Hehe, I bet you didn't expect such a fast update, did you? :3 We've reached the climax of this story. Enjoy this chapter:)
Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece!
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Chapter – It's time
"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Albert Einstein
It crashed onto them like a hurricane. There had been no fore signs, only a false sense of security. They were all happy about their 'reunion', only having positive thoughts as they chatted about everything and nothing in a low but happy voice. Their doubts and fears were gone and everything seemed so bright, and maybe that's why so the sudden chill in the air came twice as hard.
Chopper blinked. His fur stood up, making his skin crawl. He quickly looked up from his medicine book and turned to his sleeping patient, voice quivering. "Luffy?"
Nami's smile faded slowly as she heard the urgency in his voice. "What's wrong, Chopper?" A sudden shudder ran down her back and she rubbed her arms.
Zoro felt it, too. He couldn't quite explain it, but he got the feeling that something horrible was bound to happen. He got goosebumps and his hands felt cold and clammy. He instinctively rushed to Luffy's side.
"Luffy? Hey, you little idiot, wake up." Zoro tried in vain to hide his own weary voice. Luffy didn't respond as his head lolled to the side as if he were a mere rag doll. Zoro's eye widened. "Oi!"
"Doesn't he look kinda pale? More than before, I mean...," Usopp asked, his gut clenching in a terrible way.
"Chopper-bro, you might want to look at him quickly." Franky urged, worry evident on his features. Whatever was happening to Luffy, it was happening quick. The cyborg could almost see how much he blanched each second.
Chopper sprang into action, checking Luffy's heart rate as the rest of the crew quickly gathered around them, watching in anxiety.
Brook looked alarmed. Everything had been fine just a second before! Luffy had grinned like he didn't have a care in the world. He had been so happy to see them! And now everything was being swept down the river, along with his smile. "Luffy-san...!"
Chopper sweated, his brows furrowed, and then suddenly his eyes widened. "His heart rate is growing weaker!" he exclaimed.
The crew gasped. "What?!"
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Luffy was confused. He didn't know what the heck had happened, but it had happened really fast. He had been happy with his nakama, everyone was there with him and he wasn't alone anymore. Everything was going to be alright, they said. He believed them. Luffy had only felt a little tired. A little more hot than before, maybe. That's why he decided to go to sleep to ease the slight pain he could feel when he inhaled. It was okay to sleep, because his friends watched over him.
What had happened then? Ah, right. He'd drifted off, feeling comfortable. Though, the sudden weakness of his body had been weird.
Then one moment, he felt unbelievable pain explode in his chest, the next he found himself rapidly falling into a dark abyss. The pain was pulling him deeper and deeper, and he gasped, trying to claw at his chest. His breath was ripped from him as if someone had crushed his rips, and he wanted to scream but couldn't make a sound. He wanted, needed to climb up again, back to his friends, back to life!
For a second, he thought he'd fallen into the ocean again, because he was panicking but couldn't move. He felt numb, the pain slowly fading. But he knew he had to go back. His friends were waiting for him!
He couldn't. The current he was caught in was stronger than him. As fast as the catastrophe had begun, it was over. And then, there was absolute silence.
"Where the heck am I?" He heard himself ask, but the voice sounded from far away even though Luffy knew he was speaking.
„It's time, Luffy."
"Huh?"
Luffy turned to the source of the voice. He was met by two smiling faces and a warmth he hadn't felt for a while filled his heart. There was no pain anymore, no heating fever that clouded his senses and made him feel so terrible and so unbelievable weak and dizzy. Luffy realized with a small shudder that he'd already forgotten how wonderful it felt not to suffer. It was great and so calming just to be healthy. He had always taken it for granted, but not being sick was really neat.
It had felt like an eternity, but finally Luffy was able to embrace his old, determined self again. All these things had been robbed from him during his sickness. Now he was strong. He felt like an entirely different person. Nothing could stop him; he was free.
There was another feeling, a foreign one he couldn't quite put a finger on. But Luffy didn't mind, it was kind of nice. And all of sudden, there was a strange, overwhelming peace and stillness around him. It was amazing. He did neither feel cold nor was he hot. Everything was comfortable and just seemed right. Luffy couldn't say if it was actually bright or dark wherever he was, but looking around he decided it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.
He wanted to stay there forever, it was an awesome place.
With that thought in mind, Luffy smiled whole-heartily and stepped towards the two pure figures, outstretching his hand to them.
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Panic was settling in. Where had that come from?! They all wished there was some mighty power that could stop Luffy from fading away. Whatever it was, something was taking Luffy away from them and they desperately wanted to stop it. Something had to be done.. Luffy was their captain, their guiding light..! They were nothing without him. They couldn't let him go like that.
"Luffy!" Robin was shocked, tears filling her eyes but she didn't even notice. Weren't things going well just now? Hadn't they managed to come through this sickness together already? Life couldn't be this cruel.
"Damn it, Chopper! What the hell is going on?!" Sanji shouted. Chopper didn't answer, deeply concentrated on giving Luffy a cardiac massage. "You damn captain, open your eyes!"
"Luffy! Don't you FUCKING dare die on us!" Zoro lost his composure as he shook Luffy by his shoulders as if he wanted to wake him. Franky quickly grabbed him and held him back.
"Don't! You'll only make it worse, you idiot! Chopper needs space to help Luffy!" The cyborg snapped, but he had to fight with his own tears.
Nami blanched visibly. "Luffy...! No!"
"L-Luffy...", Usopp hiccuped. He couldn't, no, he didn't want to believe this! Luffy couldn't actually leave them after they were giving their best to fight with him!
Luffy didn't open his eyes, he just murmured something under his breath while his life was slipping away. Everybody in the room heard it and it made their blood freeze cold.
"...it's time to go...".
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Luffy believed it. He'd almost reached them, the two persons he valued the most; his family. His two big brothers, Ace and Sabo. The aura around them was as strong as he remembered it.
Luffy suddenly felt the urge to laugh. He threw his head back and giggled happily, holding his stomach. He loved the three so much and it's been way too long since he'd seen any of their faces. He thought he would never see them again, and that had left the most horrible gap in his very soul; a gap that was threatening to expand and clawed at his insides like some ugly, black monster that had been growing over the years. Luffy had longed to see his brothers, to hear their voices and laughter, to see them alive and happy again.
"Sabo! Ace!"
He'd missed them so, so much. And now that he saw their faces again, he didn't know whether to cry or laugh. Though Luffy was a naturally positive person so he'd decided to let out his happiness in form of laughing.
As he gasped for air, he absently turned around, grin still in place.
"Look, guys, there are my big brothers, Ace and Sa-", he broke off before finishing the sentence. The other three just watched silently, unreadable expression upon their faces. Luffy on the other hand was rather confused, blinking as there was nothing but thin air before him.
"What the...? Whom was I talking to?" Luffy asked aloud and turned back to his brothers, as if waiting for an explanation. They didn't reply, which was weird, because the Sabo he remembered would have sighed and shaken his head at his cluelessness. Ace would have scolded him or ruffled his hair, pretending to be annoyed. But those two persons who resembled his brothers so much seemed so far away; all of sudden, they felt like complete strangers to Luffy. Family wasn't supposed to make him feel this lonely.
He frowned, feeling the happiness from before fading rapidly and being replaced by an emptiness he loathed. Luffy didn't feel comfortable or happy at all right now, it was like something important was missing; was he forgetting something... or someone? He didn't know. His headache from earlier returned with full force and he groaned slightly.
Suddenly, thinking was getting really hard. What was he doing here again? How did he come to this place? Where had he been before? Luffy couldn't even tell what the sun looked like, he couldn't remember the color of the ocean, nor the sound of rain or what a gentle caress of the wind felt like. He couldn't remember what it felt like to be alive. It was all slipping away from his memories. The place he was in didn't seem so comfortable anymore... it was making him feel small and out of place, like he didn't belong there. He felt so unbelievable hot and it hurt.
Voices from far away suddenly reached him and he shot around in search. "D-did you hear that just now? Who's that?" Luffy put his hands behind his ears to improve his hearing but it hardly helped. He only managed to catch a few parts of what was spoken, and a horrible feeling settled in his stomach.
Whoever those people were, they sounded incredibly desperate. Luffy had never heard such broken-hearted voices like them.
'Luffy! Don't go!'
'Please! Luffy!'
'Don't you dare and leave us like this, you idiot!'
'Come back to us!'
'Dammit, Chopper, do something! Luffy, don't give the hell up now!'
'Luffy!'
Who were they? How did they know his name? Should he know them? He felt so dazed... He could vaguely remember a bunch of people... friends... they were his crew, weren't they? Why did it feel as if his life had been a dream? Hadn't he met those important people in the end?
"Luffy." A voice spoke. It was oddly familiar on the one hand, but on the other it sounded from afar and echoed strangely. Luffy's head snapped up.
This voice... it had sounded as broken as the other sounds from before. Since when did Ace's voice sound so plaintive? This was so out of character it made Luffy dizzy trying to think about it. The Strawhat boy wanted to reply and opened his mouth, but his throat felt dried out and sore. He couldn't say anything, no matter how hard he tried. What was going on here?
Ace spoke again, patiently, calmly. "Open your eyes, moron. Follow your heart."
'My heart...?', Luffy thought and big brown eyes stared at them in wonder, completely helpless. 'What the heck are you talking about? Why are you speaking so oddly?' he wanted to ask, but no sound was escaping his mouth and it was starting to frustrate him. He looked at the three again, craving for answers.
Ace nodded at him and out of reflex, the Strawhat pirate put a hand on the left side of his chest. 'My heart..?' he repeated inwardly, confusion not clearing up one bit. Then Luffy's eyes widened in shock.
His heart wasn't beating. And that felt wrong. He should be able to feel a steady, rhythmic bump-bump, the same beat he was used to hear since nineteen years. He'd always enjoyed the deep, familiar sound, it had a strangely calming effect on him. There were times – when he got excited or angry or really happy – when his heart would beat faster and it felt as if Luffy had a fiddle butterfly in his chest; when he used Gear 2, it would beat faster all the more and even hurt a little.
Sometimes, the beat of his heart was the only sound he listened to when he was about to make an important decision. But now Luffy was only greeted with an eerily hollow silence instead. It made him freeze in shock as realization's cold hand grasped at his mind.
The picture started to clear up, the pieces of the puzzle put itself together, and it hit him forcefully like a tornado. He didn't belong there. Because he knew there was a place his nakama belonged to: in his heart. But no matter how carefully he touched his chest, there was no beating muscle to be found. There was no heart in him, no place where his friends were. And if his crew was not here, then wherever he was was wrong.
His nakama were the missing part in his soul. They were the key to everything, they filled his heart and mind. Luffy being a captain was part of his destiny, but a captain without his crew didn't work out.
The nineteen-year-old couldn't shake the growing feeling of dread in the pitch of his stomach. Panic was starting to claw its way through the surface of his very being. Whatever was going on, Luffy had to stop it.
Now that his crew weren't there – wherever there was – Luffy was missing an important part of himself. And that wasn't right, a terrible mistake that needed to be corrected. Otherwise something awful would happen, something that would make not only him suffer a great deal, but eight other persons too.
Luffy was about to ask another question, when it finally made click in his brain. There were only three words on his mind, burning into his soul like a branding.
I am dead.
His stomach clenched painfully and he was actually scared senseless. His eyes widened. No no no no!
His feelings had turned 180 degrees in such a short time span it made him want to throw up.
Of course they weren't there. How could they be at the same place when he'd died? He'd left them behind, betrayed them. This time, Luffy had gone to the one place where his friends couldn't follow him.
Now it all made sense... the nice, comfortable feeling of endless content, the warmth, the pain that's finally stopped...
But his nakama were gone, together with everything he'd lived for; left in another world far away. They hadn't left him, and they would never do. They came back to him, encouraging him, and look what he did to them in return! There hadn't even been a chance of saying goodbye.
Luffy's eyes began to dart around in sheer panic, searching for an exit that wasn't existing, and he panted loudly. He turned around, scratching at the place where his heart was supposed to beat strongly, and began to run. But no matter how fast he raced through this weird space, he didn't move an inch and Sabo and Ace never got further away. It was like he was running on a treadmill.
Luffy could hardly believe it; how could he have been so weak? His emotions started to suffocate him; he couldn't help but open his mouth to scream loudly and curse himself for fucking dying.
"What is going on?!" Finally, Luffy could use his voice again. But no one answered, just like before. "Where are my nakama?! Sabo! Ace! Talk to me!" he half-demanded, half-begged. How could he have thought this place was warm and kind? Right now, it was making him feel claustrophobic even though there weren't any walls around him - just dark nothingness.
"Why aren't you answering?" Luffy broke, and a sob escaped his mouth. He fell to his knees, letting the tears fall freely. The two persons in white looked at the teenager in pure sadness.
"Luffy." Sabo began, and Luffy looked up in a mix of fear and despair. "It's time to go." He spoke. Luffy wanted to get up, wanted to embrace him and Ace, the persons he had always looked up to the most. He wanted to hug his two big brothers and tell them how he wanted to stay with them forever because they just didn't have enough time together.
Luffy wanted to follow them into the light. But something held him back, made his legs too weak to carry his weight. He knew he couldn't get up.
"No! Don't!" Don't go away!
But they started to fade away. Luffy's eyes widened and he paled. Voice cracking, he screamed,
"Take me with you!" Don't leave me behind!
They smiled at him This time, no one scolded Luffy for crying like a little kid.
A hopelessness spread in Luffy's soul like a cold storm. This couldn't be happening. He wanted to spend time with his brothers so badly, and now he was losing them a second time. Why didn't he get up?!
A warm hand on his cheek made the panic and sadness disappear for a moment and Luffy blinked through his tears. He looked up and saw into the smiling face of Ace. Two strong hands rested upon his shoulders, and Luffy recognized Sabo standing behind him, grinning encouragingly. It made him feel lightheaded, but strangely enough in a good way.
"It's time for you to go to the place you belong to. It's time to go back to your crew." Someone said, and Luffy wasn't sure whom of the two had spoken, but he believed them blindly.
It sounded simple and like the most obvious solution in the world. They were right; of course they were. They had always known better.
This instant, Luffy knew he had something to do, something still left unfinished. And there was a crew who was waiting anxiously for their captain to return to them, who feared for him and for their own hearts because without Luffy in their middle, their chain was broken.
"Yeah. It's time to go." Luffy said and as he looked into the faces of Sabo and Ace, he felt himself smiling slightly as his tears dried on his cheeks.
"It's not goodbye forever," Sabo said, grinning cheekily, "you know that." Ace just winked at him as if to agree with his brother.
Luffy couldn't help but grin back, and it was as if someone had opened the curtains to let the sun shine in again.
"I know... but I have one more question! Where are we? Is this something like heaven?" Luffy asked, suddenly back to his old, innocent self. Sabo snorted and Ace had a 'wtf'-face.
"Heaven? Heck no! Ever heard of pirates that go to heaven? What have you been smoking?" Ace scolded. "You're dreaming, you dumbass." he shook his head but smiled softly at the same time. "Now wake up. They're waiting."
Luffy laughed. "Ah! I get it! Well, see ya!" He waved them like a little kid. They were right. They weren't supposed to reunite like that. And even though there were so many things he wanted to tell his brothers that never could be said, knew he had to be patient.
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A loud gasp filled the room and shut the others instantly. Luffy's eyes were wide and he was wheezing and panting heavily. Luffy grabbed his chest, groaning at the pain. But at the same time he realized with relief how his heart beat stubbornly, strongly, in his chest.
Chopper backed away a bit, gasping for air as well.
"Luffy!" Nami cried out in joy. For a moment... she thought... she really thought he'd died.. "Oh god !" A sob followed as she hugged Luffy tightly. He had trouble catching his breath so she let go immediately.
"Luffy-san! Yoho.. are you okay?" Brook asked uncertainly.
"Luuffy...!" Chopper and Usopp cried, and even the others could barely contain their happiness and relief. Zoro, Robin and Sanji released a breath they had been holding.
"Jeez, nearly gave me a damn heart attack...", Sanji muttered, but he smiled, wiping his face. His hands shook.
"Luffy-san! Thank god!" Brook exclaimed.
"Wh-where am I?" Luffy stuttered; his breathing had calmed down a little.
"I'm so glad, Luffy! Don't scare us like that!" Chopper said as he wiped the tears and snot from his face. He hugged Luffy who returned the embrace in confusion.
"Chopper?" He asked. The reindeer gulped down his tears and scolded Luffy once again for shocking them so much. The others did the same, or just told Luffy how much he scared them and seriously, 'how could he?' all at once. Luffy just looked at them in bafflement, not grasping the situation as they encircled him. Lots of hands began to pat his head, touch his cheek, squeeze his shoulder or grab his hands as if to make sure he hadn't vanished and was really right there.
Somewhere in this mess, Chopper suddenly piped up, demanding attention. The others were silent for a second.
Chopper seemed unusually serious."Please get out for now. I'll quickly check him up and need some quietness around me. Luffy, calm down a little."
The others nodded in understanding and left the doctor and his patient reluctantly. They wanted to stay with Luffy and not leave his side after such a moment, but they knew Chopper needed some space.
Besides, after this huge shock they could all use a hot chocolate. Not a minute before they all believed their captain was gone. They could still hardly grasp the latest events and needed to calm their nerves.
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Later, Chopper called the others. "Great news, guys! Luffy is 100 % stable and on his way of recovery!"
A loud roar of cheers was the only answer Chopper got, and the doctor quickly silenced them. "Not so loud! He still has a fever and is disorientated! I'll kick you out if you're too loud!"
"Sorry, sorry doctor Chopper!" Sanji grinned and the reindeer giggled in return.
"This doesn't make me happy, jerk!"
Robin frowned a little as she watched her captain lying in bed. He was still very pale, but the life had returned to his eyes. She was incredibly happy at this moment, but something seemed off about the way Luffy barely looked at them. Before she could speak up, her captain beat her to it.
„Ne, Chopper... Ace was there and Sabo... ," Suddenly, a doleful look crossed his features despite the delirious state he was in. Chopper and the others stopped breathing for a second.
Nani...?
„Luffy-san...", Brook said but it was barely a whisper. Zoro had an unreadable expression upon his face and just watched his captain.
"Your... brother?" Chopper added sadly, and watched how Luffy nodded numbly.
No one knew what to say. They were happy Luffy was awake, more or less, but hearing about another brother who had obviously been dear to Luffy beside Ace was a big shock. And when Luffy was talking about Ace, then that meant Sabo was also...
No; they shook their heads and forced themselves not to finish that thought. It was already sad enough to think about how Luffy had lost Ace without them being able to help.
Brook was fumbling with the sleeve of his jacket and looked anywhere but at Luffy. He knew how it felt if someone dear to you was taken away from you like that. It was an experience he wished no one would ever have to make. It was horrible and it made the skeleton wonder how much was still hidden inside that captain of his. Robin gazed to the floor with a deep sadness buried beneath those blue eyes. She had experienced the loss of her mother as a young child, and just like the rest of them she knew very well just how much that hurt. Nami gazed at her captain with eyes full of sympathy as she was reminded of Bellemere's death.
Luffy was strong but no one should hide their emotions and lock it all away to appear unshaken for other people's sake... especially with so many friends around you who wouldn't hesitate to listen to you.
Now that Usopp thought about it, they had only see their captain cry after their fight and when Merry was burned. That was weird considering the fact Luffy was a very emotional person. Usopp sighed deeply. In the end, it was just sad that Luffy never came to anyone of them and simply asked for help like they did. Like everyone of them had done before.
It's not a shame or a sign of weakness to do that, it required a great deal of courage to give in to emotions and just cry for once. But maybe Luffy was that kind of person who believed in happiness so strongly that weeping was just out of question, no matter the circumstances. Usopp didn't know, he just knew he would have to talk to his best friend quietly once all of that was over.
Luffy's ragged breathing brought Usopp back to reality. He looked really weak, lying in that fluffy bed covered in numerous blankets.
Franky suddenly felt himself shiver violently. Maybe because of the unusual sight, maybe because of the coolness. The room seemed so cold, so sad and dark and tensed it was nearly unbearable. It made the cyborg want to close his eyes and run away from all the gloominess.
They had been so damn happy when Luffy actually woke up but now it was as if they all feared he would fall back into his coma-like state any second. Was this real or would they wake up and continue to live in a nightmare? Was it really all over...? It seemed unreal, and at the same time they started to regret their behavior and how they nearly broke apart because of all the disaster.
Luffy may have been sick and tired to no end, but he had to be blind not to notice all the sad and frustrated faces around him. It made him sad, too, to see his nakama so down, especially when he was the reason for that sorrow. It was something that he didn't like at all. He thought he'd beaten that sadness before, but now it was as present as ever. This couldn't continue. His crew had told him they were there, and they had smiled. Where had their smiles vanished to again? Or had he been dreaming or something? His thoughts were misty.
Besides, they were pirates after all, weren't they? Pirates were supposed to be joyous people who sang songs and shared their happiness among each other. Not a bunch of people who moped around lifelessly, looking so hopeless and worn out like them. It made Luffy wonder, and he blinked around warily.
Luffy tried to remember what had happened to make them this upset, but it was only making the dizziness worse and it didn't help his terrible headache. He just got the feeling that it had something to do with him, but no matter how hard he tried, Luffy had no idea what he did to make them feel this bad. But he knew it was weird seeing Nami and Usopp crying all the time, and it was even weirder to see someone though like Sanji and Zoro so concerned. That look certainly didn't suit them. Luffy, aware of his duty as a captain and their friend, wanted to make sure they went back to their old selves, the people he loved and needed right now.
With that thought in mind, Luffy sent them the most cheerful smile he could muster and spoke up.
„I'm glad I'm here with you guys."
It came out as a quiet, raspy whisper; nevertheless all eight pairs of eyes shot to Luffy in an instant.
They all had caught it. Nami continued to sob, a tearful but happy expression upon her face. The rest of the crew reacted similar. Some of them cried out of joy, some fought a battle of not giving in to tears, some bit their lips – but all of them smiled warmly. It relieved them to no end to finally have a small piece of their old Luffy back. After all, they hadn't heard his voice in what seemed like an eternity. How they'd missed his bright laugh, his senseless babbling and, most of all, his encouraging smile.
Suddenly, the sun shone again for the strawhats and all reason for coldness had disappeared. It was as if the ice broke and the fact that Luffy was indeed alive finally sunk in. Luffy would live. He'd live and cry and laugh and share his world of dreams with everyone. Luffy would fulfill his wish and become the King of Pirates.
A soft look crossed Zoro's features, one that was hardly seen upon his face. It was one of those rare moments when the swordsman allowed himself to lower his guard and let his soft side show itself.
"Is that so?" It was a rhetorical question, but Zoro felt he had to say something, just anything. It may sound silly, but Zoro wanted to seize the opportunity to simply talk to Luffy again. He thought he'd never hear that voice again. Talking to another person seemed like the most normal thing in the world but to the first mate, speaking to Luffy right now was pretty close to amazing.
Scratch that, if Zoro hadn't been a tough guy, he would have said that this was a miracle... but he didn't utter it out loud, it sounded way too sappy.
He'd always believed in his captain but even someone like Zoro had moments of doubt – and doubting Luffy would come out of this alive he did, even if he'd never admit that out loud. It had been a damn close call.
As he looked at the boy with the black, messy hair, Zoro felt a small but genuine smile creep upon his lips. Luffy was breathing. He was alive. Zoro felt extremely proud of his captain for coming back from this. Suddenly, the swordsman felt the urge to go over and hold Luffy close to his chest... to hug him. That was weird, he never thought he'd feel this kind of brotherly affection towards Luffy but actually, he felt he wasn't the only one to feel so protective of their captain. Every single person in the room felt the same way. Zoro could tell by the way they all looked at the teen.
Luffy blinked again as if he hadn't noticed his first mate was in the room too. It was obvious Luffy was even more disorientated than before. He tried to shift so that he could see Zoro but pouted as he failed.
"Na? Zoro? Where are you?" Luffy said in a confused, still raspy voice, but this time it sounded a bit stronger than before. His crew smiled as if he was a little kid that had said his first words.
Soon Zoro stepped into his field of vision and Luffy grinned as he saw the familiar stoic expression – only that the hard expression had a certain soft edge towards it today. Odd, but Luffy didn't want to think about it; he was dazed enough already. Pushing unnecessary thoughts aside, Luffy suddenly realized he was the center of attention and once again, he was totally lost as to what happened to make them all fuss so much over him.
"Huh? What is wrong with you guys? What hap- eh? Where's Sanji?" Luffy's eyes darted across the room but he didn't find his cook anywhere. That was much more important as the thing he wanted to ask before... what did he want to ask again? "Thinking is so confusing...", he mumbled even though he hadn't intended to say that out loud.
"No wonder, you still have a fever. Besides, you've just woken up from a long sleep, it's only natural to feel confused." Sanji spoke slowly and quietly as he sat on the edge of Luffy's bed. He never took his eyes off his captain, not even as Nami began to talk again.
"Luffy, you baka...! You really scared us this time!" She scolded softly as she wiped her eyes, hands shaking from being so scared but happy at the same time. Soon her anger vanished as she realized Luffy wasn't even paying attention.
Nami then couldn't stop herself anymore and put Luffy in a gentle but firm embrace once again. "Damn you for nearly dying...I was so worried!"
"Eh...Nami?" Luffy blinked, since when did Nami hug people? But before he could ask any more questions, more of his nakama came to embrace him tightly. Usopp, Franky, Chopper, even Brook wanted a piece of him to hug. It was making him dizzy, all of his friends coming to him at once... just how many people were in this room?! They encircled him even tighter than before!
"Damn it, Luffy-bro...!" Franky bawled helplessly.
"What what what?" He just said and shook his head, which of course resulted in him getting even more dizzy than before. He groaned and touched his forehead, hating this stupid headache and how hot it was in the infirmary. Why wouldn't anyone open a window?
His nakama realized Luffy's distress and Brook and the others stepped back to grant him some space. Nami however frowned and reached forward to pat his head like a mother would pat her child.
"You're still pretty out of it, huh..." she said but she knew he wouldn't answer her question. He just looked at her in wonder.
"Eh?" Luffy frowned weakly. Nothing was making sense at the moment, and Nami was making least sense of all. It was rare that she was using this special, soft tone on him and he really wondered about it.
"Don't worry about it. Are you hungry?" Robin asked, hoping he would react to the mention of food. Much to everyone's shock, he shook his head.
"Actually, no." Before anyone had time to utter their shock and surprise, Chopper piped up.
"Well, you should eat something, Luffy. Your body is pretty exhausted from the constant fight with the sickness and it can use all the energy it can get. It should help you recover faster."
Sanji quickly offered a plate of soup. "It's easy to eat and not too heavy."
"Good idea, Sanji." Chopper agreed and Sanji went to prepare the meal. Luffy frowned slightly.
"Guys... I'm okay." he only said, and even though everyone could see he was tired and still feverish, they all believed him, because Luffy would never lie to them. For Chopper, the ice finally broke and he realized: he hadn't failed him in any way. Without hesitation he flung himself at Luffy.
"Thank god...! I'm so glad you're okay now, Luffy! I'm so glad! Waaaah!" he continued to wail as if there was no tomorrow, and Luffy just hugged back and patted him softly, nuzzling his nose into the soft fur. He didn't understand anything, but he knew the doctor needed some comfort right now, so Luffy was happy to offer some.
He looked around in a slight daze and was met by seven smiling faces. Some of them were still crying, but this time out of happiness and Luffy decided that was alright. Whatever caused them such distress had vanished, so Luffy felt at ease. Somebody ruffled his hair and he giggled, enjoying the touch.
With Chopper in his arms, he fell asleep, breathing slowly but steadily, his heart beating nicely for him to hear. He smiled as he listened to the shushed whispering of his friends around him.
The crew were so relieved it made them light-headed and doubt this was indeed real. It's okay, they thought, it's really gonna be okay now. This time, they knew it.
-X-X-X-X-X-
A few weeks later, they encountered a bounty-hunter gang that were bloodthirsty and extremely cocky. That cockiness however was short-lived as they suddenly spotted the bright face of the captain. Strawhat Luffy laughed at their silly expressions and wasted no time to easily kick their butts off his ship. The rumors about Luffy being 'weak and near death' and his crew being 'torn apart and depressed' were proven wrong.
Everything went well despite the hardship they had to overcome. Things were getting better each day. But then, they came across a marine ship. A very special marine ship. Robin narrowed her eyes from her spot in the crow's nest. She quietly informed the rest of the crew, a cold rage boiling inside her.
Zoro just stepped up to his captain and told him with a serious face, "We found them."
No other words were needed, Luffy knew what he meant by that. Everyone was in fighting mode as they were the first to attack the marines. The Strawhats were glad they finally had found the guys responsible for Luffy's suffering. They had nearly torn them all apart. And now, they'd pay for that.
All hell broke lose, but in the end, the pirate crew clearly had the upper hand. Almost every marine fighter was unconscious as the captain of the Strawhats approached the beaten marine captain. The man was on his knees but he looked up, obviously afraid of Luffy.
"D-don't lay hand on me, you filthy pirate! It wasn't my fault! Dr. Vegapunk invented this, and I was just ordered to deliver the infected meat!"
The ramble went on deaf ears. Luffy lifted his fist, and the marine captain flinched, squeezing his eyes shut in fear about what was to come. But instead of hitting him, Luffy offered him a hand to shake, along with a bright smile. The other man was too surprised to form any words and blinked up at him. The Strawhat captain's grin was completely genuine. The other marine fighters could only watch in stunned silence. Luffy's crew couldn't help but grin slightly.
"Thanks!" Luffy said. The marine captain stared.
"Eh?"
"Thanks to you, my crew's stronger now. We are stronger now. Thank you." Luffy said, smile still present but not as radiant as before. The marine fighter seemed lost for a second, but suddenly, Luffy's aura changed and his face turned serious.
"But," he added, voice deep and free of any cheerfulness, "you hurt my friends. And I never forgive people who hurt them."
Behind him, his friends were cracking their knuckles simultaneously; it was a promise of pain. Bile rose in the marine guy's throat and he wanted to scream and run away, but it was too late. In the end, the man had learned one important thing about the Strawhats: Hurting the crew was scary, because their captain would avenge them with never ending rage. Hurting their captain was eight times worse, because each of them would take their anger out on the person responsible for the misery.
The marine guy somehow managed to crawl back to the headquarters to inform his superiors. Mission 'Infecting-their-captain-with-deadly-sickness-to weaken-them': Fail.
Sengoku threw the report into the bin after briefly reading over it. Not that he had believed in the mission's success anyway. Behind him, Monkey D. Garp was laughing his ass off.
YXYXYXYXYXYXYXYX
I just realized that both Sengoku and Garp aren't actually marines anymore. Darn it O.O But I didn't change it because I liked the ending... let's just pretend Sengoku still follows the marines' activities intensely, and Garp was visiting or something. Ne?^^
Anyways, lots of things happened this chapter, and I'm sorry if things seemed a bit rushed! One more thing to say:
We're close to the end, people! Next chapter's the last. It's kinda sad, I've enjoyed writing this a lot... Gonna miss writing this story. :/
I'd like to thank you for all your faving and above all for all the lovely reviews! Thank you so much for sticking with me ! :D
moonbird: I agree with you completely. It is kinda weird, I have to admit, that Usopp of all people would be the one to talk some sense into them. But I think Usopp had gone through some great development (personality and physically as well). Also, it's most of the times either Zoro or Sanji who pull the crew back besides Luffy, so I just wanted someone else. And Usopp is a strong guy, I think we haven't seen all of him yet ;) Sorry... hope this chapter helped making you feel better :D Agreed, Usopp's great =) I don't know why so many people think he is weak. You're welcome, and thank you for your long comment! :D
Sporecrawler: Thank you! =) Hope you liked this one, too.
Sweet-Candy-Floss: Aw thanks! =3 Here you go ;)
seblackburn4: :) This chapter was kinda depressing to read, but I hope you liked it :) Thank you for your review!
LemondoughnutPXC: Thank you so much! :D I-I'm glad I'm safe now... *wipes forehead* Haha I see. Sounds like though times xD Well... *lifts book to use it as a shield* I hope Lemon doesn't reappear after I nearly killed Luffy off again... O.o Anyways, thanks for your great review, it's greatly appreciated :)
Hyousax Wilson Grim: Wow... what an amazing review! :,) Thank you so much, you made me blush! :3 I'm so happy you like my story so far, and hopefully you'll like the rest of it, too. Thanks a thousand times, you made me so happy! :D
Guest: Sorry for that...^^'' Thanks.
sess18: Thank you =) Who did this to Luffy, you mean? I'm sorry, I didn't really plan on telling much about that. The marines managed to make Luffy eat a piece of meat that was infected by a certain virus that Dr Vegapunk had invented, and that's basically how he got the sickness. Sorry if you were expecting more explanation :( But thanks for your review! :D
Thanks so much! I really appreciate so much support =3
~Neko11