Chapter 12: Afflicted

{Aboard the Thousand Sunny…}

It was mid-afternoon when the group had been greeted by the presence of their Captain again. They had greeted him, and he'd returned it in kind; but they could tell easily as they watched him that Luffy was anything but okay. He looked pale and tired, as though he was recovering from an illness, and it showed in his lack of interest or energy with things. However, the group knew that something would have to be done, and chose right then and there that waiting at this point would get them nowhere. Nami had approached her Captain, taking his hand in her own and noticing how cool it was to the touch before pulling him to his feet, letting him get his balance before Nami dragged Luffy towards the dining area with the others following. Though all of them expected resistance, the teenager merely sighed and followed quietly as they lead him into the room, and sat him down while Sanji finished up cooking lunch for everyone.

They considered last night. How chaotic and terrifying that had been while also contemplating how to best handle this situation that had been presented to them. On an instinctual level, they wanted to let it be and not bring it up at all; however, on an emotional level they knew Luffy needed to talk about what had happened. Possibly to keep him from blaming himself for things out of his control, and also for them to make sense of what could be done to even help him recover from it. Chopper kept a trained eye on the boy as he sat there, a decidedly morose look on his face as he watched the boy in concern. There would be no getting out of it, that much he understood as he watched his normally strong Captain appear small and fragile in the face of his own inner demons.

"Are you feeling a bit better?" Chopper asked as dark gray eyes shifted, not wanting to look at the others.

"Yea…" the group didn't believe him for a second as they watched Luffy take in a deep breath, seeming to sense that fact.

"You know that's a lie," Usopp stated.

He was sincerely worried after what happened last night. The only time he had ever been on the receiving end of Luffy's strength had been during Water Seven, and he'd most certainly brought that on himself. But, this time? He had bruises and a painful time swallowing from the sheer force that had been applied to his throat from the impact. It worried Usopp to think that his Captain - strong and kind hearted to a fault - would put his hands on those he loved with the intention of physical harm because of his mental lapses. It made him fear the next time he would have to watch Luffy become like that, to the point where he no longer looked like the person he knew, but something else. What could they do though? Did any of them honestly know what was happening to him? Or were they hopeless in this circumstance?

"I know…" Luffy didn't deny it this time. How could he after what he knew they'd seen? Sighing, he rested his head on the table, feeling exhausted and emotionally spent by this point.

"Talk to us, we're here to listen," Robin stated, placing a hand on the teenager's head in a comforting manner.

"I don't… really know how to…" the statement didn't surprise any of them. To be blunt, they wouldn't know how to breach this topic themselves. How did you put into words that kind of pain and grief? Could you even properly do it?

"Let's start with last night, what happened?" Zoro brought it up in his usual manner, remaining calm as the others watched the First Mate coax the information out of their Captain. Tired dark gray eyes glanced towards the swordsman. Sighing, he sat himself up, seeming to almost be unwilling to do so. They watched as Luffy glanced to the side, unwilling to meet their eyes as he took a moment to prepare himself.

"Sometimes…. I have really bad dreams… even when I'm awake…" the words put a painful knot in Chopper's stomach. With just those words he already had an idea of what was happening.

"Awake? How?" Luffy shook his head at Brook's question.

"I don't know… they just… come into my head even when I don't want them too. Sometimes they go away quickly, and other times… they stay a long time…" he eased himself into the explanation, but the others could tell he was still unsure.

"What about last night? Did you have one of those dreams?" Sanji questioned as he sat down the last things he'd made. Luffy glanced to him, looking anxious.

"They happen the most at night… when it's quiet…. I… start hearing and even smelling the battlefield again… it's been two years, but sometimes I can feel it still… the ash and heat, the cold water and the pain… even at Impel Down too… I remember the treatment and how much it hurt…" that had the others unnaturally still. It made him realize how much he had kept from them, and only caused more worry as they watched their Captain. Right then, Luffy looked frail, and much younger than he ever had in the two years they'd known him. But even worse, were his eyes.

His eyes looked ancient.

"Treatment? For the poison?" Chopper asked. Luffy stiffened, shoulders raising in a moment where his fight or flight response engaged.

"Right…" Nami and the others watched him, worried as they considered if they should honestly press further.

"Can we ask about… what happened to you? In Impel Down and at Marineford?" she questioned cautiously. There were to many chances of something going wrong here, but if this was their only chance to ever get a straight answer out of him, then they would try to press forward.

"I'm not… sure you want to know…" the group tensed. Was he testing them? Was it a question that they should agree to, or should they answer it differently? The group remained quiet for a moment, trying to decide the best course of action now that they had edged into dangerous waters.

"If we didn't want to know, we wouldn't be asking, Luffy, " Zoro said as the others nodded. An edge of worry came to the nineteen year old's expression before taking in a deep breath.

"Okay… just… bare with me. This is a lot to go through," he explained.

They nodded and listened. Luffy told them the story of how he had arrived on Amazon Lily, of what he remembered from the moment they were separated at Sabaody. He talked about the chaos that had ensued because he wasn't supposed to be on the island - as men were banned - and how they had narrowly killed him a few times. They heard the story of how he ended up winning the favor of Boa Hancock for his compassion towards a dark circumstance in their past that he refused to talk about. How he had learned of Ace's impending execution and sought a means to avoid the battlefield of Marineford, and how he had forgotten them. Luffy paused a few times, seeming to steel his nerves for what would happen next in this story as he spoke of sneaking into Impel Down and how many narrow escapes there were.

He told them in vivid detail what each level looked and felt like, because his mind could never forget it even if he tried. It was a bit comical from time to time, the hijinks that ensued because Buggy, Mr. Three, and Bon Clay were involved, or how the mythical creatures said the strangest things. But then, he spoke of the fourth level, the impossible heat, the assaulting stench of death, and the poison wielding Magellan who ultimately had used his ability to put Luffy at deaths door. He spoke about his hazed memories from the fifth level, of the biting cold and how even his blood froze over almost instantly as he struggled just to breathe or see straight.

At some point, Chopper had started crying, and the others were uncomfortably silent as Luffy seemed to have to work up the courage to speak of what happened next. They heard the full story of his encounter with Imporio Ivankov, and how he was even saved in the first place. After that, Luffy told them of his few memories of the experience of his body being torn apart and put back together just to potentially save him from dying. But, once those details were spoken of, he went quiet, giving himself and them a moment to process what he had told them. The information brought a bitter taste to their mouths as they considered that this was merely Impel Down, they hadn't even reached Marineford.

"Ten years?" Sanji asked grimly. Luffy nodded his head, not meeting the cook's gaze.

"I didn't have a choice… I mean… even with those ten years because of how I am, it's likely I'll live longer than the average one hundred and forty… " the cook growled.

"That's not the fucking point! You gave up a decade with us! I know it had to be done, but this is… fuck!" Sanji snarled out as Luffy closed his eyes against the words.

"Why didn't you tell us?" gray met ice blue and the young man sighed.

"Because, I knew you'd be worried… I burned up ten years of my life on a chance that I'd even survive… and the things I did to my body during the war were probably worse…" their attention returned to him fully.

"Can you tell us?" Brook asked kindly as Luffy took in a deep breath, nodding slowly.

"I can…"

He picked up again, right where he'd left off. He spoke of how he managed to rally the inmates together, pulling Ivankov and his Newkamas to the front of the fight, all the way down to level six where they had just missed Ace. He explained how they attempted to escape and a battle ensued just to make it out alive and how they had almost caught up with his brother but once again were stopped by Magellan and so many others. Eventually, he spoke of their escape, and how Bon Clay had stayed behind to let them out of the gates. Luffy told them of how he'd somehow managed to take control of the forces aboard a stolen Marine ship, how Jinbei backed him up constantly. How he battled with his own worries of not making it in time. But, then he took in a deep breath and told them about the chaos that was the War of the Best.

Luffy admitted that a lot of things happened almost to fast for him to keep track of what went down in some points, but he recanted the story of the team up with the Yonko White Beard, the tale about the battles with the Warlords, the Pacifistas, how they corralled all of the Pirates into the bay and tried to blow them up. How explosions and breaking ice had narrowly killed him and the others to many times to count. He spoke about the pain he went through when fighting Mihawk, when he encountered Marines who could use Haki or other abilities, and how he started to feel his body breaking down as he went through this. But then, he took in a deep breath and told them about the fire that rained down from the sky, turning it black as people fell into the openings made by it in the ice. How people were boiled alive, and burned up right in front of him.

He explained that the crashes were so loud and frequent pain had formed in his ears and Luffy was positive one of his eardrums busted from the noise alone. He explained what he experienced with the moment he used Observation Haki, the swelling attacks that narrowly killed everyone at all turns. How it felt like the world was coming to an end. The sensation of heat, ash, sweat, and blood that coated his skin, the taste of it on his tongue and how at some point, his body just couldn't keep up and he clawed his way through the thousands of people fighting, and the corpses that littered the ground. Luffy admitted to slipping on the ice as well as the blood and entrails of people who had been killed. At some point, they watched him shake his head, forcing the images to flee his mind briefly as he took in another calming breath, and continued.

His voice was tight as they reached the platform, the moment Jinbei threw him over the insurmountable wall and he landed directly before the three Admirals. How he managed to almost hold his own despite everyone wanting him dead. They were told about the reality of him narrowing being killed but saved by his allies, by White Beard who swore to protect him as one of his own. How Ace kept begging him to run away, but Luffy refused even as he found himself begging Ivankov to give him adrenaline so he could keep going just a bit longer. The race to the scaffold, how Garp had stood in his way, but ultimately had taken the punch and how Luffy had gotten there and had to shield Ace from Fleet Admiral Sengoku the Buddha himself. How he was sure there had been internal damage from it.

And then, Ace had gotten free. How for the first time in a long while the two of them fought together, escaping the main area and into the bay. But, Akainu went after them. It was as though the darkness enclosed. At that point, all of them were still, almost unable to take a breath as they heard the story of how they had all run away in hopes of surviving, how White Beard had declared the protection of Ace and Luffy and escaping with their lives as the main priority - as his final order as Captain. Those were words all Pirates dreaded hearing, because it meant the end of the road. Luffy recounted the moment that Akainu had called to Ace, saying awful remarks about White Beard - someone who had become his father over these last few years - and how Gold Roger had been the better Pirate and man.

Tears welled in their eyes as they heard the tightness in their Captain's voice, how he spoke almost to quiet as the story went on. The moment where he dropped Ace's vivre card and had gone to pick it up because his mind surmised that if it was found and everyone escaped, the Marines could use it to find Ace again. How he had reached out but collapsed only seconds after taking a step. Because his body was exhausted. He was so spent physically, mentally, and emotionally by that point it was a miracle he didn't collapse completely.

And Akainu used that against them.

Because in a blur and shout of confusion and panic, Ace had stepped between Akainu and Luffy, taking the magma fist meant for his little brother. Their hearts lept into their throats at the description of seeing Ace will his body to remain solid so to keep Akainu from getting at their Captain. How the stench of burning flesh and blood was suffocating and the only think his mind could conjure was how this couldn't be real. Luffy spoke in timid words, voice becoming frail and meek as tears welled up in his dark gray eyes while he explained everything his mind could never forget. The sounds of Akainu removing his fist from Ace's body, how it squished and blood poured out, how Luffy had clung desperately to his brother, blood smearing his hands and staining his clothes as Ace whispered his final words to him.

They watched their Captain as he explained the pleading, and begging, and the lack of tears because to him this couldn't happen. How his mind was unable to fathom what he was feeling and seeing whilst internally screaming to any God that would dare listen to him too please not take another brother from him. How he tried to bargain and reason with the chaos around him and his brother who spoke into his ear as he struggled to breathe through cooked and burned lungs and stay standing with his spine melted apart. Luffy spoke about how everything ached and he screamed and asked for Ace to not give up, even though he knew it was no good. And then, a tearful smile came to their young Captain's face as tears slid down his cheeks, the look miserable and painful, and full of emotions that they couldn't name.

Thank you, for loving me.

And they broke down with their Captain as he lamented his own weakness, how Ace dropped lifelessly to the ground, and the sound broke him. How the sheer sensation of his brother taking his last breath in his arms caused a reaction that he still could barely register. His body seized, breath convulsing, heart stalling in his chest as his voice cracked and snapped and he leaned his head back, jaw almost unhinging from it's joints as Luffy stayed there, stained in his brother's blood and an inhuman wail left him. He said that he felt pain in his throat, his ears ringing and everything crashing around him until blood bubbled out of his mouth and down his face before his mind went blank.

Luffy took in a deep breath, hands rubbing over his face as he steeled himself. The others watched him, knowing that he could take no more as of today. They reached out for him, placing hands upon his own which rested on the table. They would ensure Luffy was mentally sound before leaving him alone, and they would talk as much as needed or as little. Chopper looked at his Captain, observing the shifting glances and tense, thin shoulders that shook ever so slightly. It was enough for him to know that the conversation had to turn to details that were needed for this situation at hand.

"So… Ace he…" Luffy nodded, rubbing his eyes again as he pulled his hands away from the others.

"Oh… Luffy, I…" Nami wanted to say something, but honestly what could she even tell him? That she was sorry? That she hated he had to face that alone? What would even a single word mean to someone who'd faced two years of relapses and nightmares alone?

"It's okay… I've had some time to process it, so it's not that bad anymore," he gave them a watery grin that was so plainly forced it hurt to see.

"Cut the bullshit would you?! We all know what we saw this morning and that isn't having processed it or come to any terms with what you went through!" Sanji said sharply as they watched Luffy recoil and tense, his body displaying the emotions he couldn't physically speak of.

"I… can't really help the relapses… Rayleigh told me that they're… common for people who… go through what I did…" the others sighed, unable to deny that Luffy was correct in that regard

"Are they always that bad?" Usopp questioned as the black-haired boy sighed, almost giving a defeated shrug.

"Most of the time… I've actually pinched my cheek hard enough to draw blood, fallen into the ocean, cut my head open, I almost bit my tongue off once, I clawed my scar open and I almost bit some of Rayleigh's fingers off. And… I'm sure I've done things I don't remember…"

The words hurt to hear even as they looked at the boy's somber expression. The crew questioned what they could possibly do to help him out, but at the same time, were at a loss for what to really say to him. Just telling Luffy they were sorry and would try to be more mindful of when he started showing signs of his relapses didn't feel like it would be enough. Because nothing would be enough to ease the guilt and worry. Nami wanted to ensure herself that what happened last night would never occur again, but she and the others knew all to well that Luffy would go through it again at some point - it was honestly a matter of time. Knowing that, Chopper looked to his Captain, tears still in his eyes as he jumped out of his seat and up into his friend's lap, putting his hooves upon his scarred chest.

"Then we need to help you get better," he said with a small smile. Luffy bowed his head ever so slightly, taking in a brittle breath that seemed to shake as though he took the chance to try and collect his nerves.

"How?" his voice crackled, and broke, sounding pleading and weak. Luffy's voice was desperate, for answers, for hope, for something that would assure him he could fight the vile madness that stole his mind and body from him in those dark moments.

"We need to learn about your triggers, and help you learn how to cope with the things that set you off. Then, we can start designing a plan to help you calm down and stop hurting yourself," Chopper stated as Luffy's body visibly tensed.

"R-Right…" he kept his gaze down, and Nami sighed before taking in a deep breath.

"Luffy, you were beating your head against the deck, why?" she inquired as he bit down on his bottom lip, seeming uncomfortable.

"I start doing things like that because I want to… stop those things in my head."

She hadn't expected a different answer; however, it didn't make hearing it any easier. Nami had seen Luffy as nothing but a powerful, strong willed, unstoppable force of nature with a jovial and wild grin and bright, intense dark gray eyes. This boy had been able to shoulder burdens that his crew and others never could on their own. But now, he needed someone to help him with his own burdens - but they were lost on how to do it. Knowing that Luffy could hurt himself or others when he became like this made her wonder how anyone even treated him after the war. Her eyes glanced down to the scar on his chest, her own aching at the notion of the story Luffy had recounted for them not long ago. Who had treated him? Rayleigh wasn't a doctor, and with that type of wound, he would have needed extensive medical care outside of the basic treatment. The idea had her mind in a whirlwind of consideration and worry for the person who'd treated her wild Captain. Because she couldn't even fathom combating his monstrous strength when he'd gone insane.

"Luffy? Can I…. ask you a question?" she asked timidly, unsure if this would be to much or not.

"I-I guess so… what is it?" Nami took in a steady breath, her light brown eyes locking with those exhausted dark gray eyes that lacked their normal luster.

"Who treated your injuries? You've told us about what happened at Impel Down, Marineford, and that Jinbei was the one who got you out of Marineford…. but who treated your injuries?" she probed this area with caution, watching and waiting for signs of distress as Luffy gave an nervous swallow.

"Another Supernova, named Trafalgar Law, the Captain of the Heart Pirates."

The statement floored the others. They had heard of this individual, and to say he had an unsavory reputation would have been putting it mildly; however, it stunned them to hear that two years ago, the now Warlord, had gone out of his way to spirit their wounded and mentally broken Captain away and not only let him escape Marineford's battlefield - but operated on him and saved his life. Zoro could admit he was baffled, yet for some reason wasn't to surprised. The Surgeon of Death had seemed rather interested in his Captain back on Sabaody, and while it had indeed made him cautious of the other Supernova, he wasn't particularly worried. Whatever the mad doctor had in mind wouldn't come to pass if it meant his Captain being injured. However, while Zoro thought of protecting his friend, the others were considering other things. Motives, meanings, and for Chopper the question came as to where they could find Trafalgar Law for one specific reason.

"So, the notorious Surgeon of Death is actually a real doctor? Who would of thought it," Usopp mentioned as Robin nodded.

"Apparently his Devil Fruit can do some fairly interesting things that seem to be medically based. Though, that is just hearsay." Sanji huffed, puffing irritatedly on his cigarette.

"Sounds like a real nasty customer. Luffy, have you seen his power in action?" Luffy gave him a timid nod.

"Yea… it's um… admittedly a bit scary. He took people apart and put them back together wrong. No blood or anything, but seeing someone's head replaced with a cannonball isn't very comforting," he admitted as the others gave him a concerned look.

"And… this guy operated on you?! Luffy, are you… sure he was the one who treated you?" Franky was concerned, watching his Captain nod his head slowly to answer him. Something about this whole situation seemed strange and far to purposeful for it to be a simple favor, and it would seem Brook and Nami were thinking the same thing.

"Seems to me, that the Surgeon of Death wanted Luffy to owe him a favor for saving his life," Brook mentioned as the others glanced at their plates and the food that was being placed on them by Sanji. Stomach churning conversations or not - no food would be wasted while he was the cook, and that was final.

"You think that was the reason?" the skeleton nodded at Robin's inquiry.

"Do you honestly think that another Pirate Captain - particularly someone who is now a Warlord - would merely just help another one, especially someone as notorious as Straw Hat Luffy, without expecting some form of compensation?" Luffy flinched at his musician's observation.

He had never doubted that Law had his own agenda, but a part of him had hoped it was done for reasons other than a means to indenture him to the other Captain. However, be it far from him to doubt the opinion of someone who had a solid seventy-one years on him. Nonetheless, Luffy couldn't shake the feeling that Trafalgar Law had done this for more than just personal gain - because, honestly what did Luffy have to offer him? - and that his reasoning was a bit more skewed than what was on the surface. For whatever reason it had been for though, Luffy was eternally grateful for the other Captain's intervention and resourcefulness. Otherwise, he was positive that he wouldn't be sitting here today.

Dark gray eyes glanced down at his own hands that rested atop the table. They trembled slightly with the aftershocks of earlier events and conversations, but at the same time, Luffy could feel some of his nerves restoring to where he was certain he wouldn't fall over if he tried to stand. However, as the others conversed on what they should make of this rescue operation that the Warlord had performed, Luffy could only consider that he desperately wanted to find Trafalgar Law and thank him for saving his life. Even more though, he wanted to know why he had done so, and if there was something he could do to help him in return. In his mind, forming a friendship or something akin to it would be helpful in the long run while in the New World, though finding the older Captain would be the tricky part.

"Hey, Lu? You okay?" Zoro probed, causing him to glance up as he nodded slowly.

"I'm fine… just thinking is all." Nami raised an eyebrow.

"Luffy, if we've talked about all this to much, then we don't need to talk anymore. Eat something and get some rest, okay?" she offered. He quietly nodded his head, picking at the food Sanji had given him as his appetite was all but gone as of current. Talking about the things that had happened in the past, as well as the relapse from that morning had ensured that.

Lunch was extremely quiet, no one talking as they ate and monitored Luffy who Sanji noted as not seeming hungry and more exhausted. Sighing, he sat down, waiting as his Captain took bites that almost looked non-existent. It worried him, seeing how pale the other was and the evident lack of a healthy gleam in his dark eyes. It told Sanji that Luffy was starved somewhat, but that he was so mentally - and physically spent by proxy - that eating wasn't of much interest. Finally, some thirty minutes of tortuously watching his Captain so little that it was painful to observe - Luffy excused himself and got up, leaving to go and lay down in the Captain's Quarters so to not be disturbed by the others. The moment they were sure he was in the other room, Nami turned her attention to the others.

"We've got to make a plan," she said firmly. The others gave slight recognition of agreement, but Usopp was the one who voiced his concerns.

"Nami, he needs a special kind of doctor. Someone who understands how the mind works after this kind of stuff happens. I don't think making a battle strategy is going to actually help at this point," he admitted. The ginger sent him a sharp glare.

"Then what in the hell do we do?! In case you weren't paying attention Usopp, he admitted to hurting himself, we saw it happen! He attacked you and the rest of us! Fuck, if Robin hadn't held him down I don't even want to think about what could have happened! Don't you get it? If we don't come up with something to help Luffy, then next time might be even worse!" she snapped in retaliation, causing Sanji to place a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down as she took in a few shaky breaths.

"Look, I'm just as worried as you are - but we don't know what we're dealing with! This is… this is just out of our league. We can't attack this thing that's been hurting Luffy physically… and for all of the tricks in my bag… there's nothing in there that could fix this or stop it…I can't help him… and I hate that," Usopp explained as he gripped his fork tightly. Robin sighed looking down at her cup of coffee before noticing how quiet Chopper had been.

"Is there something on your mind?" her question drew the attention of everyone, and Chopper nodded slowly, seeming to have been in deep thought.

"A few things, actually. The first being that if anyone can tell us how Luffy was post surgery wake up, then it would be Trafalgar Law. If we could find him, he could give us the details that Luffy can't…" he mentioned. Zoro gave him a deep frown, indicating his displeasure.

"Searching the seas for that lunatic? I don't know if that's a good idea. He's notorious for being cold and cruel towards others. I wouldn't doubt we'd end up going through hell if we crossed paths with him, regardless of whether or not he saved Luffy." Usopp nodded quickly.

"A-Agreed! Let's leave the scary Warlord out of the equation for now!" he said as Chopper shook his head.

"We'll need him. He can tell us what Luffy's mental state was like after he woke up, and that'll be important so we can start forming an idea of what could be triggering all of this and how to best handle it," the tiny reindeer's statement had Usopp wilting while Brook hummed.

"Perhaps, but Chopper? Do you have any idea of what we're dealing with?" rubbing his eyes slightly, the small doctor sat down the carrot he had been munching on earlier and turned his attention towards the others.

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. There are quite a few symptoms, but the common ones are vivid flashbacks, like reliving it, intrusive thoughts or images about the event or something that reminds you of it, nightmares, intense distress at real or symbolic reminders of the trauma, feeling physical sensations such as pain sweating, nausea, or even trembling… but, there's a lot more…" Franky shifted uncomfortably.

"Like… what exactly?" Chopper glanced down.

"Extreme alertness, which we've seen and will be seeing for a while since the relapse was recent. Panicking when reminded of the trauma, getting easily upset or even angry - once again, we've seen this - disturbed sleeping, even lack of it… irritability or aggressive behavior, concentration difficulties, being easily startled, self-destructive behaviour, feeling like there's a need to keep busy, avoiding anything that could remind you of it, being unable to remember details…" Sanji tensed, swallowing hard.

"Dammit… any others we should be aware of?" Chopper nodded, nudging the carrot with his hoof as a means to calm his own nerves.

"Becoming emotionally numb, physically numb, being unable to express affection, becoming dependant on substances, which for Luffy seems unlikely, but the last few indicating symptoms are the ones that worry me the most," he explained as Robin took in a deep breath, seeming to think for a moment.

"Having a sense that you can't trust anyone, that nowhere is safe, that no one understands, blaming yourself for what happened, feeling overwhelming bouts of anger, sadness, guilt, shame, or even stepping into a state of being completely lost to your own mind… detaching completely and going mad with the pressure of it all to the point that it disappears and you just smile in a way that isn't natural… at that point, the person who used to be is almost gone… but, that is fairly uncommon," she interjected.

"You know a bit about this, huh?" she nodded at Brook's question.

"I've endured some of it myself. The moment I saw Luffy's eyes, I knew he was the same as I was before I began learning how to cope and recover. Right now, he's burned out and teetering on the edge of less than pleasant circumstances. Our job, is to keep him from going overboard so to speak," she replied. Chopper gave a small sigh.

"Robin's right. If we want to help Luffy, just being there when he's having episodes is the best first step we can take. Not making him feel suspicious of us or anxious around us is another major priority. Having him feel safe will go a long way in keeping him from relapsing." Sanji huffed, sitting down as he glanced at his Captain's plate, barely touched and thought on the emotions that filtered across his friend's face when he'd described his traumatic ordeal to them earlier.

"Then that's what we do. We help him however we can, even if that means staying up with him all night and just sitting in silence. It doesn't matter… we'll do it and try and find other means of helping him recover, even if it takes decades, we'll do it," he stated. As Zoro smirked.

"Of course we will, and who knows, maybe just a little will go a long way." Chopper gave a swift smile.

"That's the point, overdoing it might make him anxious, so we need to approach it carefully. Kind of like treating a wounded animal," he told them. Nami relaxed some at this point, but even she couldn't shake the feeling that they would be dealing with more of these relapses in the coming months.

{.…}

Author's Note: Merry Christmas! I hope all of my readers have been able to make it through this year safely, and will welcome 2021 with open arms. Let's get through this pandemic together, okay everyone? I know I haven't updated as much as I wanted to this year, but I have a feeling things will be better next year. I'm hoping and praying for everyone's safety and well being during the Holidays and I'll be looking forward to your reviews and readership in 2021.

Update schedule will be renewed and posted January 3rd, 2021 it will entail the stories that will be receiving updates from January - June, and then the second rotation from July - December. That way, I can update more stories while working on my own novel.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to my dear Nakama here.

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.