slicing the man's torso in half as his blade exited through his shoulder. There would be no mercy for the likes of any man that truly threatened their captain, especially in his current state.
Luffy's legs buckled without the support and Zoro lunged forward, capturing him in his free arm. Luffy emitted a loud hiss of pain as his chest wound was jostled once again. Slowly Zoro lowered him to the ground and Luffy eased himself to lie on the floor. Chopper pushed past the rest of the crew as they hovered close enough to see how Luffy was, but far enough to give him space to breathe and not feel trapped. Zoro remained knelt dutifully beside his head, watching over Luffy as he'd always done.
"Well, that could have gone better." Sanji remarked, glaring at the body of the bandit. He looked back to Chopper and sighed. "What's the damage?"
"He's busted a couple stitches in his chest again." Chopper mumbled back as he sought out the suture kit from his bag. This kind of injury couldn't wait. "Other than that there's a nick on his neck from the knife and he aggravated some of the burns."
Chopper heard a collective sigh of relief behind him as he pulled a needle from his bag. He was amazed that Luffy had remained so calm throughout the ordeal – he had even fought! It brought a soft smile to his face. To his surprise however, as he moved to inject Luffy with a pain killer/numbing agent so that he could repair the damage to his sutures with minimal pain, his captain flinched away, watching him warily.
"I... It's a pain killer, Luffy," he tried to explain. "I have to fix those sutures..."
Luffy glanced briefly at the needle and back to Chopper before he shook his head firmly. Choppers eyes widened. Luffy couldn't deny this kind of treatment – the wound could get infected – his heart could-!
"He wants you to do it without the medicine." Zoro spoke up, suddenly. He had seen the look Luffy had given Chopper, but more importantly he had seen the look directed at that needle.
"Eh...?" Chopper noised, broken from his panicked thoughts. He looked from Zoro to Luffy in confusion. "But, the pain... Luffy, it'll be painful..."
Luffy nodded; he understood that. Chopper's stomach clenched uncomfortably. It wasn't like he hadn't sewn up his crewmembers without pain relief before. Emergencies on the battlefield called for immediate action. He hadn't done it before under a safe situation though, and he didn't want to cause Luffy any more pain than necessary.
"Are you sure?" Zoro asked quietly.
Luffy nodded resolutely and fixed his gaze on the moon above as Chopper reluctantly set to work. His fingers bit into the grass and earth beneath him as the needle pierced his skin, but much to the crew's awe he didn't seem bothered by their closeness or too distressed by the obvious pain. Zoro hadn't once taken his eyes from Luffy's face and as Chopper started to finish up his work, he spoke.
"Do you think you can walk?" he asked.
Luffy shook his head. There wasn't a chance in hell he could walk; not yet anyway.
"You shouldn't try to move just yet anyway Luffy." Chopper added as he began packing his tools away. He paused briefly and scrutinised Luffy's face. "You look tired..."
It was the understatement of the century. His body was a mess and even that small exertion topped with their earlier trek just to get here, Luffy was exhausted. With each blink it took more effort to drag his lids back open. He didn't look like he had the strength to raise his head let alone resume their journey into town.
"So... what now?" Nami voiced the question they'd all mulled over. "Do we head back? We can't go on with Luffy like this... it would draw too much attention and he's been injured."
"What do you want to do, Luffy?" Robin asked, gently as she too crouched beside Luffy.
He glanced at her and his eyebrows furrowed in thought. What did he want to do? He wanted to sleep.
"Should we turn back?" she elaborated, seeing her captain's obvious confusion. It seemed his exhaustion was affecting him more by the minute.
Luffy pondered the question. He hadn't wanted to do this in the first place - he didn't want to have to do it again! Sluggishly he tipped his head from side to side; no.
"Maybe..." Usopp interjected, then more self consciously as all eyes turned on him. "Uh, maybe... maybe if he got a couple hours rest he might feel... better?"
All eyes turned back to Luffy. His eyes which had been on Usopp drifted back to the moon above as his brow furrowed in thought. He did want to sleep.
"If we could make it just a little closer to the town we might be able to work out a plan so that we can get something productive out of tonight other than ridding the world of scum like these idiots." Sanji mused as his gestured at the bodies around them with one hand. Only the boss had been killed to his knowledge but he doubted the rest would be up and mobile any time soon.
"I could move him!" Chopper offered enthusiastically. He'd loathed watching Luffy struggle in their earlier trek and had wished he could have made the same offer then.
"I don't think he can sit up right now." Zoro replied, "And I doubt he would be comfortable being carried by walking point."
Chopper deflated, though he understood Zoro was right.
"If you want, I can carry you on my back, Luffy." Zoro offered. It was a bold statement. Touch was only a recently granted privilege between captain and crew and with Luffy on his back most of their bodies would be touching.
Luffy considered the offer. A soft breeze drifted through the trees, rustling them and Luffy couldn't suppress the shiver that ran through his body. Even with his clothes replaced after the hasty surgery and the robe around him he was still cold. The prospect of cuddling up to a warm back and having a nap there had never seemed so appealing, and yet as he imagined the feeling an involuntary shiver crawled down his spine; this time nothing to do with the night air. The crew's voices were becoming muffled and Luffy knew the heavy feeling in his body well. He was going to pass out. Reluctantly he nodded his consent to the idea – after all, it wouldn't matter anyway if he wasn't awake to experience it, would it?
The crew seemed pleased by his decision, he wasn't sure whether it was because they might actually get done what they set out to do or because of his consent (another small step on the way to recovery). Shakily Luffy hoisted his body upright with a groan as Zoro moved to crouch in front of him. He couldn't help the tremble as he felt several of Robin's limbs bloom across his body so that his transition onto Zoro's back could go as smoothly and pain-free as possible. It didn't make it any easier for Luffy though as he sucked in a breath and held it until he felt the limbs dissipate as if they'd never been there. He released his breath in a heavy sigh against the back of Zoro's neck and dropped his head onto the man's shoulder. Holding his breath had done nothing good for the heavy feeling as darkness crept into the edge of his vision.
Oddly, Luffy didn't feel the panic he had been expecting. Though his heart thumped heavily against his chest he was torn between the comforting warmth Zoro's body gave off and the little voice in the back of his head that warned him not to leave himself vulnerable. He heard them mutter something but by now their voices sounded as though he were hearing them from underwater. Luffy unconsciously snuggled closer to the warm body that supported him and Zoro adjusted his hold to accommodate.
"Luffy?" Chopper called again when his earlier question of whether Luffy was okay went unanswered. Yet again there was no reply, but before Chopper could panic Zoro spoke up.
"He's asleep." Zoro replied on Luffy's behalf. He could tell by the deep and even breaths against his back. "He's exhausted. Let him rest."
"Un." Chopper noised, and nodded his head.
"It's probably a twenty minute slow walk downhill to reach the edge of the town." Sanji predicted as he looked out at the town in the distance. "We should keep it slow so we don't do more damage to his chest."
Nami nodded her head in agreement. They had already lost time due to the attack but Luffy's comfort and health came before gathering information on who could have done this to him.
"Do you suppose those bandits were waiting in ambush?" Brook asked softly as they began to move. "For us?"
"I doubt it." Robin replied. She had taken in many details of the scene when they had first been approached by the bandits. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air and most of the men seemed as though they had had a fair drink. "I expect they were camped there and thought they'd struck lucky when we came out, if the smell of smoke and rum were anything to go by."
"Unlucky, more like." Sanji muttered, before his eyes bulged into love hearts. "Ah~ Robin-chwan is so smart!"
Robin smiled at the compliment, glad for some normalcy in their routine. Things had been out of place for too long.
"I don't think twenty minutes will be long enough to let Luffy rest, so what's the plan when we get to town?" Nami asked.
"Though our initial plan was to stay together," Brook interjected softly, "Perhaps Nami-san accompanied by another could scout for information whilst the rest remain with Luffy-san?"
"I volunteer my services!" Sanji called out suddenly, his hand raised into the air as if to solidify the offer."
"I'll take Franky." Nami replied blandly, and Sanji's face fell, his body seeming to whither.
"B-But, Nami-san..." he pleaded desperately.
"He looks butch." She offered in explanation. "Nine out of ten of the scum on this island are cowards who wouldn't so much as look a guy's way if he looks like that." She finished jerking her thumb in Franky's direction.
"If that didn't scare them off, the Speedo would." Usopp mumbled.
"Ehh? What was that, long-nose?!" Franky asked, a vein throbbing in annoyance. "Got a problem with the Speedo?"
"Only r-real men understand it!" Usopp defended quickly, his voice stuttering over the words as he concocted a swift lie to placate his crewmate.
"Hn. True." Franky replied, falling hook, line and sinker for the excuse.
"We'll find somewhere safe to stay with Luffy first." Zoro added, and then to clarify their plan he added, "Nami and Franky will scout for information and when they come back we'll wake Luffy and head out together. Depending on what they find is where we go after that."
The crew noised a chorus of confirmation noises as they continued their slow trek into town.
Thank you for reading. As always, feedback and criticism are always welcomed.
