Chopper hated the ship he was on. None of the creatures around him could hold a decent conversation, and he was regretting his choice to blend in with the livestock being herded onto a ship. The room he was stuck in was dark, and they had taken his backpack and hat. He needed to get those back before he left. He doubted it would be hard. Just scare them. He'd done a lot of that in the year he had been on his own.
He thought of Drum Kingdom, remembering returning there. There was no welcome like the Strawhats had gotten last time. He wasn't in a pirate ship, or flying a Jolly Roger. He had just sailed in, walked through the village, and climbed the rope leading to the castle.
What he had found scared him. It was empty. No matter how much shouting he did, he never got a reply. After searching the castle thoroughly, he gave up and headed back down the mountain. He confronted Dalton, who told him that Kureha was found dead a few years back, and she was buried in the local graveyard.
Chopper spent a long time sitting in front of her grave, and left the next day on his little boat. Dalton saw him off, assuring him that Kureha had lived a great life, and was proud of her stupid son.
He had left his boat at the dock of a nearby island, but it had vanished when he got back. No one seemed to want to talk to the reindeer. Which then led to him stowing away on another ship full of livestock.
"Oi," Chopper whispered to the goat next to him, "Where is this ship headed?"
"Dunno," The goat replied. "I hope there's good grass there."
Chopper gave up trying to make any intelligent conversation with them. He left at the next island and never looked back. After looking around the place, he realized he had landed in Alabasta, but in a port he had never seen before.
"TONY!" A blue haired beauty shouted, drawing the attention of everyone on the street. Including the one being called. He looked up to see Vivi smiling down at him from a shaded cart. A familiar man sat beside her, this human having sandy hair.
"Hi Vivi," Chopper said, as Vivi ordered the driver to stop and let Chopper climb aboard. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"It's been too long," Vivi agreed. "How have you been? Where's the rest of the crew?"
Chopper laughed nervously, "Just on my own right now. How have you been doing?"
Vivi's laugh was much brighter, and she placed a hand over her stomach. "I've been great. I tried contacting you guys, but I couldn't get a hold of you. I wanted to invite you to my wedding."
"Wedding?" Chopper said, looking between Vivi and the other human in the cart. "You got married?"
Vivi nodded, leaning against the man. "To Kohza. You remember him, right?"
Chopper nodded, "The Rebel Army leader, right?"
The sandy haired man nodded, "Although, it's just the Army now. Vivi and her father let them join soon after you guys left." He laughed, "Cobra was mad that you left so suddenly. He had something to give your Captain."
Chopper felt a wave of sadness pass through him before shaking it off and nodding. "I can bring it to him, when I leave."
"When do you plan to do that?" Vivi asked. "It would be nice to have you stay for a few days. It's been forever since I've seen any of you."
Chopper smiled up at the princess. "Well, I have no plans after this." He said. "I suppose I can spare a few weeks." He eyed Vivi's stomach. "I want to stay until your baby is born."
Vivi laughed brightly, "So you noticed? I suppose it's kinda obvious."
"I heard about it in the town," Chopper said. "A lot of people are talking about it." He looked at her stomach. "You look to be about four months in. Not much is showing, but it will soon."
Kohza placed a hand over Vivi's, looking full of pride. "I'm hoping for a daughter."
"And I want a boy," Vivi countered. "He'll be the heir to the throne."
Chopper sat down opposite the couple as they continued to bicker.
The castle was much more joyful than his last visit. The staff seemed happier, and there were more of them. People weren't looking over their shoulders every few minutes. Without the war following them they could feel safe. All of their friends were safe. They didn't have to worry about hearing reports of destroyed villages, towns, or the deaths of their loved ones.
The resident doctor remembered him, much to Chopper's surprise, and he was made to feel at home in the hospital wing of the castle. Vivi had been told to come in once a week to check up on her health and the baby's growth.
As time passed, Kohza became more and more frantic. He pulled Chopper aside more than a few times to ask how much longer he was going to have to wait, and if he should do something special for Vivi and the baby, or if it was going to be a boy or a girl.
Chopper had the same answer each time. He didn't know what the baby's gender was. The usual carrying time was about nine months. If he wanted to do something special for Vivi and the baby he could go right ahead.
Cobra was also getting frantic, going on about how his only baby was having a baby, and that she was so grown up and mature now, and he didn't know what to do when the baby actually arrived. Chopper spent time with him calming him down as well.
"THE BABY WILL COME OUT WHEN IT'S READY!" Chopper shouted through the door as someone knocked. "BE PATIENT!"
"It's not that," Cobra's voice said through the wood. "May I come in?"
Chopper opened the door and allowed the King to enter. "If it's not about the baby, what is it?" Chopper asked.
"It's your Captain. Vivi really wants him and the rest of your crew to come meet the baby. She's due in a couple weeks, and it would mean the world to her."
Chopper shook his head, "I don't know where the others are at. They're all busy off on their own. I can write to them and see if they would drop by if they happen to be passing, but the letters won't arrive until after the baby is born."
"Ah," Cobra said. "I see. I also wanted to ask you something else."
Chopper pulled another chair up to his desk, "What do you need?"
"After the baby is born, she will have a legal heir. That means there will be a coronation crowning her Queen of Alabasta. I don't think she wants to spend the rest of her life in this place. What would you say about me building her a palace by the sea? I know she misses sailing with all of you."
"I think she would love it," Chopper said honestly.
Cobra smiled appreciably. "That's good to hear. Igaram and myself have already drawn out several blueprints. Would you be willing to take a look at them and tell me what you think?"
Chopper agreed and was led out of his office and into Cobra's personal rooms. Igaram was there too, leaning over a round table and biting the end of a quill.
The castle was beautiful in the sketches, having a large courtyard, and a large fountain in the middle of the courtyard. The rooms weren't as large as the ones in Castle Alabarna, just enough to make it seem homely and not overwhelming.
"We've scouted out this area," Igaram said, pointing at the water's edge on a map. "And think this is the best place for it. Vivi isn't a shy girl. She likes to get out and know the people she's ruling. I figure that this cape here is the best choice because she can personally welcome any travellers that arrive at the docks, and the city is the second largest in the Kingdom."
"I can't think of anything else she would want…" Chopper said, trailing off in thought. "She, Kohza, and her baby will be happy there," He finished firmly.
It was a girl. Vivi had gone into labour shortly after Chopper and Cobra had finished putting all the maps away. They heard her yelling for a doctor, and found Kohza holding onto her hand while she squeezed the life out of it. He looked grateful when Cobra and Chopper rounded the corner.
Chopper immediately shifted to Heavy Point and gently cradled Vivi in his arms, shouting at the various spectators in the hall to go and tell the nurses to prepare for the birth. He brought the princess into her personal chambers, where he was glad to see several basins of hot water and fresh towels laid out in reach of the bedside.
Kohza stayed by Vivi's side the entire night, and almost passed out when Chopper told Vivi she could start pushing.
Both new parents cried in happiness as the first cries of their child were heard, and Chopper announced it was a girl. He cleaned her up and handed the baby to Kohza, who stared at his daughter in wonder. Vivi took her next, whispering quietly to the baby as the child started to feed. "What are you going to call her?" Chopper asked.
"Vidia," Vivi and Kohza said together. Vivi blushed and continued. "That was my mother's name. Kohza picked it."
"It's lovely," Chopper said, as a nurse brought him a clean basin to wash the blood away. "Congratulations."
Cobra was in tears when he held the little girl for the first time, "Hello there sweetie. I'm your Grandpa. I'm going to spoil you rotten."
"Daddy," Vivi scolded half-heartedly.
"I will," Cobra shot back. "It's a grandparent's duty. I read about it."
Chopper laughed, changing pack to his preferred form. Vivi handed Vidia to him next, surprising the reindeer. She was tiny and soft, her skin wrinkled and nose scrunched up. The small tuft of hair on her head was a sandy brown, but she had Vivi's eyes. "Thank you so much, Tony," Vivi said, making Chopper blush. He was holding a brand new child, just entering life.
"She'll have a great future ahead of her," Chopper said.
He had left Alabasta less than a month ago, and he was already regretting it. He missed Vivi, someone from his crew. He hated that she didn't know what had happened to Luffy. He couldn't bear to tell her, especially after she had her baby and had fawned over her new daughter. It was too much of a happy moment to spoil it with death. Again, he was on his own. He hoped she would forgive him one day, for not telling her. She was going to find out eventually, as was the rest of the world.
The last thing he had done was give the Strawhat flag to Cobra, telling him that if Vivi wanted to, she could let it fly over her new palace. It wouldn't matter to the Marines. Alabasta had been declared one of Strawhat's territories by Vivi herself when the news that he had become Pirate King arrived. That declaration had sent most of the Marines stationed on the island running. Those who chose to stay were not allowed to attack any pirates as long as they were keeping to themselves. He looked back in the direction he had come, wondering how many kilometers he had traveled. He shook his head and looked forward, adjusting the sail a bit as the winds changed.
When he had announced his leaving, Cobra told him to pass on the Alabasta Royal Crest to Luffy, and Chopper took it, promising to do so.
I brought a life into this world. If I keep learning, I can save more lives too. Maybe then I won't feel so guilty about Luffy's death.
He stopped at a seemingly uninhabited island for a few days, resupplying. That was when his life changed.
The small reindeer watched the large blue bird tumble out of the sky after it was hit by a cannonball. Shifting to walking point, he sprinted up to the top of the cliff and looked out over the water. Several Marine ships were in the bay, as well as a ship flying a Jolly Roger. It didn't look like a flag Chopper had ever seen before, but it did seem familiar. The pirate ship was retreating, and most of the Marine ships were following it.
Chopper turned his attention back to the large blue bird he saw fall from the sky. It must have been part of the pirate crew if the Marines wasted a cannonball shooting it down. Running down a trail carved by animals, he paused in a clearing. If he was right, the fallen creature would have landed in the clearing or around it. But there was no bird here. Just a man.
Cautiously approaching the man, he realized he was hurt. Blood seeped from a gash in his arm, and another red trail started in his hairline and trailed down to his cheek. Smaller cuts, scrapes, and bruises littered his body, but they didn't look life threatening.
Chopper immediately changed to brain point and shrugged off his backpack, setting it down beside him and kneeling to tend to the man. As he pressed one of his hooves to the man's arm, he jerked back as a lick of blue flame trailed up the arm. With a start, he realized that the man must have eaten a Zoan type Devil Fruit, and the blue bird he saw crash and him were the same person.
He quickly built a campfire in the middle of the clearing, and raced to the water's edge to fill a basin of water. The man was going to need stitches to close both the wound in his arm and temple. This meant he would have to clean away the blood and sterilize the needle. Returning, he switched to heavy point and carried the man closer to the fire, settling him in a comfortable position that allowed Chopper to access both wounds.
As he pressed the warm cloth to the man's arm, another lick of flame flared up. Chopper ignored it this time, carefully removing all the blood on the arm. He prepared a numbing agent next, not wanting to be distracted by the fire while stitching. He injected it into the man's arm, hoping to subdue the nervous system. It worked, as Chopper soon found out.
The temple came next, and Chopper had to be careful. The skin was thin there, and head wounds tended to bleed a lot. But a few minutes later, that was stitched together as well. He cleaned his hooves and set fresh water over the fire to boil. Now all he had to do was wait for the man to wake up.
And that happened about an hour later. Chopper heard the man move, letting out a soft groan, and was behind a tree a few seconds later. From his new position, he peeked out and watched him bring a hand to his head and blink open his eyes.
When he tried to sit up, Chopper called out a warning, his voice stuttering slightly. "Y-you shouldn't mo-move too much," He said, causing the man to turn his head and search for the source of the voice. "You… You might tear y-your stitches."
At that, the man stopped his search and felt his arm, feeling the rough texture of the stitches. "Were you the one who fixed me up?" The man asked, sitting up slowly, careful to not irritate his wound.
Chopper squeaked, ducking his head behind the tree as the man looked in his direction. "You shouldn't move," The doctor repeated, sounding slightly more confident. "I don't want to do them again. I don't have much thread left."
The man complied, still looking over at the tree as he slowly leaned back and made himself comfortable. His injured arm rested over his stomach. "Thank you," The man called.
Chopper blushed, "Don't thank me, you asshole. I was just doing my job!" He fell silent, and then added, "Your right temple has stitches too. Be careful not to pull at your hair there too much."
The man didn't respond right away. "Can you come out?"
Chopper froze, peeking out from behind the tree. The man's eyes stared into his, looking genuinely curious. Slowly, Chopper eased himself out from behind the tree and made his way to the opposite side of the fire. Seating himself on the grass, he didn't make eye contact.
The man smiled at him, "I don't mean to be rude, but can you tell me what you are?"
Chopper glanced up, "I'm… not a raccoon dog!" Then he blushed, looking down at his hooves and muttered, "I'm a reindeer."
"That's good to know. My name is Marco. What's yours?"
Chopper's head shot up again at the man's kind tone. He wasn't used to that kind of tone from strangers. "Chopper," He supplied. "Tony Tony Chopper."
"You're a Zoan type?" Marco questioned.
"How did you know?" Chopper asked.
"Because I can sense it. Didn't you know that? Zoans can sense other Zoans."
"I didn't know that," Chopper said. "I just knew what you were because I watched you fall out of the sky."
Marco frowned slightly, "If you saw that, did you see what happened to my ship and crew?"
"The Marines chased them away," Chopper said. "I didn't see what happened after they left the bay. Why did they leave you?" His voice started sounding accusing as he voiced his question.
Marco shook his head, "I ordered them to leave. They didn't want to, but it was for their own safety. I would rather see myself dead than them hurt."
Chopper fell silent again, a pained expression falling over his face. "Really? You would do that?"
"Of course," There was no hesitation in his voice. Chopper stared into the fire, blinking back tears. "Are you alright?" Marco continued, noticing Chopper's silence.
"Yeah. Your crew should be happy you survived this. But… Not many Captains would risk themselves for others either."
Marco nodded, "Well, I care about them. And we're not like most pirate crews. We're a family." Marco propped himself up on his right elbow, keeping his injured arm immobile. "We lost our real Captain years ago, but that hasn't changed our status as a family. I'm the big brother of them all now."
Chopper smiled at that. "Big brother? That sounds nice. I suppose that's what my Captain would have been. He took us in no matter what we looked like. I mean, he took me in. And I have a blue nose."
"What's wrong with having a blue nose?" Marco asked. "Your skills as a doctor are to be complimented."
Chopper blushed, a wide grin spread across his face. "I don't take compliments from stupid humans. Asshole!"
Marco raised an eyebrow at the reindeer's antics, waiting for him to calm down before speaking again. "So you were part of another crew?"
"Yes." Chopper said, nodding. "Our Captain did the same thing you did. But…" Chopper ran one of his hooves over his left arm, and Marco noticed for the first time the discoloured fur. If he looked closely, he could see it made an X. "But he didn't make it. He fell into the water, and since he had a Devil Fruit, he drowned. None of us could save him. Chopper's expression turned venomous. "At least he took the bastard who attacked us down with him."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Marco said. "If I may ask, how long ago was that?"
"About eight years," Chopper answered. "We… We made sure his dream came true before heading back to his home island and setting up a grave."
"Would I know his name?" Marco asked.
Chopper laughed, "Of course you would. But… I can't tell you. Because no one knows he's dead yet. Not many people know we've split up either."
Marco nodded solemnly. "Well, do you know where you're going?"
Chopper shook his head. "To finish my dream."
"And what's that?" Marco asked.
Chopper looked up, a determined expression decorating his face. "To become the miracle cure. I want to heal every sickness there is."
"That seems like a pretty hefty goal," Marco said. "And you're doing it alone?"
Chopper's face fell. "I don't trust easily," He admitted. "Before I became a pirate, the only people I trusted were the Doctor that took me in and the Doctor that taught me medicine."
"Why don't you come with me and my crew?" Marco offered. "We're the New Whitebeard Pirates."
Chopper's ears perked at the name. "You're the Whitebeard Pirates? Really?" It all made sense now. That's why the flag looked familiar. They had lost their father in Marineford, the same place they had almost lost Luffy. And since Marco the Phoenix was the First Division Commander, or the first mate, he would take over for them. "That…"
"You want to come?" Marco asked.
Chopper stared at the man, trembling. "You really want me aboard?"
Marco reached across the fire and placed a hand on the small reindeer's shoulder. "We would love to have you aboard. You saved me, after all."
Chopper was speechless. All he could do was nod.
Chopper extinguished the fire and packed up his medical kit, slinging it over his shoulders. He warned Marco about the one Marine ship that had stayed in the bay rather than follow his crew out. Together, the two of them climbed down the mountain and emerged at the edge of the beach. Further down, there were Marines lounging around, not paying attention to their surroundings.
They backed up, heading in the opposite direction. Marco wanted to transform and use his flying to see if his ship was nearby, but Chopper was adamant, telling Marco that he would pull his stitches and he wouldn't be able to stitch him up again. That, and thread wasn't fireproof.
Marco grumbled to himself, but waited at the base of a tree while Chopper scaled it and looked out over the water. Climbing down, he informed Marco that his ship had circled the island and were anchored in the open water on the other side of the island. The Marines had given up and were returning to their flag ship.
"That's great," Marco said. "We can catch their attention over there and get the hell outta here. You can meet Selma and Josh. They're our resident doctors."
Chopper practically glowed at the thought of meeting other doctors, and ran ahead of Marco, stopping when he got too far ahead and bouncing on his feet with impatience. Marco found his actions amusing, and wondered what the rest of the crew would think. They hadn't taken on any new members since Pops had died. He was sure they would accept him, the small creature having experienced the same thing they had when losing Pops.
Marco was curious as to what crew he belonged to. The most likely thought would have been Trafalgar Law, the doctor pirate. But Trafalgar was still alive, wasn't he? Chopper had also said that not many people knew his Captain was dead though.
He looked down at Chopper, who was darting around the thick roots around him. He would find out soon enough. The reindeer seemed loyal.
When they met up with the rest of the New Whitebeard Pirates, Chopper instantly became shy again. He hid behind a tree at the edge of the forest while Marco was greeted by his crew. The tiny doctor felt a pang of jealousy. Jealousy towards the other crew who got their Captain back.
"Chopper!" Marco called, sending the reindeer back behind the tree. "It's alright! They just want to meet you."
Slowly, he edged out from his hiding place, and was greeted by the stares of the Whitebeard Crew. After a quick scan of the crowd, he placed most faces to wanted posters, and shivered as he realized how strong these people were.
"Oh my god!" A woman shouted. "He's so cute!"
That broke the ice. Chopper blushed and started shouting obscenities at her, all while claiming he didn't need praise from stupid humans. He was welcomed aboard, all of them grateful that he had saved their Captain.
Selma and Josh took to him right away, and he was given a hammock in the quarters they shared. It made him happy having someone nearby when he was sleeping. He hated being alone. He hated the years of solitude he had been subjected to. But he had new friends, and a place he could help others. Maybe he would even consider them his crewmates one day. But… Not yet. He still missed Luffy, and couldn't even think about joining another crew without feeling guilty. He knew that his Captain would want him to be happy, but he still couldn't shake his feelings away. Maybe in time he would come to call them family.
There was a lot of work with so many people aboard and only three doctors. Both of them were immensely happy to have another pair of skilled hands around to help them with their work. Most of the injuries came from stupid fights and friendly scuffles. But sometimes they got into fights with other crews, and the Marines. Marco had claimed the title of Emperor again, and they had made a lot of enemies that way.
"Geez," Haruta muttered, leaning against the railing beside Chopper. "I wish we would hurry up and find Luffy. Having an alliance with him and his crew would scare anyone away."
Chopper didn't comment and excused himself, spending the next few hours alone in the infirmary creating rumble balls.
Once Garp had even shown up, looking pained and empty. The Vice Admiral didn't recognize Chopper as he mindlessly attacked. Chopper didn't mind. He must have found out about Luffy, he realized. Losing both of his grandchildren must have been hard on him. It would have been hard on anyone. He was thrown off the ship by an attack from Jozu, hitting the water. The Marine ship quickly fished him out and fled, Garp shouting at them to leave him in the water to die, because that's how he died. Chopper watched from the railing for a few minutes before returning to the infirmary to help.
Four years past this way, Chopper becoming more and more friendly with the crew. They met up with another Emperor a few weeks after Chopper's fourth year of joining the crew. Red Haired Shanks. Chopper was immediately intrigued. This was the man Luffy always talked about, the one who gave him his treasured hat.
He didn't look too happy as Marco welcomed him aboard. Many of the older members shared the same expression. "Been a while, Marco," Shanks greeted.
"Can I ask what's wrong?" Marco asked. Chopper watched them interact from the doorway to the hold. "You don't look as chipper as you usually do."
"I met up with the newest Emperor," Shanks said.
"He put you in a bad mood?"
Shanks shook his head. "Not him. Just what he said. He's a good man. Yassop's son, actually. Usopp."
"Usopp!" Chopper exclaimed, darting out from the doorway.
Shanks looked down at him. "Who're you?"
"You talked to Usopp?" Chopper repeated, "How was he doing? He… He…"
Shanks was looking at him, "You knew Usopp."
Chopper nodded fiercely. "We travelled together."
"Did you now?" Shanks said. He knelt down.
Chopper nodded again, and then held out his arm, where the rough X was seared into his shin and fur. "I know why you're angry. It's because you found out about our Captain. Right?"
Shanks looked taken aback. "So you did travel together. Tell me, who were you aboard the ship?"
"I'm Tony Tony Chopper," Chopper said. "I started out with a bounty of 50 beri, and it's now 50 million. I'm a doctor."
"Shanks," Marco interrupted. "You still have to answer my question."
Shanks gestured at Chopper, "He can answer that too. Isn't that right?"
Chopper's expression softened. "It's Luffy."
"The Pirate King?"
Shanks nodded, "We've been looking for him, but we ran into Usopp instead. He's been doing well, little raccoon dog." He ignored Choppers undignified shouts and continued. "He used to sail with Luffy, as Sogeking."
Marco looked confused, "So if Usopp is part of the Pirate King's crew, why isn't he with him?"
"Because Luffy's dead," Chopper said, and Marco remembered Chopper telling him that his Captain had died. "He tried to kill Blackbeard, but that bastard took our Captain down with him." It was a startling revelation, to know that Ace's little brother was dead. Ace had died to save the boy, and now he was gone too.
Marco thought back to his first conversation with Chopper. He remembered being told that his Captain had died to save them, and that the bastard that killed their Captain was dead too. They had both drowned. Wait… Blackbeard? Blackbeard was dead?
"Zoro tried to go after him," Chopper continued, "But it was too late. They had sunk too far." He sniffed, looking away. "There was nothing we could have done. He…"
Marco put a hand on the small reindeer's shoulder. "He killed Blackbeard. That's what you said, right?"
Chopper nodded, "Luffy pushed him off the cliff, but Blackbeard pulled Luffy with him. Our ship was coated in darkness, and none of us could move. We could only… Wa-watch, as L-Lu-Luffy… Died." He was in tears by the end of his explanation.
Marco tightened his grip slightly, reassuringly. "I believe you," He said quietly. "I believe you. Are you alright?"
Chopper wiped away the tears before nodding. "I'll be fine. I… really. It's been twelve years. I'll be fine. Really. I just hate being reminded of it."
Shanks knelt down, "You must have been a good friend to him, to miss him this much. I'm going to miss him too. But you and your crew did a good thing, finishing his dream for him." The red-haired man smiled, "He would be happy so see you finish yours."
Shanks received a watery smile, "That means a lot. Do you want your hat back?"
"No," Shanks said. "That hat belonged to Roger, then me, and now him. He proved to me that he could become a great pirate. He deserved to keep it. No, he deserves to keep it. Luffy's been named the second Pirate King. That means he's become immortal."
"What do you mean by that?" Chopper asked.
Shanks laughed, "It's impossible to live forever. That's a known fact. But it is possible to create something that will be. Luffy's created a legacy for himself. And that legacy will live on until the world ends. Keep that in mind, little reindeer. You helped him achieve that immortality."
With that, he stood. He chatted with Marco for a few more minutes before leaving, waving. Chopper waved back, feeling relaxed for the first time in a while. Talking to Shanks, talking to someone else who knew Luffy, had lifted a big weight off his chest. He was ready for the future. For his future.
He gladly accepted the tattoo, although his fur grew over it after a while. He also painted the mark on his hat, as well as the Strawhat Jolly Roger. No one asked him about Luffy, and he was grateful for his new friends allowing him to keep that his secret.
They comforted him when the news of Usopp's death came as well, but they still never pried.
He did ask Marco for one favour. He wanted to go back to Luffy's hometown and pay his respects. He was finally moving forward. He just had one more thing to do.
Marco agreed, letting him borrow one of the smaller ships and head back to East Blue.
The boat Marco had given him was sturdy, able to cross vast expanses of water with ease. He stopped at a winter island, hoping the snow would brighten his mood a bit. He sailed into a cove and was surprised to see two other ships anchored as well.
Chopper shifted to Heavy Point and dropped the anchor. Someone from a ship above him leaned over at the noise, "Who's there?"
"Um, me," Chopper called up nervously, ducking behind the mast when the man's head turned in his direction.
"Are you a Marine?" The man called.
"Do I look like a Marine?" Chopper asked, poking his head out.
The man laughed, "Not really. Too small. Well, as long as you don't mind pirates, you're free to stay."
Chopper emerged completely from the mast, "I'm a pirate too. I'm Chopper. Who're you?"
"Bennett, of the Little Island Pirates," The man introduced. "The rest of the crew is off exploring the island, but I don't think there's much food around.
"You'd be surprised," Chopper said. "There's a lot of vegetation. Coniferous trees, for example. And animals with thick fat to keep out the cold. That's a good food source."
"Huh, you from a winter island?"
"Yeah," Chopper said, "Before I set off to become a pirate. If your friends come back empty handed, I could help them look."
"I'm sure they'd appreciate your help," Bennett said. "What crew are you from? You said you're a pirate, so you must belong to a crew."
"Um… I'm with the New Whitebeard Pirates," Chopper said, "But I'm on my own right now to go visit my former Captain's grave."
"A Whitebeard?" Bennett repeated, sounding surprised. "And… I'm sorry about your previous Captain. Was it Whitebeard? I heard about his death. Marco would be your Captain now, right?"
"Marco is my Captain, but I've never met Whitebeard."
"Oh, so you were part of a different crew entirely. How'd you get into the crew? I heard they haven't accepted any new members since the war."
"I saved Marco," Chopper said. "And he invited me."
"Saved him? How?"
"I'm a doctor," Chopper said. "I just helped him."
"You're a doctor?" Bennett repeated. "That's great news! That ship there," He pointed at the other one, "Their Captain is sick. When we arrived here, they wanted to know if we could help, but none of us know anything about treating the sick."
"I'll take a look when they get back," Chopper said. "Do you know what kind of illness it is?"
Bennett shook his head, "No. All I know is that they're desperate."
People emerged from the woods a couple hours later, and Chopper explained that he was a doctor. The First Mate, a man named Len, almost dragged Chopper to their sickbay and begged him to save their Captain.
Chopper was surprised to see a familiar face in the bed. He was older, his face was pale, and dark green hair was plastered to his forehead, but he looked just like Makino's son. "Is his name Ace?" Chopper asked, as he walked up to the side of the bed and took his pulse.
"How did you know that?" Len asked.
"I know him," Chopper said. "I met him when he was just a kid back on his home island." Chopper carefully placed Ace's arm down and started taking his blood pressure. "How long has he been like this?"
"A few weeks," Len said. "We've tried everything. Nothing seems to work. He just keeps getting worse and worse."
Chopper closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I know what this is. Makino's husband died of the same thing before Ace was born."
"Can you help him?!"
"I…" Chopper's voice cracked. "I wish I could. I really do. It's a heart disease, you see. He already has a heart murmur, and that's bad enough as it is. Throw in abnormally small arteries and veins around the heart, it works overtime just to get the blood out to the body fast enough. The strain on the heart muscle is huge. Not so much with low blood pressure, but with this high…" Chopper shook his head again. "He doesn't have long. I'm… I'm sorry."
"You can't! You have to help him!" Len shouted.
"I wish I could!" Chopper shouted back. "I could do surgery, but I have none of the materials!"
"We have stuff!" Len cried desperately.
"Do you have synthetic arteries? Veins? A pacemaker?" Chopper demanded. "What about blood for the transfusion?"
Len slowly shook his head.
Chopper bit his lip, "He has about a week left. His heart is slowing down from overuse. That's why he's so pale. His external limbs are cold, which means there's not enough blood getting to them. There's not enough oxygen getting to his cells, and respiration has ceased where it can. His digestive system has probably shut down to save energy. Has he been urinating?"
"No."
"That means his body needs the water, and isn't going to let him get rid of it. Because of that, his blood isn't going to be cleaned, causing salts and waste to infect his bloodstream."
Len was staring at Ace with tears streaming down his face. "Is there nothing I can do? What if we went to get the supplies you needed for the surgery?"
"The nearest island is over a week away," Chopper said quietly. "I wouldn't have enough time. Even if I did do the surgery, Ace would be crippled the rest of his life. He wouldn't be able to sail anymore."
Len fell to his knees as Chopper began to pack up his materials. "How the hell can you be so calm?" Len demanded, as Chopper pulled his medical kit onto is back. "Is it because he's not your friend? Because he's not your Captain? You have no idea what it's like to know you're going to lose your Captain."
Chopper froze mid step, "Ace's mother, Makino, helped raise my Captain. She's a noble woman. I don't want to see her sad, and she loves her son. Losing her son would make her sad. No, I don't know what it's like to know my Captain was going to die. He was strong. I thought he was invincible. Nothing could stop him." Chopper turned to Len. "I'm sorry for your loss. Ace was a happy kid who sang along to Bink's Sake whenever Brook played it for him, and went fishing with his friends. I had no idea he set out to become a pirate, but if he did, I wouldn't have stopped him. Makino definitely didn't stop him. He wanted to live freely."
Len glared up at him, "Just because you can rationalize it doesn't mean you know what it's like."
Chopper let out a sigh, "Again, I'm sorry I can't help. I really want to, but there's absolutely nothing I can do for him. I can give him meds that will ease the pain and let him wake up. But I can't save him. Here's my advice. Make sure that his last week is the happiest in his life. Let him go with smiles and booze. Not tears."
"You can't understand how I feel."
"I lost my Captain too," Chopper said sharply. "He died. It was sudden, and we couldn't prepare for it. We didn't know he was going to die. He was killed. So I do know what it's like. If I could go back, I would try and help him. Hell, even if I couldn't, I would make sure he was happy. That's what I'm still trying to do. So you let him go with smiles, and then make sure you keep doing what you were doing. Because even if he's gone, you'll still want to prove yourself to him."
"What?"
"Make sure, whatever you do, he would be happy. My Captain died so we could follow our dreams. So I'm going to make him happy by following mine. What makes your Captain happy?"
"His… Friends…" Len whispered, the words barely audible. "He liked seeing us all together, having a good time."
"Then you shouldn't make him sad by being depressed." Chopper said. "Stay together as a crew. Marco did. Mine didn't, but I really wish we had."
"So… What should we do?"
Chopper couldn't answer. "That's something you'll have to find out on your own. I'll bring the medicine in an hour."
The rest of the week was filled with drinking, fireworks, music, and laughter. When Ace woke up to the party, he demanded the Little Island Pirates and Chopper join in. He was surprised but glad to see Chopper, and many of the sailors joked with him about the new Pirate Empress, Rio Olivia, and drank a lot of alcohol. The day he died was a somber one. Chopper dug the grave for Ace, and the Little Island Pirates helped make the coffin. Chopper attended the funeral, standing near the back. The remains of his crew left as soon as it was over.
"Oi, little blue nose," Bennett said, as they watched the ship leave their sights. "That mark on your hat. The Strawhats?"
"Yes," Chopper said.
"You know, I knew a man who claimed to be part of the Strawhats. You're an actual member. I remember seeing your wanted poster."
"We get lots of imposters," Chopper said. "Who was he?"
"Someone from our home island," Harry said, joining them. "Usopp. I don't know why he lied. He didn't need to. He went on to become an Emperor. And here we are with a measly 100 million beri bounty for our entire crew."
"Usopp was part of our crew," Chopper said. "He was Sogeking. He didn't know I knew, because he didn't want to be embarrassed."
"Why would he be embarrassed?" Harry asked. "Part of the Pirate King's crew. I wouldn't be embarrassed. "
Chopper was prompted to explain the full story behind Sogeking's mask, and the Little Island Pirates were left in shock.
"We've also met Zoro," Jack put in. "We went to the Sky Island, and he and a girl wanted a ride."
"How's he doing?" Chopper asked.
"Great. He seemed happy, at least. He stayed up there."
"That's nice," Chopper said. "Zoro deserves to be happy. He was the first person on the crew, after all."
Jack clapped Chopper on the shoulder. "Where are you headed?"
"East Blue."
"Want a ride?" Jack offered. "We're heading back to Syrup Village."
Chopper parted ways with them at their home island and sailed towards Goa Kingdom. He met Makino at the docks, who looked extremely glad to see him. Chopper couldn't bear to tell her what happened to Ace. He just smiled back and trudged up the mountain.
It didn't take him long, shifting to walking point to move easier through the trees. When he arrived at the grave, he dug through his bag and produced the Alabasta Royal Seal, "This is from Cobra and Vivi," He said to the air. "She had a daughter, you know. A beautiful girl named Vidia. I think she's had another too, since I've been there."
He sat down, resting his bag on the ground beside him. "I gave her our flag. She was part of our crew, so I know she deserves it." He laughed lightly, "I haven't become the miracle cure yet. In fact, someone I know just died from a disease. But I've come to accept there are things out there that I can't fix. Marco sends his greetings. I'm with him now, and I'm happy. I'm moving forward, just like you always did. You know, you were my best friend. You accepted me, even though I'm a monster. You let an outcast like me be part of something bigger, and you never regretted it. I never regretted it either. I was happy."
He wiped tears from his eyes. "You hated being in the infirmary, but that was because you said it smelled funny, and not because I was in there. You hated taking medicine, but that's because you hated the bitter taste, and not because you didn't like me. You hated getting blood drawn, but that's because you don't like needles, and not because you didn't like me. You hated when I patched up your wounds, but that was because you couldn't sit still and not because you didn't like me. You were one of my closest friends. No, you are one of my closest friends. And I hate saying goodbye."
He was crying again, but made no effort to move and wipe them away. "I met Shanks, and he told me that you would be remembered forever, because of something I helped with. And I can't help but feel proud. You will be remembered throughout history, because of what you did. You chased your dream, even when it seemed impossible to reach. I'm still reaching for mine, but I promise you I will become the best doctor in the world. But maybe I have. I know it's impossible to heal everyone. There are some diseases that won't go away, no matter what medicine they take. But... It's like Shanks said. No one will live forever. But they can be remembered. You died, Luffy, but that doesn't mean you're dead. Maybe being remembered is the miracle cure. What do you think of that?" He laughed to himself and shook his head. "Never mind. It's a stupid thought. I miss you."
He reached into his bag again, pulling out his stethoscope. "I didn't really plan for this, but… This is all I've got." He placed it beside the Alabasta Royal Crest. "Thank you, my friend."
He left, Makino waving him off, and telling him that if he saw Ace, to pass on her love. He had to turn away to keep from crying. He found Marco not long after he re-entered the Grand Line. Selma and Josh were glad to have him back. He finally opened up, letting his new crewmates know him better. He was happy.