Authors Note: Hey readers! I'm really excited about all the positive responses I've been getting about the first chapter. I really really REALLY appreciate it. Here's the next chapter!
I do not own One Piece. And this is NOT Yaoi.
The boat rocked softly against the pale waves of the sea as the sound of peoples voices began to drift towards its wooden exterior. The small group advanced towards the ship which swayed with such grace that one would never have expected it to have gone under the knife after countless marine and pirate battles.
"Saaannjjjiiii" A voice rang in a whiny tone throughout the still coastal air. A small teen with raven black hair held a goofy grin pressed against his pale face. He carefully felt a small straw hat in his hands, running his nimble fingers over the grainy and slightly destroyed material of the hat. Luffy tossed it back on his hand, slamming it down on his crown with a dull thud.
A few feet ahead of the captain was the cook with one of his hands stuffed roughly in his suede coat pocket. His other was placed carefully around a cigarette that dangled from the corner of his mouth, barely holding on by the corner of his white, yet tobacco stained teeth. His hand fumbled viciously around in his hand as it searched for a small lighter.
"Sanjii!" The voice called out again to the blonde haired cook who spun viciously around. His brow was furrowed in deep, showing off several tense creases in his forehead. His teeth grinded together briefly, smashing the ends of the unlighted cigarette between his jaw. The taste of unsmoked tobacco seeped into his tongue and Sanjii quickly removed the destroyed cigarette from his mouth and tossed it roughly to the ground. The sweet smell of the salty sea was destroyed and replaced with ash and disgust.
"What is it Luffy?" Sanjii asked angrily, already knowing that the response would have something to do with food. He kicked the crushed cigarette under the sand with a small motion of his foot.
"Food! I'm hungry…" The captain pleaded with his lips pressed tightly together. His black eyes looked up at the chef with an air of innocence and naivety.
Isn't that just a shocker… the cook thought bitterly as he turned around and advanced towards the ship with a small sigh. His black shoes dusted the sand below his feet lightly with delicate steps, causing the tiny grains still sprayed out in every direction from the force.
"I'll feed you something when we get back to the ship." Sanjii responded with an exhausted tone. He had just made something a few hours ago that had seemed like a feast to any normal person. His hands and creativity as a chef felt drained, but he knew that he would always have the passion to cook. But damn, sometimes Luffy really did take all the energy out of the youthful chef.
"I'm rather hungry myself…" Nami echoed behind the pair of boys. She dressed in a casual top, where the sleeves hung down low on her body but clung tightly around the torso. The bright pink shade of the shirt reflected her pale exterior and stood out against her brilliant hair color.
Instantly hearts sprung up in Sanjii eyes as he swooned over to the girl's side with a soft stature. "Of course my flower, I will make you the best food that ever had the grace to taste your tongue."
"Oh why thank you Sanjii dear." Nami responded with a smug look on her face. She gave him a coy smile and bated her eyes softly as Sanjii melted slightly.
"Nothing but the best for my Nami!" Sanjii cooed, his head already dancing with ideas of the perfect meal for his perfect girl. Nami let out a small and flattered hum in response, her mind was elsewhere, thinking back to their failed exploration trip. They had explored much of the island, but had failed to find anything, save a small village on the other outskirts. There were little supplies they could get there, but regardless, Nami knew that they would have to return to get food and wood the next day. It was a long walk and her feet hurt immensely, and she could already feel small bruises and blisters forming under the weight of her heels.
Luffy bore a huge grin, larger than his normal one, with his cheeks reaching out past his rosy ears. "You said once we get back to the ship right?" He asked, his eyes wide and excited. Sanjii responded with a slow nod, not particularly worried as the ship was still a mile or so away.
Unfortunately for Sanjii, a stretchy arm quickly wrapped around his waist and pulled him close to Luffy. The monkey captain let out a goofy laugh and reached his other arm across the sky and the sea, clasping his fingers tightly on the mast of the ship.
Sanji's eyes also grew wide and he managed to stutter out a small "No. No… Luffy" before he was whisked away into the air, sailing through the salty sea sky with the cries of Gomu Gomu Rocket still ringing and echoing in air. Sanjii let out a small and high pitched scream, which he would later testify as a manly yell, which was lost over the ocean. The pair hit the ground of the deck of the ship with a dull thud and left a small dent in the floorboards. Sanjii stumbled off of the rubber boy, his head was spinning and he felt slightly nauseas as he sank down a little in his stature. Small bits of vomit creped up his throat, but Sanjii pushed it down.
"Don't do that. Ever. Again." Sanjii mustered out, his hand rested on his knee and he tried to catch his breath.
Luffy looked back at him with unconcerned eyes and let out a small squeak, which translated to food. Sanjii rolled his eyes and heaved himself up from a hunched position and wandered towards the kitchen.
Back on the dusty beach shore, Nami was fumbling with a complicated knot that held their dingy tied to the shallow dock they had found. The rope was frayed in many places and as her nimble fingers tried to untie the knot she became increasingly frustrated.
"That Luffy…" She mumbled under her breath "He could've taken us with him but –No! We get left here with the small little ship and we don't even Franky here to untie it for us. Selfish, that's what he is…"
Robin clicked her tongue slightly off the roof of her mouth. "Now, now Navigator-son, do you really want to be dragged through the air and have to deal with that unpleasantness all for the sake of saving a few minutes of travel?" The dark hair woman reasoned with a sadistic grin on her face. Almost everybody on the crew had experienced at least one flight with Luffy and nobody had come back feeling tip-top. Even Zoro felt nauseas and couldn't land on his feet when he soared with Luffy.
"Ah… No I guess not." Nami sighed and went back to the knot. Frustrated by the stiff rope she threw her hands up and exclaimed "You untie this damn boat!"
The orange haired women sulked away from the little dingy which floated sadly in the weak waves. Robin walked over towards the difficult knot and began to fumble with the rope, twisting it under and through itself many times.
Meanwhile, Chopper was on the shore with the ladies and Usopp. He was wringing his small hands, or to say hooves, together and his fur looked slightly sickly, with patches reflecting small beads of sweat in the sunlight.
"What's wrong Chopper?" Usopp asked, nudging his small and beastly friend in the shoulder with his hand, which was also covered in sweat but for a completely different reason.
"Uh... Nothing. Nothing at all!" Chopper exclaimed, his voice was hurried and rushed as the words escaped his mouth with a small amount of air. He let out a pathetic attempt of a laugh at the end.
Usopp looked down at his little friend and pushed his nose up towards the air with his tan finger and said "Hmm… my keen senses detect a lie Chopper! Don't lie to your captain." Usopp chuckled nervously afterwards. Nami let her eyes roll and shot Usopp a small look of you-dirty-little-hypocrite.
Chopper looked down at his hooves guilty and whispered out, "It's about Zoro…"
At this Nami's ears perked up and directed her gaze from Robin to Chopper. "Oh my, what did that muscle head do this time?" In her head little dollar signs were already ringing up, the sound of a cash register chinking followed.
"Nothing! Well, not really…" Chopper said defensively.
"Well then, what is it?" Nami berated. Her hands were placed elegantly on her hips and a motherly expression overcame her youthful face. Tight creases formed at her lips and a small look of worry could be seen in her eyes.
"It's just his injuries have been really bad lately…" Chopper continued, but let his sentence trail off.
"Yes, we have noticed that. He isn't very careful with his wounds is he?" Robin interjected, holding the rope for the dingy in her hands.
"Exactly!" Chopper exclaimed with a look of relief. However that quickly faded with his next sentence, "Which… is why... I kind of drugged him before we left."
"What do you mean… drugged him?" Usopp asked attentively.
"Well I didn't want him to be training and pushing his injuries and he needs to rest. So I just gave him a little," More like a lot to keep a man of his strength and will power down, "of a numbing drug- Just until we got back. But now I'm kind of scared to return to the ship."
Scared of Zoro? Nami thought curiously, gnawing at the edge of her lip. Sure, Zoro was strong and rash and had almost as much judgment as a 5 year old and was powerful and had a small temper problem and… wait… oh yes, he would never hurt his nakama. Chopper is just overreacting and overanalyzing this.
"I'm sure swordsman-son knows that you had the best intentions for him and was only concerned for his health." Robin reasoned.
True, but when has Zoro ever been one to listen to reason? Nami scoffed to herself. But she quickly pushed the thought out of her head.
"Zoro would never hurt you Chopper or be mad at you. He'll get over it. And it was only, what? A few hours we were gone? He can deal." She responded with a cheeky smile on her face as she laid a comforting hand on Chopper's furry shoulder.
He nodded slightly and crawled onto the dingy, where Usopp was already waiting. The small group helped each other into the boat, after little assistance from Usopp who was wildly thrashing about, convinced that some foreign sea creature was assaulting him.
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After several minutes, which had felt like hours to Nami who had to listen to Usopps rampant tales and stories, the group finally reached the Sunny. With a small flick of her wrist, Robin created a ladder made completely of her arms. She hoisted herself up onto the vessel and searched for a real ladder to use. She knew her crew mates did not approve of walking on her arms. The idea didn't seem all too strange to her, but she knew that to the others it was rather odd.
"Anytime now!" Nami shouted with her foot angrily tapping against the hull of the ship. Robin scurried on the deck for a few moments, finally seeing a rope dangling in the corner. She picked up the dusty ladder and tossed it overboard. The rest of the group proceeded to climb out of their little dingy and onto their grand ship.
With a small huff, Nami pulled herself over the railing and stood up. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to go see if Sanjii can make me something to eat." She said before she left towards the kitchen. Robin nodded in agreement and followed after her.
After Usopp and Chopper, with a great amount of slips, trips and difficulty, managed to get on the deck, Franky showed up with a bright smile. "'Sup Bros!"
Usopp responded with a gracious smile and cocked his head towards the dingy which floated uselessly in the ocean tide. "We should probably put a ladder in there. And paddles or oars." Franky walked over to the railing and gently threw himself over the side, landing precariously in the rocking dingy. "No problem! I got this…" He shouted over the roar of the ocean and he set to work modifying their little dingy.
"I… I'm going to go check on Zoro." Chopper stated nervously.
Usopp gave Chopper a small slap on the back and a quick, confident smile, "Don't worry about it!"
And with that, Chopper trailed off towards the infirmary. His hooves dragged against the wood as he approached the door and with a deep breath he pushed the wooden gateway open. It's just Zoro… Calm down Chopper! He thought to himself.
Zoro lay thrown across his bed with his arms locked behind the back of his head and his legs spread out eagle-styled. Chopper walked forward into the room, the floorboards squeaking slightly beneath his small frame. He gulped and carefully whispered "Zoro?" Almost hoping for no reply.
The sleeping figure stirred slightly, craning his head and neck towards Chopper before opening his piercing eyes to the light. Zoro laid there for a brief second before bolting up into a sitting position. Quickly, the blood flowed from his head and a wave of dizziness swarmed his vision. Letting out a small grunt, Zoro moved his head down slightly and held it in his hand, pushing slightly trying to get rid of the nausea.
"Don't get up to fast Zoro!" Chopper squeaked out as he immediately scurried to the swordsman side. He casually placed one hove on Zoro's shoulder, but the swordsman shrugged it away with a sigh.
A dull thudding echoed in Zoro's head and pounded against the walls of his head. His hand squeezed harder against the side of his head, trying to push the headache out. Groggily, his head calmed down and thoughts and memories began to formulate in his head. Urgh… Zoro thought painfully, fighting his thoughts through the headache, What's going on… He slurred out another mumbling under his breath that came off as a groan. Almost instantly however, his memory slammed into the crevice of his mind, physically causing Zoro to gasp for air. His chest heaved out and the memory of him being drugged rushed into his head and crashed into his brain. Zoro lunged forehead, bringing both of his hands to his head with weariness.
"You drugged me…" Zoro said, more of a statement than a question. His fingers felt stiff and numb. He tried to move his legs forward slightly, but they felt heavy like lead. Zoro rolled his shoulders back with a small creak.
Chopper stood there with his eyebrows furrowed in and a worried expression. "Ah…um..." he stuttered, but he couldn't find real words.
Zoro turned his head sharply towards Chopper and there was a dark look in his eyes that Chopper had never seen, and wished to never see again. His passionate green eyes had turned sour and had a sickly look to them, clouded with musty silver over his pupils. Zoros front lip turned up slightly and part of his teeth showed in an angry snarl to Chopper. "You drugged me." Zoro repeated with a sense of defiance and anger.
He made a small movement, almost as though he were about to stand up and charge, and Chopper flinched away and retreated a few steps. The poor reindeer looked stunned and confused, wringing his hooves through his thick fur he felt the air intensify around him and suddenly oxygen didn't seem to want to flow into his lungs. Chopper found himself retreating a few more steps until he was a distance away from Zoro, who looked almost sickly from his point of view.
"I… I had to." Chopper whimpered out.
"Had to?" Zoro asked. His head tilted slightly to the sight, but Zoro didn't seem the slightest bit curious in the question. He felt as though he already knew the answer.
"You…" Chopper began, his voice raising and becoming more powerful. "You needed to rest! I'm sorry but your injuries are too severe, I couldn't let you move, let alone train!"
Zoro almost chuckled slightly, "I've seen worse than this. And I will see worse than this. If I don't train then I will not get better and this will keep happening." He spoke forcefully and with a small sneer across his chapped lips.
Chopper let out a small sigh before he continued. "Which is why you need to rest. If you don't rest then you won't ever get better!"
"Well you didn't have to drug me!" Zoro shot back, still feeling the slow numbness that came from the drug. It itched at his legs from the inside, but Zoro could feel the stiffness slowly leaving his system.
"Yes I did! I know you Zoro and you would've hopped right out of bed and started training again. You'd be killing yourself!" Chopper shouted back, his voice was rising slightly higher and with a tone of authority that the doctor rarely expressed.
"So what? You don't trust me?" Zoro retorted, but just as the words left his mouth Zoro knew something was wrong. Those weren't his words. That is to say, they came out of his mouth, his tone of voice, but they weren't his. He stared at the doctor, dumfounded for a brief second with his mouth slightly opened. Zoro's head throbbed slightly as he tried to figure out why he said that. I… Didn't say that. But it seemed so right and true but… it feels wrong. Have I heard that phrase before? He strained his brain, but couldn't remember anything and eventually that thought passed his mind as he returned to his present conversation with Chopper.
"No…no…" Chopper rebutted. Tiny tears welled up in the corner of his eyes, but Chopper bit his lip, holding them back. He didn't want to appear weak to Zoro. "That's not true. I trust you Zoro. I really do. But I know you and I know your fight to be the best, even when it threatens your life and I will not let you kill yourself for a few hours of training."
A brief silence interjected between the pair who just stared at each other with tense looks of confusion and fear. Zoro heaved out a large breath. Reason had snuck into him. I can't expect him to understand. He's just doing his job as a doctor.
Zoro, whose legs had found their circulation and movement again, advanced towards Chopper, who shrunk back and squeezed his eyes closed for a brief second through fear. A sad look crossed Zoro's face at this. Is he really scared of me...Shit. He thought solemnly as he looked at his cowering crew mate.
Zoro gnawed the inside of his lip for a split second before placing one of his sturdy hands on Choppers waning shoulders. It tensed briefly for a second, his thick fingers ruffling through Choppers matted fur. Zoro could feel Choppers heartbeat, how fast and scared it was. I'm not wrong, Zoro thought sharply …But I guess neither are you.
He withdrew his hand from Choppers shoulder and pushed open the door that leads out from the infirmary. It swung open quietly and Zoro followed it out, leaving a scared and even more confused Chopper in its wake.
Authors Note: Two months for an update? Sorry. But I swear I have legit reasons. I'm a sophomore in high school and I've been going through a lot of stuff. One of my friends recently got in a car accident and her entire family died including her (R.I.P Morgan) and it's just been really harsh at school and in our town. And normally, our town in the safest place ever and really nice. And another sophomore at our school just got arrested for child molestation. It's just been a hard few months, so I apologize for lack of update. And if you read my other stories, updates will probably take just as long on those.