Usopp's Eyes widened and he stumbled backwards into the snow. "N..nNn..No." He couldn't be seeing what he thought he was seeing. It couldn't be. Dark brown filthy covered the distinctive red hat. A llight dusting of white falling the butchered and broken body of his friend. " ..Chopper? CHOPPERRR!" Usopp scrambled through the snow grabbing the cold stiff muzzle. Usopp saw the expertly removed flesh. Ribs clean and legs peeled to the haunch. Tears bounced off the snow as Usopp sobbed. And then there was sudden violent realization as he looked again at the unnaturally perfect butchered corpse. And then The sniper vomited violently heaving against a tree. HE COULDN'T HAVE!
"ZORO!" Nami said weariness making her body ache. The Samurai was not doing well. His fever was holding high. Sweat trailed down his body and he was unconscious.. "I... I don't think he's going to make it, Sanji. He isn't getting better."
"No! He has to make it. It's just a bug he'll beat it." It was at that moment another cough racked the samurai bringing up discolored bile.
"I think it's worse than a bug. It might be a parasite or something. Chopper was worried about that … he he made notes. "Or a toxin of some kind." Nami wiped the foul stain from Zoro's face as he struggled to breath. "And if we can't get him to drink something he might not make it past tonight."
Nami sighed feeling the burning forehead of her crewmate. "Still no change. Fever still higher than it was. We have to keep him cool and if we can get him awake to drink as much as we can. That;s all we can do neither of us are doctors." The blonde said nothing he just sank to the floor next to the navigator.
"That's what we'll do then."
"If his fever get's much higher he won't make it he'll have a seizure and... and then... and then"
"Oi, Nami it's fine. He'll make it calm down. We'll do everything we can."
"It's not fine. WHERE IS CHOPPER? There;s no way he would leave with Zoro this sick and not come back. It's dark out now. And we need him. He loves Zoro. He loves him no way he would just dissapear with him in such bad shape."
"I... I don't know, Nami." The most painful thing was watching Nami cry over Zoro. Watching him twitch slightly as he deteriorated. Watching her grieve for him and accept that she needed to cry for him because he wasn't going to recover. There was nothing he could do to help her. All he did was place a hand on her shaking shoulder. While they held vigil.
Usopp was frantic as he traced his patch back out of the forest. Every limb grabbed at him and he fled almost blindly. He was panting when he broke the tree line back towards the shore. He sprinted across rocky open beach screaming. "Franky! Franky! LUUUFFFYYYYYY" The cyborg looked up from the tar he was mixing.
"Yo Long nose that was fa..." And then Frankys smile dropped. He saw the look of horror on the snipers face. "You okay?" Franky scanned the tree line expecting a beast to be chasing after the horrified Usopp. "Something in there?"
"I.. I Oh God I found Chopper. Where is Sanji?"
"He's aboard. I just sent brook to go gather some logs to use to make some more pitch while I cut boards for the panels. What's wrong." Franky stared at Usopp is disbelief as his crew mate caught his breath. "Are you sure?"
"I saw it, Franky. I saw it with my own eyes we have to get Sanji he's not right." The cyborg nodded and together they headed to the ramp leading up to the Sunny's main deck.
"NAMI! LUFFY! ROBINNNNN!" the pair stalked the ship and then went below decks and found the crew in the sickbay.
"Everybody? What happened?" The sniper saw the tears streaming down Nami's face.
"Zoro. We tried but we couldn't stop the ... the fever. We tried everything. He ... he oh god."
Luffy covered his face with his hat hiding his tears. Robin held Nami comforting the sobbing navigator.
"We are saying goodbye, Usopp." Robin said. She seemed to be the only one calm in the cloying depressing sickroom. Mr. Bushido died from the toxin." It was at that moment Suopp nodded towards Sanji. He pulled the ship's cook outside the door and Franky slid into place blocking it from inside the room.
"Sanji," He said his eyes narrowed and focused on the blonde cook's face. "I found Chopper and I know what you did." Usopp saw the way Sanji's face shifted and his body tensed.
"What are you talking about, Usopp? I didn't do anything." He didn't yell or raise his voice but the hard edge in his eyes made Usopp take a step back. He didn't like what he was feeling and seeing in his crewmate and friend. "I didn't hurt Chopper and I didn't hurt Zoro. We're going to be fine, Usopp." And then Sanji did something he would have never done if he was himself if he was okay. He swung and his fist connected with Usopp's jaw. The dark skinned sniper spat out blood and staggered going for his satchel. He saw Sanji's fist driving for him and he ducked under it and sent his knee slamming into his crewmate's gut hard. Sanji gasped as his breath hitched. The Usopp followed through dropping his elbow and sending the blond to the floor to crack his chin against the wood. The marksman saw the madness and the wrongness in his friend's eyes and took aim with this slingshot.
"Sharpshot Green Star. TangleVine. Thick dust exploded and hard strong vines tightly wrapped around sanji and he yelled drawing his crewmates from the room. They looked on in confusion. As Usopp put his sling back in his satchel. "Something is wrong with Sanji." Thye saw the blonde man snarling and struggling in the thick monster vines cursing and raving in rage.
"FUCK YOU USOPP! FUCK YOU I DIDN"T DO SHIT! WE'RE NOT GOING TO DIE HERE! ZEFF WE'RE NOT GOING TO DIE HERE DO YOU HEAR ME!"
"Zeff? From the restaurant?" The crew looked on in shock as Sanji raved like a madman.
WE"RE NOT GOING OT FUCKING STARVE! ZEFF, YOU BASTARD DON"T STARVE! SOMEBODY IS COMING TO SAVE US!" Tears ran down Sanji's face as he writhed captured by the vines. He seemed to not be seeing them anymore.
"Is... is this a psychotic break?" Robin asked observing the chef with almost morbid intrigue. "He seems to be disassociating."
"Diussawhat? Speak plain Robin," Franky said. He scratched his head in confusion making his hair stand on end. "What is wrong with him."
"The cook seems to not quite realize where and when he is. He's disassociating. It's like having a flashback. He thinks he's back on the deserted island with Zeff. The stress of being stranded and Causing the death of Mr. Bushido must have... must have done this to him. I'm not a psychiatrist."
"Everybody," Usopp said sadly. " There's something else. I found Chopper. He... he was dead. It was horrible."
"Wait? What?" Luffy yelled. "Chopper too? NO! HE WAS MY CREW HE WAS OUR FRIEND! It was our job to protect him.' Fresh tears streamed down Luffy's face. "I wasn't supposed to lose anybody else. I wasn't supposed to lose Zoro or Chopper. Chopper was supposed to cure diseases. He was supposed ot heal everyone. Zoro was supposed to become the best swordsman in the world. What happened to that?" The strawhat captain fell to his knees near the still struggling cook.
"It get's worse," Usopp continued. "You know that stew we had. "Well the... the carcass was butchered. Professionally. I can't even clean meat that well and I camp butchered and cut meat for two years straight. I think you know what this means."
"No, Nami said. Her hand flying to her mouth as she fought back bile. "Sanji wouldn't no way. I can't believe it." The redheaded navigator turned a sickly shade of green. "I don't believe it."
"Nami, he's not himself." Robin said. "And... and Chopper was a reindeer he was venison. Do you think he killed him?" Usopp shook his head. He had seen the vicious trap. The horrible mangled body snared by the spiked of the ancient machine.
"No Robin it was an accident. I think it was a trap of some kind set up in the forest around the old fort. It was horrible but unless Sanji pushed him into it He didn't kill him. We have to help him we've... we've lost two of our crew our friends already." The crew nodded and Sanji was lifeted by Franky and Luffy. They ignored the body of Zoro broken and wounded and hurt. Sanji has stopped his yellling now he just looked exhausted and worn as he was hefted into the sickbay's other bed.
"I'll help," Nami said. I'll help get his body. I … I think he would want to be burned wouldn't he? Warrior and stuff. Like the general back in the village."
"Yes. I think that is the only proper way to put him to rest," Robin said. The crew seemed to agree and they set to the work.
"What about Chopper?" The question was quiet from Luffy as he wiped the tears from his face. "We can't leave him out there." The work stopped suddenly and Usopp said. "I'll go get him I know where he is." Luffy nodded and cracked his knuckles.
"I'll go with you. I want to help him. I was there with Ace. I'm going ot be there to help Chopper go too." Usopp didn't mind. He didn't like the cold and he didn't like the idea of carrying his fried alone. Or entering the desolate winter woods alone again.
"But Luffy what are we going to do about him," Usopp said pointing to Sanji."
"He'll be fine," Nami said. "He's tied up right now he can't hurt himself or anyone else. I think he's calming down too. We'll deal with him soon. He needs help too." It was reasonable and no one had a reason to disagree with the levelheaded idea. "Franky," The redhead continued. "Can... can you get the wood and stuff ready to burn them?"
"SSSUuuuuuper Easy, Red. I'll handle it. SO quick I'll even have some time to put up a bit more patching on Sunny. Brook is already gathering wood and stone. We can use some of that too. And my Fresh Fire." A lick of red flame spouted from Franky's mouth and the crew split to perform their tasks. The island had done them more harm than they had thought … especially to their cook.
