Chapter 8:: I Guess It's A Familiar Face

Warning this chapter contains some lemon. This is my first published attempt (I'm not even going to mention the first real attempts) and I know it sucks because I can't so this, so here you go. Don't like just skip it's not essential.

And I apologize for the almost 2 month delay for barely 6000 words instead of the usual 4000. I went through a slight stage of depression but I'm alright.

Now read and judge (I mean if you didn't just skip this. You're probably eager to get to the shitty story)

And sorry for the large amount of Rhythm in here, I'm just trying to get some plot points out. These past few chapters have been tedious but trust me, in the next chapter or two things will start to get interesting.

Peasants

The next day a package came.

Everyone was loading the ship with fresh supplies and getting everything prepped for another journey. Nami determining which needle was steadiest for them to take while Franky was prepping the ship to set sail.

"That can't be true, Usopp!" Luffy's loud voice came from the front of the ship.

"I'm serious! There was an animal twice the size of the Sunny roaming this island! I saw it earlier when I was out for a stroll!" Usopp retorted.

"How were you out for a stroll when you were shopping with me?" Sanji asked, setting down a box on the deck.

"I needed a break so I decided to wander when you were busy with your eyes roaming up skirts. I used some of my sneaky ninja skills so you wouldn't see me. I was gone and back before you even noticed. Hell I probably would have been gone the entire time and you wouldn't have noticed because you were busy 'flirting' with the island girls."

That earned him a good kick to the head.

"O-oi Usopp! Are you alright?" Luffy started poking Usopp's unconscious form with a miscellaneous stick. "Where's Chopper? I think he's dead." Luffy yelled after Sanji, "Sanji don't kill our nakama! Now you have to make me some pork!"

Meanwhile, Chopper was setting fresh medical supplies in his infirmary. The door creaked open and Rhythm slid in, shutting the door quietly with a soft click.

"Oh Rhythm! Do you need anything? Is there something wrong?" Chopper asked, big eyes gleaming.

"Ah~ actually yeah," she sat down on the bed and started twirling a stray lock of hair around her finger. "I don't feel very well. Headaches and . . . stuff."

"Rhythm, you can tell me," Chopper looked up at her, putting his hoof over her other hand like a good doctor.

She explained as thoroughly as she could, her eyes staying glued to the corner of the table for the majority of the conversation. Chopper kept silent, here and there interjecting with a question.

He supplied her with some rules and some proper medication to help treat her, "By the sounds of it your narcolepsy wore away somehow and was replaced by insomnia. I suggest you take some sleep medication so you could get your proper rest. Come to me tomorrow morning and tell me how you slept." He handed her a container. "Take one before you go to bed. I made them myself and I'm pretty sure they work. Another remedy for insomnia is alcohol, but I don't suggest that. Maybe a little, but please don't drink yourself into oblivion."

"Sweet booze and drugs," Rhythm grinned. In the medical rooms light, Chopper could easily see the dark circles under her eyes and the glazed look one gets with the lack of sleep.

"And food. You lost too much weight and now you're below your BMI."

"Which is . . .?"

"You grew an inch, so now you're exactly 5' 6 ½" and weigh 107 lbs. You're underweight and need to gain at least another 20 pounds before I'm satisfied."

"I know I'll get back to eating and training so I'll regain it in muscle," she tucked the medication into the back pocket of her short shorts.

"We'll talk everyday so I can keep track of your health. I'm still worried about your wounds and weight loss," Chopper hugged her and knocked his hoof against her hip bone. "It's just skin and bone right here."

"Woops."

"I'll tell Sanji to put you on a special diet so you could regain the weight."

"Shit he's just going to make me into a chubby-ass hamster or something."

"No, he won't," he sighed and opened the infirmary door, ushering her out.

"I know," Rhythm laughed and headed out.

"The crooked smile, is it genetic?"

"Shut up it's me alright? I can't help that my smile is always lopsided." She really hated it when people said something about it. Her smiles her smile, and that was it.

"Nami-swan 3! Robin-chwan 3! Rhythm-dwono 3! I have snacks!" Sanji spun out of the kitchen with a tray of elaborate snacks, fitting for the time of day and weather.

"Setting sail!" Franky called out from the helm.

"Look a bird! A big, ugly, lopsided bird with a hat!" Luffy cheered.

"Whoa let me see!" Chopper toddled over to where Luffy was, the ship pulling steadily out of the cove and into the open sea.

"No that's two News Coo," Usopp said.

"Why would we get two?"

"What can I say, we're famous," Rhythm flipped her long hair dramatically.

The two birds we're both awkwardly carrying a large box between them, desperate just drop the package and go.

"The poor birds. Who knows how long they've been flying." Robin tsked.

"Let's load them in the canon and shoot them towards the direction they're heading," Luffy suggested.

"That actually sounds pretty good," Usopp chuckled. "I'll get the canon ready."

He was stopped short by Nami's flying fist, "No one's shooting any sort of bird anywhere. Just let it be."

"What if it's for us," Brook suggested.

"What if it's a bomb set to explode the moment it touches the deck."

"Robin!" Usopp, Brook, and Chopper cried out.

(~)

"Yeah I think that's for us." Zoro said, sometime after the Straw Hats set sail out into the open sea.

"Okay," Luffy launched his arms out without warning and brought in the tired birds.

The load landed on the deck with a sharp thud. The exhausted birds shook their heads out, and took off again.

"You dropped you're heavy-ass box!" Sanji yelled out.

"It's ours now," Nami dived for the package. She greedily pulled the heavy box towards her with the crew (minus Franky who was manning the helm) gathered around in a half-hazard circle. She searched for any sort of ticking noise or any signs that it might be dangerous, but found none. After that she started opening the sealed. Her face fell when she saw the tag.

"Oh it is for us," Nami grumbled, standing up and wiping grass off her jeans. "Rhythm, it's yours."

"Aw but my birthday's not until March."

"Well you win the prize. Call me when something interesting falls out," she waved back as she slid back into the library.

Rhythm dove down and tore into the package, only to find-

"Paper. Lots and lots of paper," Usopp said.

She stood up with the first piece and read it aloud, "Dear Jade-chan."

It happened in an instant. The box exploded into a wave of paper, the white sheets flying around in the air like some mad tornado.

"God dammit you dropped it didn't you?" Luffy laughed in amusement by the sudden chaos.

There were hundreds of sheets that zoomed through the air, ink and lead on most. It was like a flock of angry pelicans trying to get a buffet of food left on the beach. Then it started to assemble.

The chaos became order, each paper folding in on itself and forming a specific shape and came together into one mass in the spot in front of the torn up box. It didn't make sense on what the papers where trying to accomplish at first, but after a second of gaping and chaos, a pair of feet were seen in the flurry of paper. The folding and shuffling soon formed a pair of legs, slim hips and a torso, broad shoulders with lean arms, and then a head with all-over "hair". It had to be one of the most complex origami ever.

From the sheets of paper, stood a man. He moved his arm to run a papery hand through his paper hair and gave out a sigh.

"SUGOI~ that's awesome! How'd you do that?!" Luffy jumped up and down in excitement and he, Chopper and Usopp were bouncing around the paper figure in pure awe.

"The art of origami at its finest," Robin sighed and ran her finger over the paper cheek. The paper man swatted at Robin's hand.

"Don't hit her!" Sanji prepared a kick but Rhythm stopped him.

"Dude you'll kill him! Hold on lemme first hear what he has to say then you can stomp all over him!"

"Dear Jade-chan," it spoke. Rhythm's crooked smile grew bigger and more awkward at the sound of its voice, "I heard of your escape from Impel and we're glad you're alright. Things have gotten a bit out of hand since you, Alice, and Lilly left. We need you back at HQ as quick as you can. I know, I know," the paper figure talked with rapid hand movements and displayed a great deal of emotion when he spoke, just like the real man, "you need time to heal from what hell you faced down there but babe, Oreo and Jack are getting a bit out of hand and Nína managed to finally catch a fish." Rhythm cringed at that, "It was poor Lulu even. That boy really needs to get over his obsession with that tank . . . Anyway!" he clapped his hands together, "These papers are notes and sheets of what we have, plotting's and such for next month. Oh! You don't know!" The paper man reached into his vest and pulled out two, very official looking envelops. "For you. And if my hunch is correct, you're with the Straw Hats so the other is for Soul King. Don't open them until I'm finished!"

Rhythm and Brook took the envelopes with their names in fancy calligraphy and held it close.

"We have a lot to do once you get here, and please, no giant dicks for once. We don't have time. Ah! And the last charity we had! It was a success and we rose more than we thought we would so we kept a few extra dollars and had Hanna hold onto it, emergency cash and all. Lastly, babe, I love you and all, but the moment you get here you're going straight to work. I don't care if your some months pregnant, half your bones broken, or dying of an incurable disease. Have a safe voyage and I'll see you soon!" the paper man blew a kiss at her and the inked paper broke away and scattered across the deck, un-creased from the extreme origami.

"Whoa do it again!" Luffy started picking up paper and trying to fold them into the shape up feet, only to rip it.

"Oi Luffy, you're doing it wrong. Origami is an art, and takes extreme patients and nimble fingers to do so. I, am in fact, a legendary origami master and . . ." No one was listening at this point.

"Rhythm," Chopper tugged on the purple fabric hanging from her jeans, "What does he mean he doesn't care if you're hurt?"

"That's just him over exaggerating everything again. He's such a drama queen sometimes.

"That was interesting," Robin brushed some stray paper off of her lawn chair and sat down to continue reading.

"Was that a Devil Fruit ability?" Sanji asked.

"Yeah. That was my friend, Katsu. He ate the Kami-Kami no Mi so now he's a paper man. Basically he's the master of origami."

"Ah, Rhythm-san. The letters," Brook said.

"Oh yeah! Boys get those papers back in that box as neatly as possible without reading or damaging them!" she ordered.

"She's been hanging around Nami for too long," Usopp muttered, Luffy nodding in agreement.

"Ooh I wonder who it's from!" Brook daintily opened the envelope.

"Government saying-" she broke off when she read what was inside.

"I'm playing for the Awaber's and nominated for best singer/songwriter . . ." Brook's jaw unhinged and fell to the deck with a dull thunk.

"Nominated for 4 different categories, best song, best female vocals, best group, and best lead female role," her legs crumbled under her and she fell to the grassy deck.

"Congratulations!" Franky clapped them on the back, "This is super!"

"We should celebrate!" Luffy cheered, "Sanji go make us a feast and we're going to party!"

"You guys won something?" Chopper looked around curiously.

"Awaber's Award Ceremonies come around once a year at this time and is held at an island in the New World called Verto. Musicians and actors alike are 'nominated' for an award, such as 'best singer' or 'best lead role'. Five people, groups, songs, et cetera are nominated to receive such an award. On the night of, it's a grand ceremony, bringing in lots of world-known names to dress up and come to it. There are usually live performances from other music groups for entertainment and comedic skits. It's a pretty big event for people in the show business like Myūjishan-san and Dansa-san," Robin explained, idly flipping through her thick book. "The nominees are then voted for, to see who the best is. Whoever receives the most votes wins a really expensive trophy. I believe its solid gold with a black diamond base and crystal finishing," she said the last part a bit louder.

"Rhythm! Brook!" Nami had suddenly shown up and grabbed the pair of musicians and shook them out of their trance, "You better god damn win those five gold and black diamond trophies, or I will kick both of you overboard and in to the sea when you least expect it."

"It's a high honor to get nominated for such a thing. Both their names are already etched down in history for at least making it this big. But it's even better to actually win," Robin smiled. "I want to know how Brook got in. He doesn't have a Bingwen Agreement or . . .?"

Rhythm snickered, "I used my awesome skills to get Brook one as soon as I heard he doesn't. So now in a secure location you could perform to your heart's content without government interference. But only at a secure location or else it won't work. I think the official document is in here somewhere."

"Jade-san I- I can't," Brook waved his arms frantically with tears cascading down his face. "I can't accept this. I'm a pirate!"

"And this is just in case you want to spread some Soul King love again without being shot at. And this also gives you a chance to win an Awaber Award," she winked slyly. "Imagine all the girls you could get if you told them you had one."

"I will learn to become the world's most famous guitar player!" Sanji said sternly, blood dripping from his nose.

(~)

~Rhythm~

Despite the party that came after the news, trouble soon followed. For me that is. When the party was reaching its climax, I slid out and retrieved into the library with the stacks of papers, my acoustic and electric guitar(with the amp) that I found in the remains of the box, and a bag of apples too keep me company. Katsu explained more thoroughly in the papers the issues they were having and I was trying to think up solutions for them. He had gone through my cabinet at HQ of music sheets for all sorts of uncompleted songs and sent them too me "In case you want to finish them". In a way I was grateful for how much thought he put into this, but at the same time I was a bit depressed because it was a slap in the face on how badly I needed to finish these. The oldest, I found, was from a couple years ago when I first got back from my adventure at Tomoni and my failed search for Sabo.

I worked late into the night. My glasses were perched on my nose and my hair was a rumpled mess from me running my fingers through it so much.

Around eleven Robin came in to check on me and see if I needed anything, but I shooed her off and told her I had a nice supply of Granny Smiths for now. She reluctantly left after that.

I think I fell asleep sometime around two, and woke up at 5. I was unable to rest after that, despite how heavy my eyes were. So instead I spent the next few hours strumming softly at my acoustic guitar and humming miscellaneous tunes to myself.

(~)

Despite the bad case of insomnia I developed, the hallucinations were worst. In the course of a week I was shaken to the bone and jumped at every small sound or sudden movement. I kept a smile on my face and jokes running to ease off the suspicions. But I was still terrified deep down if it was real or not.

The day after the package came, I was turning the corner down the hall by the aquarium bar and I was engulfed in screams and black shadows. Empty eyes and gaping mouths with fleshy claws jumped out and attacked me from around that corner. It happened in less than a moment but that cold, deathly feeling still lingered as my heart raced and my legs shook with fear. When the darkness released me, I collapsed against the aquarium wall and slid down to the ground, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

Sometimes I'd be brushing my teeth or doing something that requires a mirror and I would blink and the image of a shadowed face and empty eyes just stared from behind my shoulder, like those ghosts in those good horror movies.

Other times an unfathomable beast would spring out from the ocean, and I would stare for a second and see if any one notices. I would wake up in the middle of the night with these creatures from hell staring at me, or be eating and I'd find a tentacle wave around my glass. I couldn't trust my own sight anymore, nor my ears or racing heart.

"Dammit Natsuki," I shuddered after a particularly nasty attack to my head. It was all his fault I was like this in the first place.

In Impel Down, Na-san was hired to "take care of me". I was to be held down there in Level 6, not to be executed or damaged too much. I was off limits to most physical harm. Mental pain was alright though.

These orders came from higher up than one would think.

I had already known Na-san for a while, and what he was capable of. He works with the government, and for the Underground trade. He's a nomad of his own, and has motives even I can't begin to imagine. And the government thought it was alright to set him on me.

Despite our past relationships, it didn't change a thing.

(~)

It was shortly after I was taken down my Kizaru and taken here, stripped and almost boiled alive then placed in the, what I think anyway, cute prisoners uniform. I had ripped the top open a bit to give my chest some air. I would have reduced the pants to short shorts but we were directly under Freezing Hell, and I hated the cold more than I hated stale apples. I was wolf-whistled and had rude remarks thrown at me by my fellow cellmates, but that didn't stop me from swinging my hips or licking my dried lips.

Shortly after four Blugori escorted me out from my hanging cell, fellow prisoners throwing dirty remarks whistling suggestively. I just wiggled by butt like a retard. I was taken through the locked doors and up a flight of cold stone steps. They turned sharply into a small padded room with a single table with a two chairs. The door was a good half a foot thick. One of the Blugori removed my dirty muzzle. I spat some blood into its face and it turn he mauled me over the head, sending me into one of the padded walls.

"Oh you finally realized I'm insane and are locking me up in my place? Perfect, I've always wanted to get my own padded cell. It's very comfy. Except the floor. Why is the floor concrete but the walls and ceiling are padded? I want a refund!" I smirked, coughing up a bit more blood. My throat was uncomfortably itchy and clogged, making it harder to breath than normal. The Blugori that smacked me merrily grunted then left, closing the door and locking it behind them.

"You forgot my straightjacket!" I called, only to end in a coughing fit.

My hand and feet were still shackled with Kairoseki and my body ached with pain. Kizaru had really done a number on me.

The clinking of the locks reached my ears and a straightened up against the wall. The large door was pushed open and who greeted me came to a surprise.

"Na-san. It's been a while," I smiled cockily.

He bowed his head to the Blugori and let himself in, the door shutting and locking behind him.

"Jade-chan," he took off his top hat and set it on the table. "Take a seat."

"I haven't seen you in a while," I said cheerily. Hey he's someone I know in this gloomy dump. I stood up shakily and took a seat.

"So what brings you here, Na-san?"

"I'm going to be your torturer from now until further notice."

I arched my eyebrow, "Straight to the point now are you?"

"Yes. I have a specific method I use that accommodates with both my Devil Fruit ability and imagination," he loosened his tie and took off his gloves, setting them on the table next to his hat and cane.

"Oh?" If my eyebrow could go any further up my head, it would've been gone in my hairline.

"The Yume-Yume no Mi gives me the power to control certain functions of a person's brain and make them see things they don't want too. The five senses are at my command. With certain adjustments I can make you scream without being in the same room as you."

"Lovely," I said sourly. I knew all this already. I've seen his power firsthand, but never experienced it.

"But first," his eyes grew dark and he pulled my chair back and locked me in, placing both hands on the arms of the chair to prevent my escape. Yep my eyebrows were definatly in my hair now.

"I want you again," he bent down and licked the flesh between my breasts and worked his way up, biting and licking up my throat and around my jawline. His teeth grazed my skin as I let out a soft sigh. "I'm going to make you scream again, and no one will here because these walls are sound proof."

I hummed, "Would it be wrong for me to say 'prove it'?"

"Oh so very," he sucked on my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I granted him so and he attacked me full on. His hands roamed my body, pinching and squeezing here and there for maximum effect as his tongue was savagely exploring my mouth. My hands were still shackles in my lap and I was unable to do anything in return. Yes, we've fucked before this, but I had a very good reason then. But I won't bore you with the entire story today.

His hands slipped under my shirt and groped my breast fully. I let out a small gasp against his attacking mouth. Warmth spread down in my nether regions as I moaned into his lips. His hands were cold, but that just gave me goose bumps and made me even more aroused. A stray hand of his slid down to my hips and to the loose waistband to my pants and stuck his hand in. I shivered violently when his cold finger brushed my inner thighs.

"I'm going to get a little taste. You'll just cum in my hand," he growled.

"You know I hate spoilers," I moaned and licked the shell of his ear.

"I can't help but tell you everything, Jade-chan," he started sucking on my collarbone as he tore down my pants.

"No panties?"

"They wouldn't let me keep them," I smirked.

"Hn~," he hummed and stuck two fingers inside me. I let out a strangled yelp as he shoved his tongue down my throat again. It felt too good. I squirmed a bit in my seat as he buried his digits knuckle deep and started finger fucking me. Hard. He sighed and pulled away from my mouth and buried his face into my breasts.

"You're a strange woman, Jade-chan," he nibbled at my skin, his tongue darting out to give my chest a small lick here and there as he continued to scissor me. "More mature than most, and yet act like a child. You're overall character makes me wonder if you're doing this all on purpose or you really are crazy.

"Loyalty." He muttered into my breasts. He gave a final suck and looked up to meet my eyes, black on violet. "You give off the air of not caring and yet you're amazingly loyal. But while doing this," he adjusted his thrusts and hit that sweet spot, making it harder to bite back moans, "it gives off the impression on your lack of loyalty. Don't you have a lover?"

"Shut up," I groaned. At this point I was quivering around his fingers, my brain mush and unable to string intelligent sentences together. I was slowly coming apart in his hands.

"Hn~ Jade you're hard to read, impossible for most people. But to me your more like a thick, boring book on nothing to an energetic child. Almost impossible, but with enough concentration I can get the basic understanding of what's going on in that pretty head of yours."

"Your point?" I hissed between my teeth as he gave a sudden sweet jab, deeper inside me.

"You're going to cum."

I really hate it when he does that. I came undone in his hands, just as he said I would.

As I came down from the sudden hormonal high, he continued talking.

"You slept with me last year for your friends, letting me take you with no restraint over the course of one night. You're with a man already and yet you let me take you over and over, whenever I feel the sudden need for release."

"Get to the point, jackass," I threw back lazily. I was a bit out of it from the sudden finger-fucking I received.

"Despite the fact you're with Pirate Hunter Zoro, a loyal man and a strong first-mate, you continue this affair with me," he pointed out, "I would say you're cheating on him."

"Listen, Natsuki," I glared at him, "I haven't seen Zoro in almost 2 years. We had a thing, and it's plausible it's still there, but right now he's not here and this is my body, I do what I want. If he doesn't like the fact I'm fucking other guys then I'll stop."

"Oh? When did you decide to change for another man?"

"Never," I growled. The high was wearing thin and my nerves were starting to wear away from this dickwad, "I'm doing this for the same reason you are; release. I haven't seen him in a long time and when I see him again I'll stop. I doubt he'd mind. He's not possessive or overly jealous about anything, so he'll probably just shrug it off and check to make sure I didn't get any freaky-ass STD or something."

"You'll throw away your life for him and his crew, and yet you won't share you're apples with any of them. You're contradicting yourself," he shook his head then leaned in and pecked my lips, "And now I must finish up here. I have important business to do."

"Oh okay, bye," I waved my shackled hands with a wide, sarcastic grin on my face.

"But I'm not done yet, Jade-chan," he swooped down and grabbed me by my waist and threw me on my back over the table.

"Whoa there, big boy!" I attempted to laugh it off. I met his eyes and I felt a shiver down my spine. Describing his eyes as a black void would be an understatement. My breath caught in my throat as he leaned down towards my face and pressed his thumbs against my temples and squeezed.

"Oi oi! That hurts!" I bucked up and attempted to knee him, but he pinned me down to the table. A sharp pain sliced through the back of my neck and up and around my skull. Stars danced across my vision and I swore I saw a face under the sharp pain and lights. I struggled to free my legs, this time managing to slip through and knee him in his manhood. He gave a hiss and gripped my head tighter.

"Hold still I'm almost done," he hissed into my ear, "the real pain is coming soon."

"Thanks for the reassuring," the headache tempered down to a dull thrum in the back of the skull and a slight ringing in my ears. My vision swam for a second as I tried to recompose myself.

"Let's see if it worked," he plucked a strand of dark hair wrapped in around his finger, tying it into a little bow.

"Fucker, don't touch my hair," I growled, kneeing his side. He caught my knee in his hand and pulled me up into his lap. "What the hell did you do to me? That hurt like a bitch!"

"Imprinting you could say. So I could tag you whenever I please. I mean you at least have to be in the Grand Line region, preferably the first half."

"And?"

"And now I wish you have a pleasant time in Impel Down since the next time we meet face to face you'll be drowning in your own head. Now let's test to see how this worked out."

I opened my mouth to question his motives but I was cut off when sickly, molding hands of all shapes and sizes jumped out of the table and grabbed every inch that they could reach. The smell of decay and molding urine penetrated my sense of smell. I let out a silent scream as they tugged and pulled my limps and body in every direction. I can feel the rotting flesh scrape my skin and the bones of their fingers dig into my muscles and fat. A hissing sound filled the room and the only thing I could see was rotten flesh scurrying over me like spiders. I haven't been so terrified in my life.

They disappeared as soon as they left. The hands and the rotting flesh were gone, the hissing stopped and the smell was replaced by the scent of sweat and long-dried blood.

"W-wha-" I stuttered out. A cold sweat had broken out over my skin.

"You're shaking and your eyes fear. Welcome to your nightmare, Jade-chan. I will be your persecutor and your ticket to true insanity," he had put on his gloves and hat and was making his way to the door, cane in his grasp and an extra spring to his step.

"What the hell do you mean?" I charged.

He stopped and only turned to catch me at the corner of his eye, his pale blue triangle marking seemed to glow softly on the unnatural florescent lights. "I'm going to make what's left of your like here at Impel a living nightmare."

As he left, I barely heard him mutter under his breath, "At least until Sir Hermes comes that is."

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I hurriedly pulled back up my pants and stumbled towards the door, only to be stopped by the Blugori.

"Natsuki what did you say!" I yelled over the big blue apes' grasping hands as they yanked me down the opposite end of the hall.

"Welcome to my paradise!" he called back sarcastically.

From then on, every other day he would stop by and give me a healthy dosage of mental pain. He managed to dig out my worst fears and memories and make me relive through all of them, gave me harmful scenarios where it ended badly. Weeks dragging into months, days and nights blurring into "awake", "fitful sleep", and "nightmares".

About two weeks in I tried using my voice and strong legs to get out. The next day I got a muzzle.

My broken bones healed wrong so my left elbow was permanently bent wrong, the physical and mental strains on my body left me weak and unable to move very much. My mind was either blank white while I lay in a daze, or swirling with too much thought and hallucinations.

Shanks broke me out. He stopped by, snuck in, pulled me out of my cell and head, and ran for it, laughing gleefully the whole time. Why? For Luffy I guess. He didn't even know I was in there until Mihawk dumped the bloody mess of me onto their deck.

(~)

^Chopper^

I knew something was wrong with her far beyond just her physical health the moment she was dumped onto the deck.

Rhythm had bags under her eyes, framing her glazed violet eyes. I noticed she managed to cover them most of the time with face powder. During conversations she'd look out over their shoulder or stare at something else with a faraway look to her eyes. Sanji was working his best to bring her weight back up and she and Zoro have been spending more and more time alone together. I asked her what the two were doing so much in the training room of the crow's nest and she just responded with a simple "training and shit".

Physically, she was getting along just fine. After a week of more rest, Sanji's special diet, and Zoro's "training" she gained 4 more pounds.

I mulled over all her symptoms from what she told me and what I noticed. Between the two, I couldn't quite place what was wrong. Most doctors would just say it's the insomnia and mental trauma, but I knew there was something else affecting her health.

In all honesty, if I couldn't figure out what was wrong with her then I don't know what will happen.

(AN: I just assumed News Coo brought letters too)