I imagine that most of those who could read this fanfic know about the world context of the coronavirus and how compulsory quarantine was established in most countries. Which is, the prohibition to leave our houses to avoid getting infected. In these days so complex, distressing and full of hours of the day with nothing to do, I decided to write this fanfic imagining how Luffy and his friends would be coping with the quarantine. I hope it brings smiles to those who, like me, no longer know what else to do in our homes.
Specially dedicated to my Daena, chainedkura and my friends, with whom I communicate with a video call so as not to miss them as much as Luffy misses his own.
This fanfic is a translation of my fanfic in Spanish, so there may be some errors. I asked my friend chainedkura to check it out, so thanks to him for this too.
Disclaimer: One Piece doesn't belong to me yet. We are in talkatives with Oda to buy it, but Toei is resisting.
Video calls in quarantine
Luffy opened the bowl of ramen as he sat at the desk in front of the computer. Ace hadn't felt like cooking that night and ordered delivery at Sanji's restaurant, which was one of the few things that was still working. Also, they didn't have much food in the house anymore. The next day Sabo would go out with the car to buy food at the market that could last them for the whole next week.
His room was a mess. Ace forced him to clean every day, but he just swept up and let Sabo disinfect. His clothes and things were thrown everywhere, but he didn't care much. He crossed his legs over the chair and looked at the computer anxiously. He wanted it to be time for everyone to get online. He was terribly bored and fed up with being locked in his house without being able to leave, and talking to them was one of the few fun things he could still do. That if the internet didn't collapse with everyone using it at the same time.
"Luffy, are you eating already?" Ace asked, peering into his room.
"Yes, I just grabbed the ramen," he replied, turning his face to see him. He brought a mouthful of noodles to his mouth. "I added the meat you had made today at noon to make it better"
Ace laughed because he knew of his little brother's quirky taste for meat.
"We're going to talk to Marco, Thatch, Koala and Hack by video call in the living room," he informed him, saying goodbye.
"Okay, I'm going to talk to the guys, too."
The ringing of the video call application turned his attention to the computer and he saw that Franky had started the chat. He accepted the invitation and eight boxes appeared on his screen. The faces of his friends appeared one by one.
"Hello guys!" Luffy yelled happily. He waved his hand effusively to greet them.
"Luffy!" Chopper appeared in one of the upper boxes and Luffy watched him. "How's everybody?"
"Eating," he laughed, showing him his bowl of ramen.
"Ace didn't cook today?" Sanji interjected, under Chopper.
"We don't have much food left, tomorrow Sabo is going to buy. I hope he brings a lot of meat"
"He doesn't need to go outside, Luffy," said Nami, next to Chopper. "He can buy online and have it delivered to the house"
"I didn't know that," Chopper replied in amazement. "However here at home they go out every day, so they buy outside"
"Do your parents have a lot of work, Chopper?" Robin asked, sitting next to Franky in their living room. Their camera appeared below Sanji.
"Yes, they are both in the emergency department at the hospital, so they attended many suspicious cases that ended up negative, and several that were confirmed"
Chopper's parents were a pair of doctors, Kureha and Hiluluk. Chopper was a student, but he still didn't work or practice in hospitals, so he had to stay home during quarantine.
"What about you?" Nami asked Franky and Robin. "Classes were suspended, do you have to go to college, Robin?"
"I went the first week just because the teachers had to go, but since the mandatory quarantine was decreted we also stayed at home. And Franky opens the workshop less hours"
Franky's workshop was installed next to their house and he didn't have to go out to work. In addition, hardware stores and workshops were exempt from quarantine because citizens may need home repairs.
"At least there are some things to do," Franky said." Otherwise it would be suuuper boring"
Luffy laughed as he shoved a large bite of noodles and meat into his mouth. Knowing that he wasn't the only one who was bored to death during those days made him feel very accompanied.
"What about you, Sanji?" Robin asked. "The other day I passed near the restaurant when I was returning from shopping and I saw it closed, how are you doing?"
Sanji was sitting in a chair by the open window of his room, smoking. He looked at the computer, which appeared to be leaning against his bed since the camera focused him from beneath.
"Zeff decided to close the shop to eat there, but the delivery is still open" he answered taking a drag on the cigarette.
"Today we ordered the ramen there, it's delicious!" Luffy added, his eyes bright with excitement.
"I didn't work today, who brought you the food?"
"Paty came, it looked like they had a lot of work," Luffy replied.
"With the quarantine, people in the neighborhood are asking for more food there whenever they don't want to cook. We are cooking a lot even though we closed the restaurant"
The box next to Sanji was black and suddenly Zoro appeared.
"Finally!" Usopp shouted when he saw him appear. "Why did you take so long? Don't tell me you got lost ..."
Everyone laughed at the absurd joke and Zoro shouted some things at him that no one heard. The video call was more chaotic than their meetings, although they were naturally messy already.
"I was sleeping," he said to apologize.
"How strange of you, sleeping," Sanji murmured to annoy him.
"What are you saying, perverted cook ?!" He yelled annoyed.
"Brook didn't show up yet, either," Chopper added. His box, next to Robin's and Franky's, underneath it all, was still black.
"I'm sure he's sleeping, surely he's going to show up anytime soon," Robin replied, smiling.
"Hey, Zoro!" Luffy called out to him. "How's everything over there? Did you close the dojo?"
Zoro's father, Mihawk, was a well-known martial artist from the area and had a kendo dojo in which Zoro gave some classes and trained. They lived in the house behind the dojo, in an area far from the city, surrounded by some valleys.
Zoro said he used to get lost when everyone got together because he lived further away than the others. Sanji believed it was because he had a lousy sense of direction. And that always led to absurd and fun fights.
"It's closed, but we train every day," Zoro commented, settling into bed with the computer on his legs. "Although it's boring not being able to get out of here"
"I get you," Luffy gasped with a weary expression. "I'm sick of being locked up at home! I go out to the yard and I have nothing to do. Sabo won't even let me go do the groceries!
"He knows you're going to run away if you go out," Usopp said, and Nami nodded.
"It's just for a few days Luffy, we don't want you to get sick!" She exclaimed to reaffirm the point.
"I know, but it's sooo boring!" Luffy dropped his head on the desk table and his friends laughed, understanding his sentiment, because they were all mortally bored from being locked up. "If the virus doesn't kill me, boredom will"
"I go out to the yard every day to practice my marksmanship, at least I have my equipment at home," Usopp said. "I brought it from the club before quarantine"
He practiced shooting and arrow and various other aiming sports, but he was lucky because in Usopp's house there was a big yard where he could spend the day if he was tired of being indoors.
"At home we don't know what else to do," Nami said, rolling her eyes. "Being locked up in an apartment is much worse. Yesterday we walked the dog with Nojiko and took a few more laps"
"See! I'm not the only one!" Luffy yelled at the screen.
"Nami, don't do that please!" Chopper interjected. "It is better to take him out to pee and nothing else, even if you want to walk a little. It is dangerous to expose yourself"
"I know, I'm sorry… today we purchased some clothes online! They will send them home, so at least that was fun.
Underneath them all, Brook's black box formed into an image. The man was lying on the couch at home drinking tea and the computer seemed to be on his legs.
"Hello Brook!" Usopp greeted him, waving his hand effusively.
Brook saluted even though he wasn't looking at the camera.
"On the top of the notebook, Brook!" He indicated, laughing. Usopp gave him some classes to use the computer a few years ago and now he knew much better how it worked but he had never made video calls with it yet.
"Oh, there you are," said the older man, and he started laughing when he saw them all. "How are you guys?"
"Hello, Brook," Robin said with her kind smile. "We are fine, you?"
"Suuuuper bored over here," Franky added.
"I am grand," Brook replied, drinking his tea. "I am an average retiree, this was already my lifestyle"
Everyone laughed at his joke and Luffy saw behind Brook his guitar.
"Have you been practicing with the guitar?" He asked excitedly.
"Today I wanted to play something for you guys, if you let me."
"Yes!" Luffy yelled excitedly.
Brook was the older of the group, and therefore the most vulnerable to the disease, so he was confined to his home. Usopp lived close enough and did the groceries for him. He couldn't stay long, so he left the food at the door, greeted each other and left.
"By the way, thank you for today's groceries, Usopp-san," he said with a smile and picked up his guitar.
The man might be old, but he was rocking like no other. In his youth he had been part of a band that became fairly well known. Franky had been a huge fan in his teens and had the entire Roringustonzu discography. Sabo also liked them so Luffy knew some songs, but Brook had done others that no one else knew.
He played the song everyone liked best, Bink's Sake, an ode to the adventures they had created after a movie night at Franky's and Robin's. They had seen Pirates of the Caribbean and fantasized about being pirates until the wee hours. Their version ended up being much better than the movie.
Everyone applauded when he finished playing. They had sung in chorus, which with the delay came late to all the computers and made a mess of sound that made the moment even more delirious and fun. Brook bowed and laughed with them.
"Hey, Brook!" Sanji called out as he smoked. "How's Laboom?"
Brook got up from his seat and took the computer to the fish tank in a corner of the house, where the little goldfish he had had for years danced to the tune he had just finished.
"Here he is, his food comes by online delivery, so he is kept fed," he replied.
Luffy greeted Laboom as if the fish could hear or recognize him, but everyone else did too.
"What about your dog, Luffy?" Chopper asked, poking his nose very close to the screen.
"Get a little further from the computer, Chopper," Zoro warned him. The boy pushed away the computer.
"Sorry, my books had fallen and I was arranging them."
Luffy lifted his pet off the ground and brought it closer to the screen.
"Say hello, Shushu." The dog barked at the camera and everyone interpreted it as a greeting. "I think he is the only one who has a good time because nobody leaves the house"
"Same thing happens to me," Nami said with a smile.
The noise of a door was heard but they could not identify which camera it came from, until Perona appeared in Zoro's camera, behind everything, peeking out of the frame of the room.
"Food's ready!" She yelled in her bossy tone. Sanji straightened up and began to greet her effusively.
"Hello, Perona-chan!" He shouted with bright eyes and Zoro glanced at him with a murderous face. "Do you want me to send you free food from the restaurant?"
Nami covered her face with shame. Luckily Sanji had understood, at least, that he couldn't flirt with her and Robin, because they were his friends, but that didn't stop him from going after Zoro's sister.
"That would be great!" Perona cried contentedly in her high-pitched voice, and Zoro shoved her out of her room.
"I'll go, now get out," he snapped annoyed.
Luffy laughed because the antics of his two friends always made him laugh. In the corner of his computer, a WhatsApp Web sign popped out. It was a message from Law.
[3/28 8:46 p. m.] Torao: Hello Luffy-ya
are you free?
"Torao wrote to me!" Luffy shouted happily with the cell phone in his hand and showed them to his friends.
"Send him greetings!" Nami shouted.
"Tell him to call me later," Chopper added. "I have a bunch of things to ask him"
Law was Chopper's tutor at the university, but when classes were suspended, so were face-to-face meetings with tutors and study sessions in the library. Everything had turned towards virtual meetings. However, in a complicated pandemic situation like this, and Law as a doctor, he had a lot of work in the hospital and could not pay as much attention to his little student.
"Okay, I think he wants to make a video call with me."
"Don't let things get too heated, Luffy!" Nami raised her eyebrows and started laughing out loud. Robin covered her mouth, giggling.
"Be careful, you live with your brothers!" Franky said very seriously.
Luffy felt his face going red because of his friends' teasing, but he looked at the cell phone hoping that Law would write to him again. He had told him that he was there and that if he wanted to talk, his computer was on.
Instead of an answer, a video call notification came through.
"He's calling me!" He announced happily. "Okay, guys, we'll chat later, okay?"
His friends greeted him and said goodbye to him. Luffy closed that session and opened Law's video call. The screen showed the doctor in a huge box. He was in his apartment, surely he had just returned from work, although due to his clothes, he had already changed.
"Torao!" Luffy yelled happily. They hadn't seen each other in person in weeks. Law worked a lot in the hospital and even before the quarantine began he didn't want Luffy to see him in case he could infect him.
"How are you Luffy-ya?" He asked with a smile. That kind of sideways, very soft smile that Law only gave when he was relaxed and calm.
"Fine, bored, but I just talked to the guys and it was fun seeing them," he replied with a smile. "How about you? Have you just arrived from work?"
"Yes, I showered and left the clothes on the balcony with disinfectant. Today was a long day at the hospital."
"Why? Many new cases?" He asked curiously. "I hope you are taking care of yourself!"
Law laughed and the sound of his deep voice was refreshing. There were days when he was so stuffed with work that they couldn't even call each other. Luffy missed him very much.
"We confirmed five cases at North Blue"
Luffy saw him move around the house, it seemed that he had called him from his cell phone. Law sat at the kitchen counter and began to drink coffee.
"Shachi took care of two and I saw only one," he continued informing him. All of Law's friends were from the hospital, so he got to see them often.
Luffy envied that, at least a little.
"The ones we took care of are young and have no previous illnesses, so they will be fine. I investigated the other two cases and they are more complicated, but my prognosis is not bad. They were taken to Dressrosa's hospital, which was built for patients with the virus specifically."
Luffy liked to hear Law speak, even though he didn't understand half the things he was saying. He knew that Law was a fairly prestigious doctor and that he was running for the position of North Blue's director . Luffy wasn't sure if he wanted Law to have such an important position, because it would mean even less time than what he already had, but it would also get him out of that front line in which he was so exposed to the virus at the moment.
But he knew that, in the end, Law would do whatever he wanted and considered best. Luffy would do the same in his position.
"Do you wear the facial mask and the gloves?"
"We always wear them, Luffy-ya."
He laughed at his answer, because it was true. However, he was surprised to see his face so red around the eyes and with some injuries and irritated areas.
"Why are you so hurt?" He asked with a frown. He focused his eyes better.
Law touched his face and looked into his camera.
"Because of the use of the equipment," he replied, massaging his face. "The masks are tight and cover the entire face. In addition we have the face masks and the whole suit. Using them so much irritates the skin"
Luffy clicked his tongue, because he didn't like seeing him hurt, but he understood that it was needed to take care of himself too.
"Does it hurt much?"
Law shook his head and took a sip of his coffee.
"No, it just burns a little. I'll put on some moisturizer later. Don't worry, it's nothing"
He had seen Law many times when he was working, before the pandemic. Luffy liked to pick him up at the hospital and go eat somewhere. Sometimes he passed Law's friends and greeted each other. Luffy liked them very much.
He missed that.
"Don't be sad," he heard him say. He raised his head to see the screen. Law was really good at reading him, mainly because he knew him very well. Just as Luffy had managed to break him apart and know all of his reactions. "I am not the most optimistic of all, you know that, but I am confident that we will get out of this situation. The isolation is temporary, remember it"
Luffy complained as always, jaded just like a whimsical child.
"I'm very tired of being home", he groaned. " I wanna see my friends, go play soccer, see you. It's not fair"
Law looked at him with a warmer smile. It wasn't a common sight, but Luffy liked when he got to see it, though it usually meant that he was sad and Law did it to cheer him up.
"No, it isn't," he agreed. "It isn't, especially, for those who get sick or for those who cannot see their loved ones who are sick"
Law always helped him get everything in perspective. If he thought it that way, Law was right. He didn't know what he would do if any of his friends, brothers or Law became ill.
"I know, you're right, but Sabo won't even let me go get the groceries!" He protested.
"He knows you would go too far if he let you out," he replied, laughing.
"Why can't I stay with you during the quarantine?" He said with a whimsical pout.
"Because I work and I already put myself at risk, I don't want to risk you too."
He knew it. It made sense. But it was difficult to stay still locked up in his house when his nature was so free and adventurous.
"I miss you too, Luffy-ya," he said quietly, looking directly at him on camera. "I don't work early tomorrow so we can talk till late. Want to see a movie?"
He felt like a child when Law spoke to him like that, but he also liked him thinking of things to do with him.
"Okay, we can use Netflix Party," Luffy added. "It's the extension that I told you about the other day, to watch Netflix at the same time. We used it with the guys the other day to watch the last movie of Pirates of the Caribbean."
"Okay, I'll install it, what do you want to watch?""
"Not Grey's Anatomy, please," Luffy asked, rolling his eyes. "I don't understand anything..."
"Okay, not series. A movie? An anime?"
Luffy went through the Netflix catalog looking at what they could see. Action movies, some interesting series, and anime.
"Zoro recommended Kingdom, the South Korean series. Usopp is watching Dr. Stone, maybe you like that, he's a scientist like you, Torao!"
Law laughed from the other side of the camera and put on the headphones to hear Luffy better.
"We can also see Kimetsu no Yaiba…"
"Shachi told me it's not that good," Law said.
Luffy looked back at the camera and saw his boyfriend on the couch with headphones and a blanket. He really wanted to be there, in that same tiny space. Cuddling.
"Kingdom sounds fine to me, but it's a series, doesn't bother you?" " Law asked.
Luffy wasn't a series lover because he didn't have much perseverance to watch them. If he got bored in a chapter, he generally didn't watch more or forgot to follow it. But Zoro told him that 'Kingdom' had a lot of action and that he would surely like it.
"We'll give it a try and see if we like it."
"Okay," Law replied. "I already have the extension, so we can see it whenever you want."
Luffy looked in his closet for a snack bag that he kept there for these moments and moved to bed with the computer.
"You look good like that, Torao," he praised him with an insinuating smile and Law felt a little nervous.
He wasn't used to Luffy's advances on him, no matter how much he always did it. He coughed and settled into the couch.
"If you go stray, we're not going to watch the series ..." he warned when his voice returned.
Luffy laughed as if he had made a prank. He opened the app and the series to play at the same time and put on the headphones.
"What's wrong with it?" He asked innocently. "You said we could stay up late."
Law put play before Luffy made him feel more embarrassed and started the series.
That night they went to bed at three in the morning. It was customary for Luffy to fall asleep late and more in quarantine when he had nothing to do. He made Law promise that they would speak the next day when he returned. Now that he couldn't see him, like his friends, he wanted to make a video call even more often with him.
When the pandemic passes, Luffy will take care of filling his schedule visiting all his friends, playing soccer and sleeping a lot with Torao on his couch; where they were tight and uncomfortable, but very close. So that it never occurs to any fucking virus to want to separate them.