Chopper was frantic.
In one hand he got Law, on the other he got Usopp and Nami.
Of course the severity of the injuries was very different, but even so, he was worried about their companions.
While Luffy and Robin put Law on the examination table, Chopper spared a glance at where Sanji was seeing that everyone appeared to be fine, but that was a close call for Usopp - a really close call.
Chopper could feel his body tremble with the possibility, but his attention was brought back to Law, when the sound of a bone breaking echoed in the room, soon followed by Law's screams.
"WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING?!"
"We didn't do nothing!"
"It's true Chopper-san, the bone broke without us even touch him."
"What?! Oh My God! Oh My God! We need a doctor! Ah I'm a doctor! Move, let me see!"
Chopper could see Law, now holding his shoulder - that wasn't a good sign; Chopper knew that he need to be quick.
"Robin, I need a scissor, quick!"
As soon as he asked, a hand appeared on his side with a scissor, and he started to cut Law's shirt.
Everyone in the room stared in shock, seeing the red that slowly was becoming purple on Law's left side and the evident difficulty that he was having in breathing.
But what disturbed them was the sounds, it was like an invisible force was beating Law, and none of them could stop it.
And that was what affected Luffy the most, their captain always protected his friends, and since Law saved him in Marineford, Luffy saw him as a friend - he helped Law on his quest against Doflamingo, saved Law from Doflamingo, but in all those times, he had someone there, someone that he could kick ass, but now, there is no one.
Whatever was plaguing Law, has already happened and nothing could change it.
Seeing that there is nothing he could do, Luffy put his hat close to Law's head, gave a little nod to him despite knowing that Law was unaware of his surroundings.
"Chopper! Take good care of him. I'm counting on you."
"Yeah, Luffy!"
Luffy gave a smile to them, not his biggest or brightest one, but a comforting one, one that showed that he had an unbreakable trust on their abilities, and that no one could do better than them on this or any other situation.
After Luffy left them, there he stood, alone with Robin and Law, only monitoring Law's life signs.
As they both know, they could not avoid what his body will go through, they could only assure that it don't become worse, and wait for it to end.
Of the two of them in the infirmary silence, Robin had the most optimistic view, to her; Law won't die from it because the simple fact that he is alive today was a proof that they wouldn't going to face any possibility of death.
Chopper on the other hand, believed that they had to be cautious. He wasn't in Dressrosa, but he heard his friends about what happened there, he read the newspapers, listened to the murmurs - maybe Law's surviving his childhood and teenager years was merely luck.
The sounds of bones cracking or breaking and the screams were gone, and Law lay still on the bed, his breath slowly and his face showing that he was in pain - not physical, since Chopper had made sure of it, but in his memories he was still suffering.
They stood in silence until Chopper broke the silence.
"The marks on his neck...it's a hand mark."
Robin looked at Chopper, waiting for him to elaborate.
"It's a mark of a hand ... clearly an adult's hand, a very big adult even for ours standards."
"Doflamingo was a very big man, even for an adult Law."
"I don't like it, Robin. For how long it will continue to happen?"
"I'm sure that, whatever happens, he will survive...but for how long it will happen, well, on that matter I'm afraid that we are going to face it at least one more time."
"What you're talking about?"
"I believe that there is a slim line between fear and hate. Moments before all of this happen, Law was yelling, challenging Doflamingo, then he attacked ... and later he cried and asked to stop."
"Of course he would ask it to stop. What we saw was cruel!"
"I agree. What I'm saying is that Law is a prideful and stubborn young man, and I'm sure that he was the same when younger. He would not accept Doflamingo's wants, not without a fight. And Doflamingo being who he is would love to see Law lose hope and break."
Law moved on the bed, stopping them both, that looked at them and in their own minds made very different conclusions.
Chopper questioned what made Law so cold, strong and so detached from the others.
Robin questioned what made him build such strong walls to protected himself from the others.
"...I won't forget..."
"...never going...call him -san"
Law's murmuring drove their attention back to present.
Chopper turned to Robin, and with a proud smile said.
"See, there is still defiance in him!"
Robin could not smile at that, she wanted, but she couldn't bring herself to do it.
"That's why, Chopper, I told you it wasn't the last time we will go through this."
Chopper smile fell immediately.
"If there is one thing I recognize in him, it was the fear. He is cold, distant, but I bet he doesn't do it to hurt anyone's feelings. Despite his calculating mind and stoic expression, I see that bone chilling feeling, born only from the hopeless situation of facing something bigger and stronger, that holds control of your life and death, and that no matter how strong you become, it will forever haunt you..."
"...Robin...are you talking about...?"
"Buster Call. To me it was the destructive power of a simple command, how it had taken from me, everything I that knew and loved. How it throw my childhood, my innocence, my life in hell in a matter of hours. To Law I think it is more, I don't know what or who, but I bet Doflamingo is part of it. That's how I know, Chopper … that kid isn't hopeless, not yet, but he will be."
~~ some hours before, on Sunny's deck ~~
Zoro was relaxing, almost in a zen state, when he had that strange feeling of something coming to attack him - he didn't sense an ill intention, so he was sure it was the Sanji.
Should he dodge or not?
Should he block the attack?
Or let it be and give himself a justification to start a fight with the annoying cook?
He didn't even finished his thoughts, and he was sent flying by a very strong kick. His only conclusion was that he need to train his haki better, he really thought that he had more time.
Or the cook was getting faster.
No, he definitely need to train his haki.
"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM, SHITTY COOK!?"
"MY PROBLEM IS THAT YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO HELP US!"
"I SAVED USSOP's LIFE!"
"...yeah...yeah...BUT THEN YOU DECIDED TO STAY LIKE...DON'T IGNORE ME!"
They shared a few angry noises, when Zoro stopped and looked serious at Sanji.
"Oie...Ero-Cook! Did you fight against Vergo?"
"Yeah. It wasn't a fight per se, it was more like a little altercation."
"Wasn't it the same?"
"I WILL SHOW YOU THE DIFFERENCE!"
Some kicks later, while resting and waiting to see who was going to make the first move, Zoro continued his questions.
"How much strong he is?"
"Very strong."
Zoro look inquisitively at Sanji, that was visible showing his discomfort, when grudgingly admitted.
"Strong enough to defend my kicks...and crack the bone of my shin."
"He won."
"The fight was over in that moment, if we continued, I won't be able to fight 100%, and against a man like him, you have to fight with all you got."
"He is a cruel guy?"
"I would say, effective bastard. He won't waste energy on someone unnecessarily. A typical marine, you order and he will do."
"He was pirate, infiltrated."
"So, he was a methodical bastard, whatever, why you want to know about it? You normally don't care about who I fight or how I fight as long as I stay in one piece."
"I was trying to let it go, but the doubt keep me from meditating."
"You want to say 'keep you from sleeping'?"
Zoro send and annoyed look at Sanji that smirked at him. But he quick become serious and added.
"Look, I wasn't his objective. I'm pretty sure he believed that me and all the marines would die with the gas. But that doesn't made him fight carelessly, far from it, he fights serious, it's no matter to him who or how strong his opponent was. Your type of guy, no bullshit, he got things done."
"That's what I'm afraid of. I believe he was the one that in the past hurt the kid enough to make Chopper and Robin run to the infirmary with him."
"Well, looks like you are right, Marimo. He is a cruel bastard."
Friday I will post chapter 10 and 11 ... soon very soon the real new chapters will be available.