Chapter 12: Get Up, Jack

While looking for a doctor who may be able to help Zoro, the Mugiwara get acquainted with some of the locals.

When a sailor's ashore, he beats his way towards some drinking house
He's welcomed in with rum and gin, and fed on pork and scouse
If gold he spends he'll never offend, till he lays drunk on the ground
But when his money's gone, it's the same old song:
Get up, Jack, get out of town!

- Traditional sea shanty

"Land ho!" Usopp's yell from the crow's nest brought Sanji to the door of the galley. Walking out to the rail, he looked forward: sure enough, just showing above the horizon was a ragged dark green line. Suvarou Island, just as Nami had promised.

It took only a couple of hours to sail the Going Merry close in. Nami guided them around the island's rocky coast, navigating a careful course in through the shoals until the port town of Manu hove into view. Soon the Going Merry was tying up at the quayside, the object of much concentrated staring from assorted dockside folk.

"Looks like the locals don't know what to make of us," commented Usopp, leaning with folded arms on the rail and gazing down at the people regarding the ship and her crew.

"Well, no-one's shouted 'Pirates, quick, drive them away!' yet." Nami joined him at the rail. "That's always a win."

"They look like nice people," pronounced Luffy confidently. "Let's go ashore. I need meat."

"Whoa – wait a minute. Who's going where?" Sanji held up a hand. "A couple of us need to stay on board, keep guard on the ship."

"I'll stay." Zoro spoke up, leaning against the mainmast. At their look, he shrugged. "If we want the locals to stay friendly, it's better I stay out of the way for the time being."

"You're right." Nami nodded.

"I'll stay with you," offered Usopp. "I'm in no hurry to go exploring."

"The rest of us will take a look around. It shouldn't take long, we'll back in a couple of hours most likely." Nami glanced at Luffy, who was already regarding the promising new island in front of him with a familiar expression of anticipation. "I'll stick with Luffy."

Sanji nodded. "Then Robin and I can go with Chopper."

The townspeople of Manu proved accommodating enough, though with some curiosity and wariness towards the strangers newly arrived in their midst. Robin's diplomatic manner was invaluable on their quest for assistance as they navigated the winding streets of the town; Sanji also worked hard at charming information out of every woman they encountered. Their search was not a straightforward one, however; and after a couple of hours of making their way in and out of markets, shops and assorted buildings, they'd had little success.

Coming out of their umpteenth foray to enquire about doctors in the town, Chopper plodded heavily to a wooden bench that stood on the pavement outside and collapsed onto it, with a groan. "Another dead-end. This is getting us nowhere."

"At least we found an actual doctor, that time." Sanji walked up to the bench too, propping himself against its back while he lit a cigarette.

"Yes. But a doctor who specialises in pregnancy and childbirth? That's no use!" exclaimed Chopper.

"Let's not get discouraged," said Robin. "We've by no means covered the whole town, yet." She looked across the square that they were in. "Look: there's a bar. That might be a good place to ask. And we can get a drink in there."

The wooden-fronted establishment with a dark and cosy interior was evidently popular. Customers sat around tables and lined the bar itself, and there was a steady hum of conversation and laughter, despite it being only mid-afternoon. A smell of cooking filled the air, something spicy and fried: Sanji gave the air a trial sniff. Heavy on the garlic and chilli; seafood, and something else with sweeter overtones, coconut maybe.

Behind the bar, a broad-shouldered man with a monobrow addressed Robin, who was looking the selection of drinks over. "What can I get you, sweetheart?"

Sanji bristled: beside him Robin must have sensed his irritation, because she spoke up quickly in reply. "I'll have a glass of dry white wine. Sanji, Chopper?"

"Er… Have you got any fruit juice?" Chopper had perched on a stool to peer over the bar top. The barman regarded the little reindeer with one uplifted eyebrow. "Yeah. Orange juice okay?"

"Yes: please."

The barman looked at Sanji, who tried to suppress his irritation and at least assume a polite front. "Pastis. Half and half with water."

The barman grunted and moved away to get their drinks. When he returned and set the three glasses on the bar in front of them, Robin laid some money on the bar. Taking a sip of her wine, she gave him a friendly smile. "Thank you."

"No problem, sweetheart. You want anything to go with your drinks? Some food? We got a good cook at the moment, the specials board is over there on the wall."

"Nothing to eat just now." Robin ran her forefinger down the side of her wine glass, drawing a line through the condensation there. "But perhaps you can help us with something else. My friends and I are trying to find someone."

The barman's expression grew wary. "Yeah?"

Robin smiled at him again, disarmingly. "Another of our friends has been taken ill, after being stung by a cone shell. So we're making enquiries to find a good doctor; preferably one who knows about such injuries. We've been asking around town for the past few hours, but so far no-one's been able to help us. Might you know of anyone we could speak to?"

"Cone shell sting, huh?" The barman shrugged his lips. "I don't know about that kinda stuff… But those guys on the table over there, they're fishermen: you could try asking them." He pointed to a table a few yards away, where three thickset bearded men were laughing over a jug of beer and plates heaped high with food. "If you buy them a drink they might be inclined to be helpful."

Taking the barman's advice, the Mugiwara carried a full jug of beer with them as they approached the table. This time Sanji opted to broach the subject: as the three fishermen looked up suspiciously at the strangers, the cook set the jug on the table with a nod. "The barman said this was what you guys were drinking. You got a minute to talk?"

The tallest of the three regarded the beer steadily, then glanced at his friends: unspoken communication exchanged between them, then the man gave a shrug. "Sure. What's on your mind?"

"We're looking for a doctor, someone who would know about treating cone shell stings. The barman said you guys were fishermen, that you might know of somebody like that."

"Cone shell stings? Fuck." The tall man poured himself a beer, before looking the three Mugiwara over. "I'm guessing that you ain't been jabbed by one, else you wouldn't be standing here sipping drinks in a bar."

"A friend of ours has been stung," answered Robin. "That's why we need to find a doctor for him."

"Tough luck for your friend," commented the man.

"You know where we can find a doctor?" Sanji kept his cool with an effort, knowing that losing his temper with this moron wouldn't gain them any answers. "Because time is of the essence."

"I bet." The fisherman gave a beer-sodden laugh. "Shit, Jiro… Remember when you picked that sucker up in a lobster pot and it got you a good one?" The man on his left grunted. "We had to tie you into your hammock, and you bawled like a pig being slaughtered. Those things can pack a hell of a wallop for something so small."

Sanji's eyes narrowed. Beside him Chopper spoke up nervously. "Uh, sir, we really do need to find a good doctor who can help our friend. Would you be able to give us some idea of where to look?"

The fisherman squinted at Chopper. "What the fuck are you? Some kind of performing animal?"

Chopper flushed. Sanji put a hand on his shoulder. "My friend here is also a doctor. So you ought to speak to him with a little more respect,asshole."

"Sanji…" Robin's remonstrating murmur was as gentle as her hand taking hold of his arm.

"The fuck? What did you say, pencil-neck?" The fisherman stared at Sanji angrily. "Who the hell do you think you are, barging into our drinking time and handing out insults? I'll bust you a good one, see if I don't."

Sanji smiled dangerously, shifting his weight more evenly onto both feet. "Bring it on, craphead."

The fisherman's chair scraped harshly on the floor as he got to his feet, followed seconds later by those of his two friends. Sanji held the tallest man's gaze with his own – until Robin stepped in between them, hands lifted in a peace-making gesture. "There is no need for such unpleasantness. We didn't come in here looking for trouble, we came looking for information." She looked at the fishermen. "We apologise for disturbing you, and we did not mean to give offence."

"I don't hear your friend apologising," commented the tall man, looking past her to where Sanji stood.

Robin turned to face Sanji, her dark eyes resting on him. He understood the message in her expression loud and clear: We need these men to cooperate.

Swallowing down his anger, he cleared his throat. "Ah… I'm sorry for my rudeness." The words almost stuck in his throat, but he knew he had to make them sound genuine. To help his case, he gave his head a quick bow. "Please accept my apology."

There were a few seconds of silence… Before the fisherman gave a grudging grunt and dropped back down into his chair, reaching out to top up his beer. His friends joined him, with much smacking of lips. Robin gave them a few moments, before commenting politely, "It sounds as though you have great experience and knowledge of the sea. And you say you have encountered cone shells."

"Yeah." The fisherman licked a moustache of beer foam off his upper lip. "You don't want to mess with them." He jerked his thumb at his friend. "Jiro here got himself stung good that time, arm swelled up like a blowfish. Luckily we were only a few hours out of port, so we were able to bring him back here to get help."

"So there is someone here in Manu who can help?" asked Robin.

The fisherman shrugged. "There's an old guy lives up in the backstreets, all the sailors and fishermen go to him when they need doctoring. Kawashima's his name. He's a weird old bird: lives alone, got a thing about collecting sea critters. Spends half his time poking about in rock pools or haunting the fish market when he's not dosing folks up with potions. If anyone knows how to fix up your friend, he will."

"Then we will try him." Robin gave him a smile. "Thank you for your help."

"You're welcome, pretty face." The fisherman gave her what he evidently thought was a winning smile back. "Listen… Why not join me for a drink, while your friends go find the doc? No point all three of you walking up there. Relax with us: your friends can pick you up when they return."

"Thank you again, for your offer." Robin kept the smile on her face. "But I think I'll have to pass. Enjoy your drink." And keeping her hand closed firmly around Sanji's elbow, she led the three of them out of the bar.

They were barely in the street outside before Sanji gave vent to his pent-up feelings. "That ugly son-of-a-bitch needs a good ass-kicking - "

"Not our priority right now." Robin shook her head. "Although in other circumstances, I'd be the first to agree with you."

"So now we have to find this Dr Kawashima," said Chopper. "Let's hope someone can give us directions."

As it turned out, the fisherman's words had been true: Kawashima was evidently well-known amongst those who made their living by fishing or sea-faring, and it wasn't long before the three Mugiwara were climbing up through the narrow lanes that wound up through the older part of town, sloping up the hillside above the port. Houses were smaller and more down-at-heel; children played in the streets, and women leaned in doorways chatting with their neighbours, pausing only to watch the three strangers walk by.

"Remind me to cross Muna off my list of places to re-visit," muttered Sanji, after being on the receiving end of yet another sustained stare from the locals. "These folks obviously don't get many outsiders passing through here."

"I suppose we may look a little out of the ordinary." Robin shrugged. "But at least people are being helpful when we ask the way."

After another twenty minutes or so of uphill wandering – and retracing their steps a couple of times through the warren of backstreets – they found themselves outside a shabby-looking house. Sanji glanced at the other two, then stepped up and took hold of a rusting iron door knocker: rapped it against the weather-faded door. There was a long pause.

Chopper shifted nervously on the doorstep. "Do you think this is the right house after all?"

"Maybe he's out rock pooling." Sanji peered at the window to the side of the door, but the glass was dusty and a faded bamboo blind obscured any view of the space beyond.

Suddenly there was a shuffling noise from behind the door; then with a rattling sound the door scraped open. It stuck for a moment, whereupon a querulous voice behind the door sounded out irritably. "Curse the seed that the tree grew from that yielded your wood, you intransigent piece of timber!" This was followed by the sound of a smart kick, and the door jerked then scraped open the rest of the way. A thin man with a greying crewcut appeared in the doorway, from where he surveyed the trio in front of him. "Yes?"

"Are you Dr Kawashima?" asked Sanji.

The man delved into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of wire-framed spectacles, which he put on. Thus attired, he seemed to assume a more professional demeanour. "I am he. Which of you is requiring the services of a doctor?"

"None of us," Sanji replied. Seeing Kawashima frown with puzzlement, he hastened to add, "It's our friend, who's back on our ship, in port."

"Ah, you're sailors. Or fishermen?" Kawashima nodded, then looked at Robin and frowned again. His frown deepened when his gaze moved to Chopper. "Or… Ah… You're not from round here, are you?"

"We're travellers," responded Robin. Sanji was glad for her quick thinking. Travellers was definitely a good call. Certainly Hi, we're pirates, never seemed to produce a favourable reception. "We arrived here in Manu today. We asked in town where to find a good doctor who might be able to help our friend, and you were recommended to us."

Kawashima seemed unsurprised by this. "By some of our sea-going community, no doubt." He sighed. "That seems to be the main way I get my patients, these days."

Sanji wasn't being filled with confidence by this grizzled little man. "Listen… You are a doctor, right?"

"Indeed I am!" Kawashima bristled, drawing himself up to his full – not particularly impressive height. "With many years of experience, in all fields of medicine."

"We were told that you had knowledge of how to treat sea-related injuries," said Robin. "Our friend was stung by a cone shell, and has been unwell since. We were hoping that you could help him."

"Cone shell sting? Dear me." Kawashima wagged his finger at them. "Cone shell stings can be most serious, they should be treated as soon as possible. How long ago was your friend stung?"

"About six weeks ago."

"Six weeks?" Kawashima's eyebrows hiked up towards his stubbly hairline. "That's a month and a half ago."

"Well… Yeah." Sanji felt this was stating the obvious.

"Why didn't your friend seek treatment earlier?"

"Because we were on our way here," responded Sanji, resisting the urge to tack the epithet, You fucking idiot, onto the end of his reply.

"That's unfortunate." Kawashima shook his head. "The sooner such stings are treated, the better the outcome."

"But you can treat them?" burst out Chopper, gazing at his fellow doctor beseechingly.

Kawashima looked down at him. "Well, I can try and see what can be done. What treatment has your friend already been given, if any?"

"I can tell you, everything that I've been doing," said Chopper nervously. "I didn't know what the best thing was to try, I have limited experience in this area, but there have been treatments that I thought would help…"

"You are a doctor?" Kawashima straightened his spectacles, peering at the little reindeer.

"Of course I am!" shouted Chopper, going crimson with agitation. "Why else would I be treating him, if I'm not a doctor!"

"Remarkable," commented Kawashima, blinking.

Robin laid a calming hand on Chopper's shoulder. "Dr Kawashima, Chopper here is an excellent doctor; but this fell outside the realms of his knowledge. That's why we need your help. May we bring our friend to you?"

"Hm? Oh; yes, of course." Kawashima nodded. "Without delay, I would suggest. Perhaps your colleague, Mr Chopper here, should remain here with me in the meantime. He can apprise me of the courses of treatment he has been using." He gave Chopper a small bow. "My apologies, sir, for any misunderstanding. Be so good as to come into my home."

"Right. Let's get back to Going Merry." Sanji was impatient to get things moving.

"We'll return within an hour." Robin nodded at Chopper and Kawashima.

As they descended back through the narrow streets to the port, Sanji broached the subject that was bothering him. "That guy, Kawashima: he doesn't seem like he's all there to me. You think he'll really be able to help?"

Robin gave him a sidelong look, then a small shrug. "It's not like we're overburdened with options. Besides, those fishermen seemed to think highly of his medical skills."

"Those morons? They wouldn't know a good doctor if they tripped over one." Sanji scowled.

"I'm not so sure. When we asked around to find where Dr Kawashima lived, many people knew of him. A man doesn't get that well-known if he's incompetent: he's obviously used a great deal by seafarers in this town."

"I hope you're right." Sanji shoved his hands into his pockets.

When they reached the Going Merry, it was to find Luffy sprawled asleep on the foredeck, his swollen stomach testimony to his successful meat-foraging ashore. Usopp sat cross-legged by the rail, carefully sketching the dockside scene before him. On seeing Robin and Sanji, he laid aside his sketchpad. "Hey, you're back!" His gaze roamed behind them. "Where's Chopper?"

"We left him up in the town. We've found a doctor, so Chopper stayed with him to talk about doctor stuff." Sanji climbed over the rail, holding out a hand to assist Robin. "Where are the others?"

Usopp gestured with his thumb. "Nami wanted to work on her chart, she's up in the galley. And Zoro's napping on the aft deck. So you found a doctor? That's good news."

"Yeah." Sanji really hoped it was. He nodded at Robin. "I'll go roust out the marimo, get his ass up the hill to Kawashima. Without delay, like the old bird said."

Sanji rounded the cabin and stepped onto the aft deck. Just as Usopp had said, Zoro was there, apparently fast asleep in the late afternoon sunshine. He was lying on his back, one arm folded under his head, the other sprawled loosely to the side. Sanji stepped up to him and paused, looking downwards. His eyes travelled over the swordsman's face. Zoro looked sunk so deep in sleep that the cook felt almost reluctant to disturb him: but he knew it had to be done. He gently nudged Zoro with his toe. "Oi, marimo. Wake up."

Zoro twitched; then his eyes flew open and he half-sat up, his hand groping sideways at the empty patch of deck where his katana would normally be. Sanji gave him a wry smile. "Take it easy. It's only me."

Zoro blinked up at him, then rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with one hand. "Mhh… What do you want, shitty cook?"

"What I want is a cold drink, a hot shower and a relaxing evening sampling the menu in one of the restaurants in this town. But what I'm actually getting, is a walk back up the hill I've already trudged up and down once today." He shrugged. "We found a doctor, and lucky for you he's agreed to take a look at you. So let's go."

Zoro slowly got to his feet. "A doctor?" He rubbed one hand through the hair at the back of his head. "Did he… say he'd be able to help?"

"He said he'd try." Sanji nodded towards the shore. "He also said that sooner was better than later, so we should head up there."

Zoro looked at him a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Then let's go."