Chapter 21: Still Human

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Everyone waited for Luffy to wake up again, which he did and his health improved more with the extra rest.

He looked around, hoped it was a dream, but he didn't see his partner and the look on his nakama's faces further proved the horrid truth as he looked at Robin and Franky. "You have something?" He asked as the two composed themselves.

"It's a bit difficult to simplify it to simple terms." Robin warned.

"Do the best you can." Luffy said seriously as he waited patiently for the explanation.

"When Zoro joined, Shanks-san asked us to find out more about Zoro. Such as who created him, why, and why would the person throw him out. But as it turns out he was once a living being like all of us, but…"

"He was close to death, like in that picture." Luffy said, remembering that picture after that message.

"Yes… But it looks like he was only dead for only a few minutes before Crocodile had a special staff that allowed him to live long enough to be considered alive." Robin said.

"And that's the last thing a dying person would want. Keeping him alive in that condition is just torture." Franky said. "And I should know, I went through that shit when I was younger."

"So how did he become to think he's a Guard Droid? All of us didn't know he was human." Sanji asked.

"It seems that the method to create a Guard Droid can also restore damaged tissue." Robin said as she brought out the smaller version of the picture. "If you look at the picture, the bullet wounds are no doubt fatal, except for a few things."

"What's that?" Chopper asked.

"The areas were Zoro-san was shot, they're only to immobilize him, but that also results in blood loss and shock. But it also seems that it was very traumatic that it caused his mind to mentally lock away that memory leading to that day."

"Which is why he didn't remember anything before he woke up and saw Luffy. And the reason why he knows his own name when others were given a name." Vivi said, getting it.

"Yes, he was convinced that he was one, another mentally adaptive function he must've had. He let his mind fill up what he believes is adequate information, and all of us were very intent on thinking that he's a Guard Droid, and Luffy found him at the place where they were made, so naturally he took this identity and filled up any information we spout out and accepted the ones that seem the most logical."

"He's good, even he doesn't know it." Sanji said.

"You could see it as that, but from what Franky and I can dig up was that, Zoro went through much more before being placed into the capsule where the creator believed was his project."

"Like what?" Usopp asked as he gulped.

"From what I found out in the records, they have a specialist doctor with them, and planted what seems like a chip in his brain. A control device you could say."

"Control?" Luffy said.

"What for?" Vivi asked.

"Zoro is one of the best assassins in his given field. With the 'added training' we gave him…"

"Oh shit…" Sanji said. "We practically trained an already deadly guy to be worse."

"That's not even the worst of it."

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked, getting really scared.

"The same chip that can control him, can suppress memorize to the point where he can forget entirely." She said. "And with an ability like that…"

"He will believe he's super human when he's only half that." Franky said. "Again, I can almost relate to that, but not to that extent."

"But that's not the bad thing, is it?" Luffy said, looking at Robin.

She sighed. "If any damage caused, they can just place him in the tank they just recently recreated for their own use and practically reuse him over and over."

"Oi, he does have a limited life thing!" Sanji said. "He's still human after all!"

"That's the thing… They found a way to extend his life, even his youth, to a point. They're not exactly sure because Zoro is basically an over specified guinea pig in all this."

"Shit!" Sanji said as he kicked a trash bin. "And we let those bastards take him! And we've seen what he can do! This city as a better chance in surviving an earthquake than have that guy roam around!"

"Wait a sec!" Nami said. "If Zoro really does have that chip, there has to be a tracker on it, couldn't we hack some system and find him that way?"

"It could be possible, but I doubt that Crocodile would allow such a thing to happen." Robin said. "We may end up hurting Zoro if we tried anything that regards anything technical."

"So what do we do?" Vivi asked. "We can't leave Zoro with them."

The group looked at Luffy who turned to his brother. "Ace, you think you can get a hold of him?"

"I think I can. It'll be risky though, knowing that guy."

"I can do it myself, but…"

"I understand." Ace said as he got up. "I'll be back in a few hours. Getting that guy alone is more work than talking to him."

"Just come back safely."

"Will do." He said as he left the room.

"What was that about?" Franky asked.

"Everyone, go do your jobs, maybe there's some clues while you're out. Now go."

"Luffy…" Vivi was about to say when Nami placed a hand on her.

"Yes, Captain." Nami said as she shooed all but Chopper and Brook. "One of us can handle your jobs."

"Thanks Nami…" Luffy said.

Nami nodded. "We'll find him, Luffy. You did choose him and he's part of this group now. He's Nakama." She smiled. "Besides, he owes me for worrying about him."

Luffy managed to smile at that. "I don't think he'll like that."

"Tough!" She said as she left.

Luffy laid back on the bed and looked up at the ceiling, where he could see the stick on glow in the dark stars, wondering where Zoro is and if he's okay.

-XxX-

Somewhere in the city, within the dark, Zoro woke up, strapped in a chair and looking worse for wear, there were probs on his forehead and he looked like he went on a triathlon.

"Interesting…" Said a scientist.

"What is it?"

"It seems he refuses to let go of something. He's mentally fighting the treatments I'm giving him to suppress his memories."

"Couldn't you wipe it all away?"

"I could do a force amnesia, but not in his weakened state. It's far too difficult to find or recreate a damaged brain. A minor damage would take a year, not to mention the re-learning course if it were to come to that."

"I see…" Crocodile said as he looked at the monitors where the man was seen in the middle of the screen. "He truly is a remarkable being, isn't he? An assassin with a warrior's spirit fit for a soldier."

Zoro, in the meanwhile, whispered and thought over and over the one thing that made sense to him. "Luffy…" He didn't know why the name was important, but he kept saying it like if it was a prayer. "Luffy… Luffy… Luffy…" He fell into an uncomfortable sleep, the name still ringing in his unconscious mind, as if wanting it to be the only thing in his mind right now.