Some days, Chopper really missed Dr. Kureha.

His homesickness usually came about in very hot climates, like that of Alabasta. Hot places made him remember that he hadn't seen snow since he left home.

But sometimes, when he faced a particularly difficult patient, he found himself missing Dr. Kureha. His old mentor always seemed to know what to do.

Take now, for instance. Percy had developed a fever, and Chopper had no idea why or how to fix it.

"He's not getting better, is he?"

Chopper glanced up at Sanji. The cook lounged in a corner, leafing through Robin's book on Greek Mythology while twirling a cigarette between his long, slender fingers.

"No," said Chopper, frustrated, "I don't know what to do! He's half-human, right? So I should be at least a little familiar with his physiology. But I don't know why he's getting worse and I don't know why a taser to the back was enough to nearly kill him!"

Sanji turned another page and sighed, "Look, you've treated Nami before, right? She's a demigod, like Percy."

Chopper rung out a clean washcloth and placed it gently across Percy's sweaty forehead, "Nami's never died and come back to life just from a taser to the back. Where is she, anyway?"

"I don't like it, but she's sparing with Brook," Sanji said absently, "Since he and Luffy are the only ones who can see her spear and Luffy and Zoro are off getting each other lost."

Chopper giggled, "We saw them on the ferris wheel earlier. They looked like they were having fun on their-,"

"Everyone shut up," Sanji interrupted, leaping to his feet and slamming the book shut, "I think I found what's wrong with Percy."

This piqued Chopper's attention. "Tell me," he ordered.

Sanji opened the book again and flipped through the pages, stopping on a story called 'The Curse of Achilles'

"Ok, so you remember how Brook told us how Franky's bullets couldn't hurt Percy?" Sanji started excitedly, "I think it's because of this!"

"The Curse of Achilles?" asked Chopper, glancing back at Percy.

"Yeah!" said Sanji, "Long story short, this Achilles guy bathed in a river in the underworld and it made him almost entirely invincible."

"That would explain Percy being bulletproof," Chopper agreed, "Wait, what do you mean, 'almost'?"

Sanji jabbed his finger at a passage in the book, "It says here that because Achilles was mortal and alive, he needed to anchor himself to the mortal world. His mom held him by his ankle and dunked him in the river that way. That's why an Achilles Heel is someone's weak spot."

"So when Percy got tasered," Chopper started, recognition dawning on him in horror, "The Makrel Gang got lucky, and hit him in his Achilles Heel!"

Sanji whistled, "How is he still alive?"

"Because of Nami's charmspeak," said a voice at the door.

"Oh, hey Hachi," Chopper greeted the octopus fishman stooping his head to fit in the tiny room.

"Why is Lord Perseus still in bed?" asked Hachi, pink eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Sanji's curly eyebrow twitched in annoyance, "Are you blind? He's only woken up once in 4 days."

Hachi pushed past Sanji and Chopper and scooped Percy up in his eight arms.

"What are you doing?" Chopper shrieked, "He's not strong enough to get out of bed!"

"It's ok," Hachi assured them, dodging a flying kick from Sanji, "King Neptune is like us, and being in water makes us feel better, so Percy should be in water!"

"Sound logic," Sanji snapped, "And where's your proof?"

"Let Hachi go, kids," Shakky called from the bar.

"Shakky," said Chopper, "Do you have any proof that Hachi can help Percy?"

"Relax, honey," Shakky put a hand on the little reindeer's pink hat as he and Sanji followed Hachi out of the back room, "Even if Hachi can't, Percy can breathe under water, can't he? What's the harm in tossing him off the dock?"

"I guess so," said Chopper.

Shakky laughed and took Chopper's hoof, "C'mon, honey, let's go help your nakama."

The two followed Shakky down the stone steps outside to where Hachi stood at the shore, Percy cradled in his arms. Before Chopper or Sanji could say anything, Hachi dumped Percy into the water.

"How do we know he's not drowning?" Chopper asked Hachi.

"He is a son of Poseidon," said Hachi, "He can't drown."

"Yeah, ok," Sanji rolled his eyes, "But is that still true now? When he's so weak?"

Hachi looked scarily less sure of himself, "Nuu, I will go watch over him."

Without waiting for any objections, Hachi jumped in the water after Percy.

"Now what?" Chopper asked Shakky.

"I'm NOT leaving him down there with just the octopus," said Sanji, making to take his shoes off.

Shakky stopped him, "What are you going to do about it? You can't breathe underwater like they can."

Sanji sighed, "I guess you're right. Come on, Chopper, you can help me make dinner."

"But-," Chopper tried to protest. He too had heard Nami's story; Hachi was great fun, but Chopper still didn't feel comfortable leaving their weakened nakama alone with him.

Sanji pointed his cigarette to two figures off in the near distance. One of them kept falling on her butt and shouting loudly before getting back up and throwing herself at the other figure.

"Nami and Brook are just over there," he reassured the little reindeer, "I'm sure they'll let us know if something happens."

"I guess so…" Chopper hesitated, glancing back at the water.

"I think I picked up some cotton candy at the store today," Sanji said slyly, "You'd better get back to the ship before Usopp finds Luffy and Zoro, or else Luffy will eat it all."

"Not the cotton candy!"