Chapter 9: Ussop and The Pirate King

Ussop stayed with me until he was forced out of the room by Trafal-guy and two nurses, much to both of our dismay. Before he left, he turned to me and smiled widely. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow then, Luffy." He said, giving my hand, which he had not let go of once, one final comforting squeeze.

"You'll really come tomorrow, too?" I said, the hope in my voice painfully evident. Ussop nodded and I smiled softly, satisfied. In the six and a half hours we'd spent together, the two of us had become almost instant friends. Something about us just clicked, and it wasn't at all forced or based on lies, which was new. Out of all of the friends I'd made so far, Ussop was the only one who had taken less than ten minutes to gain my trust. Despite the fact that he was a hopeless liar, and couldn't tell a good fib to save his life, there was just something proudly honest about him, like he knew who he was and who he was trying to become but was just a little confused on how to get there. He was just like me.

Ussop waved and made his way to the door, closing it with a soft click. I sighed and looked up, only to find Trafal-guy looming over me like a specter. I jumped, startled, only to wince in pain as my chest contracted. I glared. The fluffy-hat wearing doctor had an almost smug expression on his face, and a faint smile played on his lips. "Made a friend, did we, Luffy-ya?"

I felt myself redden, but couldn't contain the smile that bubbled up from within me at the word 'friend'. Trafal-guy smiled wider and picked up his clipboard. He flipped through the pages, his eyes scanning over the words and numbers so quickly that I was convinced he was part computer. I had always liked Trafal-guy for this reason, among many others. He was the one doctor that had been with me from the very beginning, treating me, helping me, offering me hope when I knew there was none. He acted tough and surely on the surface, but underneath all the lab coats and shadows, he was really a nice guy. He had been there for me more than even my family had been, both in and out of the operating room, and for that, I was grateful.

I coughed and felt a dribble of red slide down my chin. Without missing a beat, Trafal-guy took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped it away. "Thanks." I said.

"No problem." He replied without looking up from my charts. I scanned his face for any signs of what he was reading. I could usually tell by the way his eyebrows twitched. If they were flat, then I had nothing to worry about and would probably be going home in a couple of days. If they wobbled, even slightly, it meant that there was trouble on the horizon, maybe even another surgery. I watched, waiting. When his eyebrows remained where they were, I breathed a silent sigh of relief. I wanted to return to my house as soon as possible so that I could see Zoro and Nami. It had only been two days, and already I missed them so fiercely it made my heart clench painfully.

I had so many things I wanted to tell them, to share with them.

I wanted them to meet Ussop, and for him to regale them with his magnificent tales.

I wanted Nami to hold my hand and peel me tangerines, assuring to me that she was safe and sound.

I wanted Zoro to hit me upside the head for being stupid, complain, and then laugh loudly about it later.

I wanted my friends.

My lip trembled and I let my bangs fall into my face. I'd gone two years without letting Trafal-guy see my tears, and I wasn't about to show them to him now. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and then resumed waiting patiently for the results of my latest blood tests.

Trafal-guy eventually sighed and set the clipboard back on the table. He fixed me with his best doctor face and I prepared myself for whatever news I was about to receive. "You're okay," he said with a deep sigh. "Not great, but okay. You'll be able to leave in a few days." The grin that split my face was so wide it was painful. I pumped my fist in the air and ya-hooed loudly. "Hey, now," Trafal-guy held out a hand to calm me down. "I said you can go home, not that you're cured."

"I know," I said lightly. "But it's still good news! I hate being in this stuffy place! It makes me nauseous." I stuck out my tongue and Trafal-guy smiled, ruffling my hair.

"You're thinking about that friend of yours, aren't you?" He said slyly.

I gasped. "How could you tell? Are you psychic?!" I cried.

My face must have been very comical because Trafal-guy released a low chuckle. He flicked my forehead lightly. "No, stupid. I can practically feel the excitement oozing off of you. That boy was Kaya's friend, right? The one who visits her in the isolation ward. I see him here all the time."

I nodded and smiled. "Ussop." I said, wiggling my fingers in remembrance. "He got lost and we started talking. I like him a lot. He makes me laugh and tells these really amazing stories! He was even okay with the whole me dying thing."

"He sounds like a good friend." Trafal-guy smirked, folding his arms and looking down at me with his dark eyes. "I was worried. I thought you'd never be able to make any friends at the rate you were going, but I guess I was wrong. Good for you, Luffy-ya." His smile was real and I felt my insides glow warmly.

"Thanks, Trafal-guy," I said softly. "... For everything." The doctor reached down and ruffled my hair again.

"It's my job, kid." He murmured, almost affectionately. "Now hurry up and get some sleep. Your gramps and brother are going to be here in the morning, and you don't want to sleep through their visit, do you?"

"Okay," I said with a yawn. "G'night, Trafal-guy."

"Goodnight, Luffy-ya." And with that, he turned and left, leaving me with nothing but my thoughts and the glittering stars overhead for company.

I wasn't lonely.

In the morning, I woke up to Ace staring intently at my face. I would've freaked out, but because I was so used to this, I simply grinned and muttered a sleepy "good morning, Ace." He leaned back and smiled, somehow relieved. Behind him loomed the hulking uniformed figure of my Grandpa, also smiling.

"Morning, Luffy!" the old man said cheerily, but with a tired edge. "How're you feeling?"

"Better," I said groggily. "It doesn't hurt as much." I put my hand on my chest and rubbed tiny circles against the fabric. At this, Ace's smile faltered slightly. He placed his hand over mine and squeezed.

"That's good to hear," He said. "You scared the crap outta me. I... I was afraid you..." His voice cracked and I instantly felt waves of guilt wash over me. My brother took a breath and steeled his gaze, meeting my eyes. "I was afraid you weren't going to wake up. This time." I let familiar hollowness take control of me, and on autopilot, I grinned widely and laughed. The smile didn't reach my eyes, and each laugh burned its way out of my windpipe.

"I'm fine, Ace." I said, as lightly as possible. "It's nothing. Trafal-guy even said that I could come home in a couple of days. Isn't that great?"

Grandpa frowned slightly, averting his gaze to the floor. He tried to hide it, but his hands were shaking. I let the smile slip off my face. Something about Grandpa being scared just wasn't right, and it made me feel even guiltier. Sunlight filtered in through the window, illuminating the millions of crystalline dust flecks that drifted through the air in marigold streams. It splashed over the foot of my bed and warmed my toes, the rest of me feeling ice cold. I wanted so badly to apologize to Ace and Grandpa. Somehow, I felt that what was happening to me was my fault, and that maybe I deserved it. I wanted to say that I was sorry.

An hour went by with little conversation from either my family or me, so eventually, the two of them simply stood up and left. Ace didn't even say goodbye.

Sadness welled up inside me, and a little piece of my spirit broke. I wanted Zoro. I wanted his stoic strength and his warm shoulder to cry on. It was at times like this, when I was at the mercy of my raw emotions, that I longed for my best friend the most.

But, unfortunately, he wasn't here.

And so my tears stayed inside me.

The world brightened when a familiar long nose poked into my room from around the corner of the cracked door. Immediately, all negative emotions I'd been harboring dissipated into thin air, leaving only faint traces of regret hovering around shoulders.

I wanted to jump up and hug the boy, but my oxygen and I.V tubes still held my down to the bed like chains. I settled for yelling loudly and joyously. "Ussop! You came back!" I cried.

Ussop stepped fully into the room, a large grin on his face. He strode over to my bedside and pulled out the chair. "Hey, Luffy! You look better today!" He said merrily. "I'm glad. You looked kinda out of it when I left last night."

"Yeah," I said. "I'm feeling pretty good today. Trafal-guy even said he'll let me go home in a few days." Ussop smiled wider and chuckled.

"That's good," he said. "That way you don't have to be cooped up in this damn hospital all the time, listening to me ramble."

We both laughed, and I was surprised when it didn't devolve into a violent fit of coughing. "Don't worry, Ussop," I laughed. "I like your rambling! You tell the best stories I've ever heard in my life!" Said Great Captain blushed and rubbed under his nose.

The boy smirked. "But of course!" He said, puffing out his chest. "My stories have been honed over a great many years to be the greatest and most entertaining tales that the world has ever seen!" We laughed again, but this time there was a hint of sadness in his voice. I could tell that he was thinking about Kaya, the whole reason he told stories was to cheer her up after all, but didn't want to mention it for fear of upsetting him. He loved that girl dearly. It was obvious by the way his cheeks reddened whenever one of us said her name, and how he had to choke back tears whenever the subject of her disease was brought up. Yesterday, after he'd finished telling me one of his shorter stories, he had told me about how he met Kaya, and how she was there for him after his mother passed away when he was five.

When he had said that, I made a mental note to thank Kaya when she woke up. Anyone who was kind to my friends deserved nothing but kindness from me. Ussop leaned forward in his chair, rays of dying afternoon sun illuminating the tip of his long nose, making it glow. "So," he said slyly. "What story shall we begin with today?" I sat up as best I could and ignored the tug of the I.V line.

"Something about pirates!" I cried excitedly, reaching over to the bedside table and grabbing my treasured straw hat. I pulled it lovingly up to my chest, inhaling the comforting scent of straw and closing my eyes. "Pirates are so cool," I said, almost to myself. "They get to go wherever they want, whenever they want, without anyone telling them who they are or how they should live. If I had to choose, that'd be the life for me. Total freedom." I fingered my hospital bracelet and swallowed a sudden rush of bitterness.

"Total freedom..." Ussop echoed next to me. He sounded awestruck, and I heard him shift his weight on the chair, restlessly. We were both quiet for a moment, and then I heard Ussop snicker. "It's too bad that pirates like that don't exist. At least not anymore. But you're right. If I had the choice, I'd go out to sea and find 'total freedom.' I hate this place, this hospital. I hate this town. It's just too... too..."

"Small," I finished for him. I opened my eyes to find him looking down at me, surprised. "This town is small. And all the people in it are small-minded." I sighed and let my shoulders slump. "There's no room for a guy to stretch his legs around here. No place for him to run wild and free, like he should."

(like I should)

I fought to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but failed, my words trembling. Ussop looked down at his hands and frowned, a slightly saddened expression taking over his face. "You're right." He said lowly. "It's suffocating." He paused and laid his hand over mine. "I'm sorry." Our eyes met and I saw my own feelings reflected. I gripped his hand, even more tightly than I'd done yesterday night, and let a small smile creep onto my lips.

"It's okay." I said softly.

Silence hung heavily in the air between us.

I suddenly had a magnificent idea.

"Hey, Ussop," I said eagerly.

"Yeah, Luffy?" Ussop replied.

"I have an idea. Instead of you telling me a story, why don't you let me tell you one?" I giggled at Ussop's perplexed expression, which then softened into a smile.

"Alright," he said. "But be warned, it's not as easy as it looks. It takes years of practice for one to even begin to-"

"Once upon a time," I interrupted him. "There was a man who ruled the sea. He was a pirate, more powerful and more free than any other, and had attained the world's riches and seen all its magnificent wonders. His name was..." I paused, thinking of the coolest name I could under the circumstances. "Gold Roger. Roger wasn't like other pirates, though. He didn't pillage or murder or steal. He was an adventurer, a man whose greatest joy in life was to explore far-off lands and discover new people and places to befriend and explore. He, more than any other man alive, loved his freedom." I paused, letting my words sink in. Ussop's face was intense, and I knew that he was paying attention.

"Gold Roger was also very strong. They say that his fists were so powerful, that not even a whole armada of enemy vessels could overtake him. Roger was the strongest man alive. He didn't use his immense strength for himself, though. Oh, no. He only used his gifts to protect the ones he held most dear, his family and his friends. His crew. Whenever someone or something tried to harm them, he would fly into a murderous rage, never stopping until whatever was threat he was presented with was completely defeated. Because of this, however, he was branded a criminal, condemned to never live a normal life as long as he lived. Of course, this suited him just fine.

"There were many people in the world who feared Roger for his monstrous abilities. Pirates and ordinary citizens alike, wanted him dead. They called him a name, one which, to this day, strikes fear into the hearts of humans. The most powerful pirate of all. The Pirate King. While most would be repulsed or even insulted by such a title, Roger embraced it willingly, happily even, and sailed the seas he loved so much under the name for many years. He was happy. His crew was happy. They remained like this for a long time. Until something happened." I swallowed and thought over my next words very carefully.

"One day, out of nowhere, Gold Roger was struck with an incurable disease. The doctor on his ship told him that he had less than a year to live. While others would have been grief-stricken over this development, falling into despair and losing all hope, Roger stood tall. He laughed at his fate, tears of both joy and sorrow leaking from his eyes and falling to the deck of his beloved ship. Despite his impending death, the man was satisfied. His crew however, was devastated. The captain that they loved so much was dying right before their eyes and they could do nothing to stop it. Roger smiled, and, with his head held high, told them to not feel sadness over his death. 'I've lived my life,' he said proudly. 'And now it seems that it has finally come to an end. I've seen the world. I've acquired its riches. They're still where I left them, ready for the next fool to come along and take up my journey. So don't despair! One way or another, I am never going to die!' The very next day, the Pirate King surrendered himself to the government. His crew disbanded, but the love in their hearts that they had for each other remained as strong and as indestructible as ever.

"As he kneeled on the execution platform, blades poised at his throat, ready to cut, he looked out over the crowd of thousands of people, all of whom had come to watch him die. He smiled widely and proudly, never showing an ounce of fear. When at last the time came for him to die, there came a cry from among the throng, a single clear voice in a hushed mass of terrified people. 'Where is it!' the voice cried out. 'Where did you bury your fortune, the greatest treasure ever gathered? Before you die, say it!' The Pirate King merely grinned widely. As the blades began to descend, inches away from taking his life, these were the final words he said; 'My treasure? If you can find it, it's yours. Search! I've left everything I owned in that place!' And with that, he was stabbed through the heart and died, the smile still on his face. His death inspired countless generations of pirates and freedom-seekers. His legendary loot became the dream of thousands, and thus, Gold Roger did not die, but lived on in the adventurous hearts of those who followed in his footsteps."

I finished the story.

There was silence, and I looked over to see Ussop gaping at me with wide, wonder-filled eyes. His entire lower lip was separated from his skull, leaving a very comical expression on his face. I laughed at him and he shook his head.

"...Wow, Luffy... just... wow," he half-whispered. "That was awesome! That was way better than any of the stories I've ever told! Who'd you hear that from anyway? I've never heard it before."

I giggled. "My brother made it up for me when I was first diagnosed." I said. "I used to have to spend all my time here, in this room, all alone. Ace came to visit me everyday then. He brought me toys and candy, told me jokes, and made up stories to keep me entertained. If it weren't for him, I know I would've lost my mind a long time ago."

"That's so cool," Ussop breathed. "I'll have to meet your brother and beg him to teach me his story-telling ways." Ussop began to smile. "So... Pirate King?"

I shrugged. "I like pirates." I said simply. "And meat, but mostly pirates."

"I see," said Ussop. "Well, in any case, that was a wonderful story. It really cheered me up. Thanks, Luffy."

"No problem." I said. "If I ever grow up, I want to be just like Gold Roger. I want to be free to do whatever I want, and I want the strength to protect what's precious to me."

"Me too!" Ussop agreed, nodding vigorously. "I want to be a brave man of the sea just like he was!"

I laughed at the seriousness of his face. "He's not real, Ussop." I said, raising a hand to calm the boy down. "... But I wish he was."

"... Yeah."

What I didn't tell Ussop was the real reason why I wanted to be like Gold Roger. In truth, all I wanted was to be remembered when I died, just like he was. I wanted to leave behind a story, a piece of myself to be forever immortalized in the hearts of my loved ones.

I didn't want to be forgotten.

When Ussop finally said his goodbyes and shut the door on me for the night, I lay in the darkness, thinking. I thought of death, life, and everything that came between. Would Zoro and Nami be sad when I died? Would Grandpa and Ace? Had I done any good with my existence thus far, or was I just going to leave a useless, thankless body behind for all of them to deal with?

I didn't know.

I just didn't know.

Alright! New Chapter at last! I wanted to thank everyone who has left a review for me to read, they've been suuuuuuuuuuper helpful. Hold onto your hats, kids, 'cause I plan on updating a lot more often from now on. Thanks a ton! I love you guys! - Mikki