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Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.
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Chapter 6 – A bird needs to fly
„Loyalty, trust, and friendship are hard to come by... it's unconditional, it's heartfelt, and it's always being honest with those who matter the most."
That night, Nami hardly found any sleep. The constant worry and sadness was taking its toll on her, not to mention their latest discover. Had the marines really planned this all along? What Robin said could be true, there were some frighteningly cogitative tacticians. But to purposefully aim at their captain with something they couldn't directly fight... would they use such cruel manovers even though most of them knew Luffy wasn't some brutal serial killer? There were hundreds of pirates who were much worse than them – monsters who buried people alive and slaughtered civilians just for the fun of it.
They were just a bunch of young people who tried to live their dreams. They had helped so many on their journey and even beat Crocodile. How could they use such a dishonoring method on them?
Nami sobbed quietly. She knew the answer already. People would gladly accept such methods if it meant defeating the enemy, no matter what the price may be. The marines didn't look at all the good things Luffy had done, they only saw the flag he sailed under.
He was a pirate, and he was the son of the most wanted criminal. The blood of the demon was flooding in his veins, and he carried a D. in his name. Nami didn't know why, but the marines feared the D. and wanted to destroy that bloodline.
It didn't make sense to Nami. If only they saw Luffy the way she did. He was her savior, her friend. She was furious they even dared to try and take him away.
There was one question, though, that really nagged her mind. When did they infect Luffy with that virus? Or was it something else? Doctor Vegapunk surely had his hands in there. To waste such a genius to invent methods built for killing people... it was inhuman, Nami thought bitterly. They really wanted Luffy to suffer and Nami had never hated anyone so much than those guys responsible for his pain. A tear made her way down her cheek and it was quickly rubbed away.
"Stop crying like a baby. It won't help him in any way." She whispered to herself in anger. The navigator wracked her brain but she didn't know how they managed to sneak up on them. It all started a few days ago, at that cursed island. Gerino island. Yeah, that was the name. The crew had split up and everyone had spread out to buy whatever they needed. Luffy had been off to exploring like usual, and even though Chopper and Usopp went after him, he had been alone for quite awhile.
What did those marine bastards do to him? The only solution that came to Nami's mind had to do with food. They probably poisoned his food, pushing him into a trap precisely constructed just for him, Strawhat Luffy. These damn cowards! She had to talk to Robin the next day to confirm this assumption. Besides, she longed to hear the other woman's voice again, they hadn't talked to each other for what seemed like an eternity.
Her mind wandered around and she briefly wondered if Garp knew of this. He must feel stabbed in the back by life itself. The so called justice he devoted his life to not only killed Ace but was about to do the same to his only other grandson; Nami couldn't help but feel pity for that old man. Luffy was probably the only family he had left.
Nami shivered at a sudden chill (was this a bad omen?) and rubbed her arms in a poor effort to warm herself up. A quick glance to Robin to confirm the archaeologist was still sound asleep, Nami got up and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. Nami decided a cup of hot chocolate would help and quietly went out.
On her way to the kitchen she stopped by the infirmary and put her ear against the wooden door to listen. When nothing was heard, a sudden feeling of dread filled her stomach and she gasped, ripping the door open. Immediately, Zoro shot up from his chair besides Luffy's bed, hand on his swords. He blinked in surprise and stepped back when he saw the navigator, but Nami didn't even bother to look at him. Instead, she rushed to her captain. Nami released an audible breath of relief as she realized Luffy was breathing soundly and was indeed very much alive.
"Thank god," she murmured and grabbed her head. The strain on her body was visible and her hands shook slightly.
Zoro sighed and sat back down. "You need to sleep more, woman."
Nami shot around, anger written across her face. "Who are you to tell me that?"
"Keep it down. You'll wake him."
"Don't change the subject! You are the one who runs away all the time!" Nami snapped, this time dropping her vocals a bit. Zoro looked at her with calm eyes and that look made Nami even more furious.
"Don't just sit there, answer me Zoro!"
Zoro's voice was void of any emotion and suddenly, all anger drained from Nami's voice. She had mistaken that look. It wasn't a fake It's-gonna-be-fine-attitude anymore. Zoro had gotten rid of all his doubts and regrets and the other emotions, he just stared at her coldly. It scared Nami to no end. The Zoro she knew had never been like this before. She didn't recognize him. He'd never been this cold.
"Damn it, get a grip." She whispered and Zoro wasn't sure to whom she was talking to.
"If you plan on giving me another lecture of yours, then get out. Luffy doesn't need a noise maker in here." Zoro said in his deep-monotone voice.
A loud smack followed, his vision spun for a moment, then he turned his head back to Luffy, ignoring the ringing in his ear. He didn't look at Nami who still had her hand stretched out and glared at him with tears in her eyes.
"You damn idiot!" She sobbed harshly and stomped out. Zoro didn't even blink as he was left alone with an oblivious Luffy again.
"She shouldn't cause such a ruckus." He said, more to himself. He leaned over to take a closer look at Luffy. Even though his face didn't change, there was a soft glimpse in Zoro's eye as he watched his captain's sleeping face. Luffy looked uncomfortable and there was a small frown on his face.
Maybe he was dreaming of that dreading place again where none of them could help him. Or maybe he was in pain from the sickness. Zoro couldn't tell, but he hated being the helpless watcher. He was no doctor, but waking Chopper when Luffy wasn't in immediate life-danger seemed wrong. The little reindeer was exhausted and they needed him fit to cure Luffy. He had searched endlessly to find an antidote these past days and he really needed as much rest as he could grasp.
Zoro's thoughts went back to Luffy. He didn't think of how bad he'd treated Nami earlier, even though the navigator was emotionally the most fragile of them all. It was sad, really. The three of them had known Luffy the longest, and yet their bond wasn't strong enough to withstand this. Of course it was hard for everyone, but sometimes they thought they were the only ones suffering.
Zoro didn't really think about his actions anymore, he just acted on instinct. And his instinct told him he would hurt less when he pushed away his feelings, locking them up in a dark and lonely place. He felt that he had to spend as much time with Luffy as he could; he had to protect him and would never leave his side. Then Luffy would never get himself in danger like the other night, and no marine guy nor any other possible threat would come near him again. Zoro swore to himself that he would never fail Luffy again. Not again.
Zoro carefully lifted his hand over Luffy's mouth to check on his breathing. Of course he was still breathing. This was Luffy after all, right? Though Nami had freaked out earlier and he couldn't really blame her for that.
Sometimes, when the dark thoughts that swirled around in his head would become too heavy, the swordsman would jump up and jerkily, clumsily grasped Luffy's hand in his own shaking ones and check on the pulse. It just showed how special Luffy was to him.
Zoro had never had a friend like Luffy, and he would make sure to treasure their friendship well. The swordsman wanted to make sure Luffy's trust in him was warranted. He was stronger than that, he would not break down.
Even if it meant betraying his own feelings. Even if it meant blocking out everything and everyone around him.
That very moment, Luffy decided to open his eyes. Zoro nearly knocked his chair over as he shot up from his seat in relief and surprise.
"Luffy!"
Mentioned captain blinked for what seemed like forever before he turned his head in slow-motion to his first mate. Zoro's breath hitched in his throat and he was actually scared of what might come next. His heart pounded loudly in his chest; he cursed himself as he inwardly asked a question he never thought he would ask.
Would Luffy recognize him?
"Luffy?" Zoro said quietly, and sounded not at all like himself. There seemed nothing left of the old Demon Hunter or the man who quietly returned to this ship after two years, full of pride and conviction. There sat a man who was scared for his friend's life.
"Zoro." Luffy answered without hesitation and a brick of ton in form of relief fell off Zoro's very soul.
He tried to play it off by asking, "How are ya, you troublemaker?"
"Tired." The answer didn't surprise Zoro at all. Luffy didn't look too good, pale face and dark circles under his eyes. Zoro looked him up and down and decided Luffy looked as if he'd just woken from a battle with Crocodile and Lucci combined. To make it short, more dead than alive.
"You look like crap." He blurted out and Luffy sleepily glanced back at him. Zoro ruffled his hair in an apologizing manner and Luffy actually smiled back at him. It didn't blow him out of his socks like his usual blinding grins, but this was by far the best thing Zoro'd seen for a long time.
Between all this darkness and depression, was there really space for a glimpse of hope?
"I feel like crap," Luffy rasped back at him and to prove his point, coughed harshly. "Ouch. How long have I been out?"
"For nearly two days." Zoro enjoyed talking to him again. It was as if everything was back to normal.
"Darn it. I'm not even hungry enough to make up for all the meals I missed." Luffy whined in a raspy voice. Again, Zoro wasn't surprised. "How are the others?"
Zoro couldn't help but roll his eye at that. Leave it to Luffy when it came to worrying about others in such situations. But that was why he was treasured by all of them so much.
"They are doing okay, I guess. More of less." He muttered back, not sure how to answer that. Luffy sensed something wrong in the air and frowned slightly.
"Zoro, I don't exactly know what's wrong with me, but I want all of you to be happy. You know that, right?" Luffy said in all seriousness and Zoro nodded slowly. There went the 'back-to-normal' situation and the 'harsh-reality-situation' hit him in the face instead. Zoro frowned, not liking with how much finality Luffy spoke.
"Of course you do. We know that very well, but captain, we're all waiting for you to come back to us." Damn it, had he really said that? Zoro bit his lip, hating his weak-self with passion. How could he-
Luffy interrupted his thoughts of misery with a simple, "Yeah." As Zoro waited for a burst of 'I'm-gonna-be-the-Pirateking-after-all' that just had to follow, nothing came, much to his disappointment. Quite the reverse was the case. It was disturbing to see Luffy so serious and creepily calm at the same time.
"I know." Luffy added after a while. "I'm trying, Zoro. I'm really trying. But it's so hard just to keep my eyes open."
Zoro's heart nearly tore as he heard those words from his vulnerable captain. If he could get his hands on those guys who did this to him, Zoro would personally make sure to tear them to shreds with his own hands and throw the remains into a fire.
"It's okay, Luffy." Zoro said and it sounded convincing to Luffy. The nineteen-years-old was grateful he had Zoro with him right now. Zoro always knew what to say. And Zoro never lied to him.
"We're trying our best, too." Zoro promised, and Luffy was glad, because Zoro never lied. Right?
Luffy closed his eyes and fell into a deep, dreamless slumber, distantly registering a calloused hand on his forehead.
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The next time he woke up, he felt unbelievable hot. That was weird, because his body was shivering madly and it was incredibly uncomfortable. He moaned because he felt too tired and too confused to form words. Harsh pants left his lips and he coughed, mildly surprised to find blood leaking out of his mouth.
"Crap," he muttered. Luffy had been sure the worst part was over, but now the mystery sickness was coming back with full force. The pain in his stomach and lungs from before had become more intense and seemed to spread all over his body. Luffy closed his eyes tightly and more blood splattered down his chin, staining the white sheets in crimson red. A violent shudder went through his body and a small groan escaped his throat as he trashed in his bed. Why on earth was it so damn hot in here?
The clearness of his mind had vanished and confusion was taking its place again. Luffy was so busy dealing with the sudden agony that he hadn't even registered the other person in the room.
"You awake Luffy? Can you hear me?" Usopp asked and he sounded slightly panicked.
Addressed person turned to where the voice was coming from and tried to make out who was behind that blurry shadow. "Usopp?" he murmured back, breath coming in hitches.
"Y-yeah, you got that right. Hold on, I'm gonna get Chopper!" Usopp said and was about to dash out, but Luffy beat him to it.
"Wait, Usopp!"
The sniper nearly tripped over his own feet and turned back to his captain. "Uh, yeah?"
Luffy tried to sit up but soon gave up. Talking was exhausting enough. "D-don't go. It's okay now. Don't wake Chopper."
Usopp's face softened and he calmed a bit. Worry was evident on his features as he sat back down next to his panting friend. "You sure? You sound like you're about to hyperventilate."
"No, it's getting better." Truth be told, his gasping stopped after a minute and Usopp sighed in relief. Luffy closed his eyes, ready to fall asleep again, but an all too familiar sense of bile rising in his throat prevented him from doing so. He gasped as he shot up, ignoring his spinning head as he grabbed his twisting stomach.
Usopp jumped up, alarmed. "Oi, what's wro- oh. Oh! D-don't worry! Do you think you can make it to the bathroom?"
Luffy nodded quickly, hand pressed tightly against his mouth. That was all Usopp needed. He didn't waste any more time as he scooped Luffy into his arms like a little kid and raced out of the infirmary. The air outside was chilling but Luffy didn't feel it, he was sweating up a storm. It felt actually really nice to be out of that small room and feel the light breeze of the wind on his hot skin.
Usopp ran to the next bathroom, mindful of a weak Luffy in his arms, and let him down before the toilet. It was not too late as Luffy emptied what little contents he had in his stomach. After a while he was dry heaving and Usopp bent down to gently rub his back, hoping to calm his friend's upset stomach. Luffy gasped and tried to catch his breath again. He thought he would feel better after puking, but instead he felt even worse. Another wave of nausea washed over him and he quickly bent over the toilet again.
Usopp could only watch helplessly, not sure if he should go and get Chopper or not. On the other hand, he didn't want to leave Luffy alone in that state. That's why he decided to stay with his poor captain until the fit was over and he could guide him back to bed.
"Usopp...," Luffy muttered breathlessly as Usopp lifted him in his arms again.
"Hm?" The sniper replied, his glance focused straight ahead.
"I'm sorry...," This caused Usopp to look down into Luffy's eyes, and the sight took him aback. He watched his sick friend's face closely as Luffy looked down in shame. Usopp's eyes widened and he nearly tripped over his own legs but managed not to lose his footing.
For a moment he considered shouting at Luffy for saying stupid things, but he quickly decided against this. In his fevered state Luffy would only hear the anger in his voice, not the words. He'd probably get it wrong and things were already difficult enough. So instead he answered,
"Sorry? Don't be silly, Luffy! There's nothing for you to apologize."
Luffy didn't hear the answer anymore. He'd already fallen asleep in Usopp's arms. The sharpshooter bit his lip, bowing his head.
-A few hours later-
Somewhere between the depths of darkness and fog, Luffy's ears caught the sound of boots walking away. Even though he was hot and there was pain and his world was spinning, Luffy was curious.
He fought for a while, swimming his way through pitch black water towards the bright surface even though he didn't even know how to swim. He felt as there were some of Zoro's weights tied to his hands and feet since they were so heavy all of sudden. As he broke through the water's surface, his senses returned to him and he blinked warily, trying to get used to the sudden brightness.
Ugh, the daylight made his head hurt even more. Luffy didn't know that the sun could hurt so much. What had happened? Ah, right. Usopp had carried him earlier, and then he nothing. He must've fallen asleep and Usopp probably tucked him in. And before that?
Luffy had only pieces of his memories, flashes of pictures and somewhere between all this mess there was rain and darkness and... Zoro? Why did he look so … so out of character? Was that really him? What had he done to make Zoro look like that? Luffy bit his lip, feeling responsible for his friend's discomfort. He wanted to remember more, brows creasing in concentration but there was nothing but darkness and pain. A sharp pain in his head forced his thoughts to a abrupt stop and he groaned. Then he lay there, staring at the ceiling with half-opened eyes and sighed sadly.
A deep sigh sounded from the back of his sore throat and Luffy turned his head away from the stinging sunlight. He felt ashamed of himself; embarrassed that his body was still so weak and couldn't even take on a stupid sickness. Was his crew disappointed of him? Luffy gulped, pearls of sweat rolling down his face. His hair felt wet and stuck to his forehead and Luffy had the sudden urge to kick off this thick blanket.
Maybe they were sad he hadn't managed to get better yet. Maybe they had counted on him to jump up and run around and demand meat like usually. Luffy wanted to apologize to them for holding them up like this, for making them worry so much all the time. Usopp and Zoro had looked rather disturbed earlier. Luffy felt really sorry for turning them into baby sitters and making them look after him all the time. They all had dreams to follow and ambitions to fulfill. They didn't have time for that now.
Emitting something between a pained moan and a whine, Luffy decided he wanted to see his friends. He disliked being alone more than anything and now that Usopp had obviously left him because he had something better to do, Luffy thought it was up to him to see what they were doing.
Hold on, what was he thinking? Usopp would never leave him unless he had a very good reason to do so. He probably just wanted to go and get some food, Luffy decided with a nod to himself. Despite himself, the captain began to unconsciously wrack his brain again. His thoughts were tangled like a cable spaghetti, but there was one thing in the middle of the mess that was rather clear: His nakama.
Maybe he should prove them that he was still their old Luffy, the guy who came back from everything alive. There was nothing to worry about. He felt already a little better. Okay, just a tiny little bit. But he was stronger than that, he would win this fight.
With a determined frown upon his face, he pushed himself up on shaking arms. Damn it, he felt so weak! He hated his own body for failing on him and grumbled angrily as if to make it move. Luffy cheered for himself as he managed to sit up and swing his legs over the edge of the sheets. This was good! Now the rest would be easier! He just had to get his spinning vision under control. After he waited for a few seconds, the blurriness slowly faded. The enormous headache remained, but Luffy could deal with that. At least, he was able to see properly now.
His feet made contact with the cold floor and he shivered slightly. Luffy wore black shorts and a red t-shirt but suddenly, he felt a little cold. Weird, because seconds before he had sweated up a storm. As if that was going to stop him now! He wanted to step forward, but as his legs buckled under his weight and he crashed to the floor with a ringing head and pain everywhere, he had to admit this was going to be harder than he thought.
-Meanwhile -
They were all seated in the kitchen. Sanji was cooking breakfast but no one paid heed to him as they all watched in surprise when Usopp entered.
"Is Robin with him?" Chopper asked immediately. Usopp denied and this caused some of them to gasp.
"You left him alone?!" Nami's enraged voice cut through the air like a knife. "Didn't we all agree that it's best not to leave him out of our eyes? You know what happened last time!"
Zoro twitched a little but otherwise showed no emotion. Usopp cringed at those words, flinching backwards.
"I know, I'm sorry. But he's okay now. He's sleeping." Usopp answered. "Anyways, I just wanted someone to switch place with me because I nearly fell asleep earlier. That wouldn't be keeping eyes on Luffy, would it?"
Franky blinked at the cocky undertone in the sniper's voice but didn't comment on it. "Guess you're right, Usopp-bro. You have been with him for a few hours alright, it's time for a pause."
"Yeah. Oh, and before, he was kind of hyperventilating and... uhm, Luffy threw up. I mean, we managed to reach the bathroom in time. But I thought it would be important to mention. It came fast and was over pretty soon, too. I- It really shocked me."
Chopper's ears perked up at that. "His breathing troubles got worse?"
"No, he was breathing fine after the fit." Usopp answered, and suddenly there was a wet towel in his face. "What the-",
"What the hell, Usopp?" Sanji spat. There were flashes of a dead-looking Luffy before his inner eyes and he clenched his fists. Last night he had fed a small plate of soup to a nearly unresponsible Luffy and doubted his captain could even remember that. The cook couldn't bear the near comatose state Luffy had been in and couldn't get those pictures out of his head. It was terrifying him.
Nami's eyes widened and she raised from her seat. "Calm down, Sanji-kun!"
"No need to throw stuff." Franky agreed. This only added more fuel to the fire in Sanji's eyes. Chopper dreaded what was about to come and backed down a little.
"Guys...," but no one paid attention to him.
"He nearly fell overboard the night before and you have nothing better to do than to leave him alone? I'm glad we can count on you and the marimo!" Sanji barked angrily, stomping towards the door. Zoro cracked his eye open and sent daggers into the cook's direction for that comment.
"What the fuck?! Leave me out of this, asshole!" Zoro growled dangerously and Usopp wasn't happy about what Sanji said, either. Chopper sensed this was going to escalate but what could he do, really?
Luffy, on the other hand, had a weird feeling in his stomach and he forced his tired, aching legs to move faster. Something was wrong, he just couldn't quite put a finger on it. The sun was already up and since no one was on deck, Luffy figured his crew would be in the kitchen. Funny, he didn't feel like eating at all even though he couldn't remember the last time he ate.
It was exhausting to walk and Luffy was out of breath when he finally reached the kitchen door.
"Finally." he muttered under his breath. He'd never really noticed how big this ship was up until now. Wiping away the sweat from his brow, Luffy straightened his back and tried to look as casual as possible. Grinning, he stepped forward. He could hear faint voices; opening the door, Luffy felt happy to see his crew again.
Suddenly, his smile fell. What he saw made his eyes go wide. The strawhat boy would have been less surprised if Arlong had celebrated a party in the kitchen! It seemed more possible than this. He only saw everyone up and most of them at each other's throats. The tension in the air was high and to Luffy, really unfamiliar. This couldn't be. What was going on here?
Hadn't Zoro told him, no, hadn't he promised him they were doing okay without him? Did Zoro take a promise that lightly? No way. Luffy trusted Zoro almost more than himself, he would always tell him the truth! But why were they... why were his friends fighting?!
"Why on earth didn't you call Chopper, you moron?!"
"Shut up, Sanji!" Usopp barked, not backing down to a furious cook.
"Who are you to tell me to shut up, huh?! You are too unresponsive to watch him!"
"Calm down!" Chopper pleaded helplessly. Luffy gaped in shock, his mouth feeling really dry.
"Who are you guys?" he asked. No one heard him. His eyes were shaded by his dark hair.
Zoro grumbled a few insults but eventually, he sat back down with arms crossed over his chest, seemingly not listening to his shouting friends around him. It looked as if he was trying to block out all sort of noise.
The volume was rising, Nami was crying into her hands, Sanji, Usopp and Franky were screaming at each other. Zoro ignored them all, Chopper weeped and clasped his hooves over his ears and Brook just stared ahead.
Something inside of Luffy clicked as he saw this and he inhaled deeply, accidentally unleashing a little bit of his haki.
"Would you STOP IT!" he shouted at the top of his lungs and startled everyone, effectually silencing them. They rubbed their arms, shuddering from the haki as goosebumps formed on their skin. And finally, they realized their captain standing in the doorway and utter dread filled their stomach. Even Zoro looked slightly alarmed. For a second, they all thought they were seeing things.
"Luffy?" Nami asked, tears still rolling down her face.
"What are you doing out of bed?!" Chopper asked in shock.
"How long have you been here?"
Usopp frowned. "Luffy?"
Luffy narrowed his eyes at them. "Who are you?" This shocked the crew even more. Didn't he recognize them? Was he hallucinating again...?
"What are you saying, it's us. Your nakama." Franky tried, worry evident in his voice. Luffy glared at them.
"My friends wouldn't treat each other as enemies! So who the heck are you!?"
This sentence alone was enough to cut them deeply. They were speechless. Realization set in.
Staring at each other, Sanji and Usopp stumbled back, blanching as if they'd seen a ghost. Franky awkwardly cleared his throat and Nami and Chopper rubbed away their tears. Zoro and Brook remained quiet but watched their captain. Zoro had to restrain himself from jumping up and knocking the idiot over the head for leaving his bed, but he sensed Luffy was furious enough to stop him and knock him against a wall. Even in a weakened state, Luffy was enormously strong. Besides that, Zoro would never stand in his captain's way, so he decided to watch for now, ready to move.
The small outburst had cost Luffy a lot of energy, and he was panting hard. Still, everyone could see just how angry he was and they all looked away in regret, eyes casting down to the floor.
"We...," Sanji started but didn't continue. He didn't know what to say. It was painfully obvious how much they had shocked their captain. Of course, Luffy was right. How could they fight in such a situation? How could they treat each other so horribly?
But it was nearly impossible not to argue. No body was in a good mood and the tension got thicker and thicker. They just couldn't help it; pretending normality when there was so much left to lose was hard.
Just as Nami opened her mouth to say something, her words got caught in her throat. Luffy paled suddenly, and his eyes rolled back. Chopper saw it coming and jumped up with a gasp. He barely managed to catch his now unconscious captain before he hit the hard floor. Zoro was beside him mere seconds later, looking as if he wanted to help but didn't know what to do.
"Luffy!" They all shouted; he had fainted so unexpectedly like the first time.
"Damn it, he shouldn't be up! His fever is rising again!" The reindeer declared in shock. "Sanji, I need hot water! Usopp, go and get some towels!"
They looked at the limp form of Luffy, no one moving for a second. "Wasn't he better before...? What's going on?" Franky muttered. Chopper had enough.
"His life is on the line, goddammit! This is not the time to stare, get yourself together! Hurry!" He screamed furiously and managed to snap them out of their shock. Immediately, they jumped into action and got the things Chopper demanded while the reindeer ran back to the infirmary.
"Hold on, Luffy!" He spoke softly, feeling Luffy's breath against his neck growing weaker.
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They all felt awful and responsible for Luffy's worsened state. They had caused Luffy to freak out and use his last bit of energy to silence them. What kind of crew were they?
They were waiting in front of the infirmary and even Robin had left the library and stood on deck. Worry was shining in her eyes and she didn't bother to hide it.
No one said a word. Despair settled into their hearts like a parasite. Despite all, Luffy's small outburst hadn't been enough to repair their crumbling bonds. None of them had the heart to apologize to each other.
Usopp buried his head in his arms as one thought shot through his head like a flash to punish him.
'We're horrible.'
Chopper was still working on Luffy and fought hard to get him stable again, but his heart rate was irregular. This worried Chopper the most. It looked really, really bad – and it had all been so sudden! Everything had been looking better, and suddenly, it all went down the hill again. He knew Luffy was really trying his best to overcome this, but whatever the marines managed to infect him with was stronger than they all thought. It was not over yet.
The truth was horrible and unforgiving and too loud for Chopper to bear, but he had to face it. Luffy was slipping away under his hooves.
With a loud gasp he realized Luffy's heart had stopped again. While in utmost concentration, he didn't even notice the wetness leaking from his eyes as he fought for his captain's life.
"Don't die on me, Luffy!" Chopper hissed through clenched teeth.
He didn't hear the sounds of a fight from outside, and he ignored the violent rocking of the Sunny. Cannonballs flew through the air, barely missing its aim. But Chopper knew he couldn't afford to get distracted no matter what. Luffy's life was in his hands, and only he could save him. He had to trust his friends to protect the ship.
Even though they had been ready to fight for real earlier, they were somehow, more or less, back to their old teamwork. Usopp and Nami guided each others back like usual, but bumped into each other occasionally which never happened before. Zoro never looked at the others, nor did Sanji or Brook. Franky never shouted a super.
They had all seen the wide eyes of their captain earlier, and they knew Luffy was shocked to see them like this, to see them breaking apart because of him. It tore them up but instead of waking them from their cold and self-pitying demeanor, it only fed on their misery. The friendly atmosphere, the laughter and smiles, everything had vanished. They were angry and helpless and needed an outlet – either they directed the frustration against each other or against the marines and bounty hunters. Just like now.
They beat the bounty hunters into a pulp and literally threw them off their ship. Maybe it wasn't so bad they came around to relieve some of the tension but in the end, it didn't help their situation at all.
They knew this was just the beginning, and it was probably part of the marines' tactic that many bounty hunter or other pirates would go after Luffy's head now that he was weakened and near death. It was smart of the marines to try and turn them against each other, and so far they were pretty successful. They had analysed their crew and found out how to turn their strongest weapon against them: Their friendship.
Had they finally found a way to beat the infamous Strawhat Crew after all?
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My apologies for grammar mistakes and all, I just finished this chapter in a mad writing rush. I'm damn tired but too stubborn to leave this chapter unfinished xD
To the reviews (thanks so much!):
LemondoughnutPXC: -Gulp- Uhm well, I can sympathize with you. But let me tell you this: Luffy's my fav character (hint, hint!) :) Anyways, I'm happy you liked it and hope you'll enjoy the rest of this story, too! Thank you :D
Morwin K: I'm not sure about the ending yet, but don't worry too much :) .. thanks for your review!
Llaelien: Thank you so much! I love your reviews, seriously, they are a great motivation :)
Guest: Wow, thank you a thousand times for leaving such a wonderful comment! :D I could read it over and over again and I would still be happy and giggling like a little kid xD I know, right? Though they won't play a huge role in this. I only needed a reason why Luffy fell sick all of sudden. -Blushes- aw, thanks! It's amazing to hear that I got the right atmosphere :,) I hope this update was soon enough, I tried my best! Thank you for the hug, here's one back from Germany :D Don't worry, your English is just fine! Thank you for your amazing review =D
Thanks for reading and pls leave a review~
~Neko11