Wow...! The response I got for the last chapter was amazing! Thanks very much everyone! I'm very sorry for the long wait with this one but I'm glad you understand that waiting for the chapter is hopefully worth it in the end as it gives me time to make it the best I can. I'd also like to thank anybody that sent a message/review my way asking politely if I could please work on this chapter. Sometimes I just forget about writing with all my busy stuff going on and need a little reminder, so thank you!

Just so you guys didn't have to wait an extra few days/week I've asked my beta's to make their corrections for me to add at a later date so please excuse any spelling errors/mistakes.

This chapter is all new content, so please enjoy! Once again, all feedback is appreciated.


Dark Truth

Chapter 4: A Little Laughter


For the first time in weeks, Luffy rested. The ship bobbed silently in the waves as the crew went about their business quietly, each relieved by their captain's peaceful sleep. By the time Luffy did stir, Sanji, Chopper and Franky had already departed for the island to resupply. The sunlight filtered in through the infirmary window as it began its slow descent to the west, well into the afternoon. It splashed across Luffy's face, illuminating his pale skin and rousing him from his slumber. With a sleepy groan Luffy dragged his sticky eyes open and squinted against the sunlight. Rebelliously he rolled over and pulled the thin blanket that covered him over his head and curled his body into a ball. Just as soon as he'd rejected the light he quickly unfurled and sat upright, eyes wide as he realised it had to be well into the day for the sun to shine into the infirmary. He couldn't remember the last time he'd slept through a sunrise, having been constantly plagued by nightmares. It felt odd, but good and sparked a gentle rumble of excitement in the pit of his stomach, a quiet hope that finally things were improving.

Slowly Luffy eased himself out of the bed, body still littered with ugly injuries. By now his bandages had began to come loose and Luffy squirmed at the imminent closeness he would have to endure to have them changed. A tremor ran down his spine at the thought but he shook it off and glanced warily at the door. He wondered if they would expect more of him today after all that had happened last night. The thought made him tense and left a heavy feeling over his entire body. It was time to face another day.

The crew left behind were busy with preparations for docking in the hours to come and nobody but Robin noticed as Luffy gingerly crept from the infirmary into the sunlight. She had kept watch vigilantly over her captain through the convenience of her devil fruit ability. It gave Luffy some time to relax on his own without the concerned faces hovering around him, but with the reassurance that he was not completely alone.

"Luffy-san," Robin greeted gently, so as not to startle to boy. He flinched regardless and turned to the source of the voice. Robin smiled earnestly; just days earlier Luffy had been so withdrawn it would take several attempts to get a reaction from him, if at all. Last night a lot of progress had been made. "Good morning." she continued.

Luffy gazed to the sun with sleepy eyes, staring at it thoughtfully for a moment before his eyes drifted back to Robin.

"Afternoon," She elaborated softly. "You slept a long time. Do you feel any better?"

Luffy looked surprised with the question. Since that night he'd felt powerless, out of control. He'd felt weak, sore and above all, frightened. Now with food settled in his tummy (no matter how small or liquefied it had been) and a good rest behind him he did feel a bit better. Strangely he felt more tired now than he had before his rest. It was a different kind of tired, a welcome feeling. Before his sleep was a product of exhaustion as his recovering body screamed for him to rest despite the memories that plagued him in his dreams. It had been a deep exhaustion that soaked its way into his body right down to the bones. The sleepiness that blanketed him now was warm and welcome; the kind of feeling he got when he'd had one too many rums – minus the giddiness. It almost, almost felt good. If the persistent throbbing of his healing wounds weren't there to remind him of the state his body was in, he might have even smiled, but then that might just have given away too much. After a moment he dipped his head firmly in a swift nod.

Robin's smile widened at his answer. "You still seem tired. Would you like to rest some more? We won't be docking until after dark."

Luffy's stomach churned and he shook his head with a thick swallow. Robin didn't miss his quickened breathing or the way his hands fisted and loosened repeatedly in a nervous motion. She was careful not to let her smile fall. What Sanji had said earlier had made a lot of sense to her and she too believed that they shouldn't be hiding things from Luffy. Whether their damaged Captain liked it or not, he would either have to face his demons as they came or go home. Robin had faith he would make the right decision.

Luffy seemed unsure of what to do next as he chewed over the new information. Robin decided to take the initiative.

"Are you hungry, Luffy-san?" she asked. "Sanji-san prepared breakfast for you before he left."

Luffy's brow furrowed in confusion and Robin realised that he probably had no idea some of the crew had gone ahead to the island already.

"We agreed that it would be wiser to restock whilst the markets were out during the day." She elaborated.

Luffy nodded slowly, accepting the information. The click of the galley door opening startled Luffy and he spun around and hissed as the movement aggravated his lingering burns and wounds. His body until now had been mostly stationary and when he did move it was often slow and lethargic. With a spark of renewed energy his body's reflexes were slowly returning, much to his disdain as he clutched at a particularly nasty burn on his side that had been stretched; an ugly down-side to his rubbery skin.

Zoro looked over to Luffy as he heard the boy groan in pain. His initial reaction had been one of alarm but he soon calmed upon taking in the sight of Luffy. He didn't look good, but he looked better. He walked towards Luffy, mindful to keep his approach paced and calm.

"Yo, Luffy." Zoro greeted, his voice unusually gentle. Robin's presence didn't go unnoticed and he acknowledged her with a silent nod before he returned his attention to Luffy. "You look like you could use a wash and some fresh bandages. Chopper probably won't be back for a few hours yet. He didn't want to wake you, but I can do it if you don't want to wait."

Luffy mulled over the offer for a few silent moments before his head dipped in a curt nod again. His bandages were itchy and soggy with sweat and his hair felt grimy and heavy on his head. Washing was a terrifying prospect. The water left him weak and vulnerable – it left him exposed. Though he knew there was little he could do in his current state to defend himself, when he was submerged he could do nothing. Zoro could see the uncertainty in Luffy's eyes as he led him to the washroom. They walked with a heavy silence between them as Luffy tried to remain calm. As they walked into the washroom, both blinked in surprise as they were greeted with the sight of naked Usopp.

"Uh... yo?" Usopp greeted and laughed awkwardly. He had just finished scrubbing up to take a bath himself. He smiled at Luffy and lifted a hand in a static wave. "Need any help?"

Luffy fought the urge to cringe. It was hard enough handling it with once person so close. He left Zoro to answer Usopp as he eased himself down onto a stool and began peeling off his clothes amidst a barrage of soft pained hisses.

Usopp and Zoro watched him in quiet awe. Until now Luffy had been so injured he'd been unable to do anything for himself. Though it was only a small step towards recovery, it was just one more step forward. They waited patiently as Luffy unravelled the soiled bandages and weakly scrubbed at his raw skin. His movements were jerky and slow but both crewmates obediently refrained from commenting as Usopp slipped into the bath and Zoro stood guard by the door. After several minutes Luffy resigned himself to the fact he wouldn't be able to do everything himself just yet. His body screamed from just the small exertion he'd shown and he reluctantly placed the soap on the floor.

Zoro didn't need to be asked twice as he kept his sharp eyes trained on Luffy. He saw the exhaustion slowly settle into Luffy's body at the small act of washing himself and when his captain reached his limit, Zoro moved forward without prompting. He knelt beside Luffy (he'd quickly found out Luffy relaxed more when you were in his line of sight) and set about gently scrubbing his hair and back. His trousers and shirt quickly soaked through as he rinsed Luffy off but he stayed focused on his task, mindful to get it done as quickly as possible without hurting his captain. Though he couldn't hide his trembling, Luffy dutifully stayed put and endured the contact. Until now, washing him had either been done when he was unconscious, or unresponsive. Any time they'd tried it otherwise had ended in disaster with Luffy injuring himself further.

"You're doing good, Luffy." Zoro said, softly, proud at Luffy's endurance. He didn't get a response, but that didn't matter.

Finally he finished cleaning Luffy off and tending to his scabbed burns and injuries. They could end it here and head back to the infirmary but the strain in Luffy's face gave away the pain he was obviously in. A hot bath would help relax him and ease the aches. Zoro wasn't about to force his captain into something he wasn't ready for though.

By now Usopp had soaked for a good while and climbed out of the tub with a content sigh. The silence until now had been easy and comfortable so he hadn't wanted to break it, but seeing the turmoil between captain and first mate he felt he had to speak up.

"Are you having a bath, Luffy?" he asked and tried to keep his voice normal. He also tried to keep the hope from his voice, not wanting to pressure his fragile Captain after all the progress that had been made.

Luffy's shoulders rose softly as he sucked in a breath and then sagged as he released it in a heavy sigh. A bath sounded good, but with it he would have to place his trust fully in the hands of his crew to protect him; something he hadn't been able to do since that night. For a long couple of minutes he didn't respond, haunted eyes fixed on the soaked bathroom floor as he debated silently. Zoro waited patiently, stoic as ever as he rinsed off the scrubbing brush he'd used to clean Luffy.

Usopp fidgeted nervously. He wondered if perhaps he'd wandered over that fragile line that would cause his best friend to retreat from him again. The dread that settled in his stomach at that prospect rivalled any he'd felt facing up against past enemies. It was more frightening in a way. Physical pain could be anticipated – it healed, but the pain Luffy endured day to day was invisible and unpredictable. It scared Usopp more than anything they'd faced until this point. In a battle of fists he had faith his captain would eventually come out on top. Luffy wasn't the kind of person to be beaten down and dominated. This battle was something entirely new though. Whatever Luffy had faced that night was still with him, raging an ongoing battle that he was left to quietly fight alone. Finally after last night it seemed as if the battered captain might have reached out for their help in the smallest way, a tiny step in the right direction. One wrong move could slam those doors shut again and shatter the delicate trust that was slowly reweaving between Luffy and his crew. That thought shook Usopp to his core and in a sudden panic that he might have just overstepped that boundary, he let loose a string of stuttered conversation in an attempt to retract his earlier, innocent enquiry.

"O-Of course you don't have to have a bath, I mean there's really no real reason if you don't feel up to it right? I-I mean you're clean! Completely clean! Squeaky clean! And y-you probably have better things to do like... um, like... e-eat and... sleep and... and... yeah! So just forget I said anything, okay?"

Zoro and Luffy stared comically wide eyed at Usopp as he jabbered on and on and effectively filled the awkward silence. The sudden noise had been so unexpected amongst the tense silence just moments before; at first it had startled Luffy, but now he sat somewhat bewildered by Usopp's display. Zoro quickly caught on to the cause of the sharpshooters outburst as he too had felt dread slowly creep into his veins just moments earlier. A quick glance to his side flooded Zoro with relief however as he spotted the surprise plastered across Luffy's face. It was the most 'normal' expression he'd shown in weeks. It reminded Zoro of those dense moments when Luffy, who seemed to take everything in his stride, either didn't understand or was genuinely surprised by something. It was a welcome expression and though Zoro was thankful for Usopp's outburst bringing out such a normal reaction in Luffy, the babbling had really, really started to irritate him.

"Usopp-"

"I mean, Sanji prepared a great meal for you! I wish I could get personalised meals, it's like you're one of the girls...! N-not that I'm calling you a girl or anything because we're men! Manly men!"

"Oi..."

"That's not to say you should be acting tough or anything! You have to recover more before anything like that... can... w-well you get what I mean, right? And, uh, food! Right we need to get you fed! Brooke should be on watch by now so we should have some nice muuuuusic whilst we're eating~ lala~... lalateeda~"

Zoro's protest died in his throat as he watched Usopp, stark naked and halfway out of the tub abruptly leapt back into the water and erupted into dance with an invisible partner. Luffy seemed just as quietly perplexed as his head canted softly and his eyebrows knit together. The two watched in a whole new awkward silence as Usopp then morphed into some sort of wriggly worm dance followed by a touch of ballroom. The twilight moment was abruptly ended when Usopp's foot made contact with a bar of slippery soap hiding beneath sloshing bath water and in just as comical fashion as his earlier dancing the sharpshooter performed an impressive back-flip that ended in a belly-flop back into the tub.

For a brief moment there was silence. Zoro, exasperated and somewhat creeped out by Usopp's display wondered whether he should investigate if he was in fact okay. A second later he was relieved that he wouldn't have to go near (and possible catch his crewmates insanity) as Usopp burst from the water with a cry of: "It hurrrrrts!" clutching his crooked nose. Both Zoro and Luffy started as a soft yelp escaped Luffy's lips.

Zoro's moved towards Usopp in long strides, so intent on giving the idiot a good thump to the head he failed to notice the slight upward curve of Luffy's lips into a gentle, mischievous smile.

"Shishishi..."

Both crewmates froze; Zoro fully clothed and halfway into the tub and Usopp stark naked, half way retreated out of it. They exchanged a shocked glance to one another before their attention fixed on Luffy. It was quiet and withdrawn but that one little sound banished the negativity and tension from the room.

Luffy was laughing.

"You idiot..." Zoro admonished Usopp affectionately.

"Ne, Luffy!" Usopp called, and smiled brightly as Luffy glanced his way, the remnants of a smile still lingering on his face. "How about that bath? I can tell you a story if you like."

This time the hesitation was brief. Luffy dipped his head slowly in confirmation. A bath would be good. The normality of the situation felt good. Luffy was no fool and knew the weight lifted from his heart would not stay away, but for now he felt lighter. Gingerly he stood and carefully made his way across the slippery floor towards his waiting crewmates.


Franky glanced across the Mini Merry to Sanji, then Chopper. It was strange to see his usually animated crewmates so reserved and pensive. Even through the past few weeks when the tension had been thick and heavy, every crew member had tried to keep themselves busy; not giving themselves time to think about what had happened. Franky had kept himself locked away in his workroom, unsure how to treat the strong captain he'd chosen to follow that suddenly seemed so frail. His eyes drifted to Sanji's hands where a cigarette sat pinched loosely between his pointer and ring finger. The chef had been lost in thought and distracted since they'd left the ship that morning. The only words he'd heard Sanji speak had been his interactions with the vendors as he'd resupplied the food stock for the Sunny. Even then his words has been clipped and his thoughts elsewhere. Franky knew what had Sanji so distracted. It was the first time any of them had ventured away from the ship – away from Luffy – since that night. It was obvious that they were all eager to get back to make sure everything was still okay, yet none of them dared suggest cutting their supply trip short. They were pirates and danger was a part of the job description. Luffy was their Captain and in perfectly capable hands that would keep him safe no matter what.

That ominous whispering that had echoed around all of their heads and hearts since that day however, continued to remind them that he hadn't been safe that night when all of this started. Considering that, he could understand the tension between them now, the anxiety and desire to return to their ship. Understanding however didn't help ease the heavy tension that had settled between the three crewmates.

Chopper fussed over his new medical supplies as he restocked his small backpack from the large sack of supplies he'd purchased in the town. He'd only had a few moments to assess Luffy's condition before they'd left that morning and he hadn't wanted to disturb his captain's first restful sleep in weeks by touching him. Chopper hadn't really had time to think since this all started. He's kept busy with Luffy's treatment and the concoction of different ointments to ease his pain over the past weeks, but now in the small boat as he finished packing all he could into his small pack he found himself in a dangerous stillness that let his mind wander and feel. Several emotions restrained by his constant motion slowly crept to the surface and probed at his mind, fear, anxiety... anger. A quiet rage bubbled dangerously beneath his surface; it reminded him or back in Drum when he'd lost Hiruluk – his father in all but blood. It reminded him of the rage that swallowed him after he consumed three rumble balls. It frightened him that he felt that same feeling lurking beneath his skin when he thought of what had been done to his precious captain. Beside the rage a heavy lump of fear had also settled in his gut. Sanji's words from the day before floated around his brain. What if Luffy couldn't come back from this? What if this was the end of their journey together? Could they really go on without Luffy? Would he really want to? He had been the force that dragged them all together in the first place. Would they slowly become unglued without him?

Franky glanced once again to Chopper as the reindeer shook his head and scrubbed at his eyes with his arm. This was beginning to takes its toll on everybody. It was in times like these that Luffy brought them all together and pushed them through whatever hardships they were facing. Luffy couldn't do that for them right now though. Franky knew this time they would have to pull themselves through and with a determined nod he turned to face chopper.

"Oi, how about we sing a song?"

"Eh...?" Chopper noised softly. The proposition had been so unexpected it left him speechless and stilled his restless mind.

"A song – we can make our own!"

"Idiot." Sanji hissed quietly, though never tore his gaze from the distant figure of the Sunny-Go on the horizon. "You want to sing at a time like this!?"

"There's no better time, pervy-cook!" Franky smirked back. "Our captain needs to see we're just as strong as we've ever been and he can count on us!"

"Luffy... does like music." Chopper added timidly as he looked from Franky to Sanji.

"We can work out the story and sniper-bro can make it into a song!" Franky suggested.

"A-And Brook can make the music!" Chopper added, his enthusiasm slowly growing.

Sanji offered no more criticism of the idea nor assistance and so Franky and Chopper set about concocting a storyline for their song. Deep down Sanji knew that Franky was just trying to ease the invisible weights that rested on all of their shoulders by returning some normalcy to their day but nevertheless he couldn't bring himself to join in and kept his eyes on the Sunny as they drew closer.

By the time they were prepared to board Franky and Chopper had fantasised an entire song based around a rubber world where everybody and everything was made of rubber like Luffy. Usopp and Nami, who had come to help unload their new supplies blinked in surprise as the two conversed animatedly over their ideas as though nothing were wrong.

"They're making a song for Luffy." Sanji explained blandly as he hauled a large sack of potatoes over his shoulder and walked towards the galley. He had to admit though, listening to the two of them had made his heart feel just a little bit lighter.

"A song?" Nami asked incredulously. Usopp stood beside her, mimicking her disbelief.

"Mm!" Chopper noised as he shifted to walk point so that Franky could load supplies onto his back. "It's about a rubber world with rubber animals and rubber food! It's really chewy! You've gotta help us make it into a song, Usopp!" Chopper then paused in his enthusiasm as he spotted Usopp's broken nose. "Ah! What happened to your nose!?"

"Huh? O-Oh... this... heh, I just fell in the tub... hehe..."

"Oh... that reminds me, I have to bathe Luffy's injuries..." Chopper muttered, his enthusiasm waning.

"Done!" Usopp chirped, a smile gracing his face. "Zoro helped him wash and he's using the medicine we have left to treat his injuries before you re-bandage him."

"He let you wash him?" Franky asked, incredulously. He had been enlisted to help wash Luffy one of the first times they'd tried after that night. He couldn't quite wrap his head around the possibility that Luffy would willingly climb into a tub with any one of them.

"He got in with me and Zoro but he looked a bit uncomfortable with us both there so I rinsed off and left 'em to it." Usopp replied, still smiling. "He even laughed!"

"He laughed?!" Chopper exclaimed, eyes wide. "What did he laugh at?"

"Ah... well... s-something funny of course!" Usopp replied with a cough as he tried to hide the blush that stained his cheeks.

"He laughed?" Sanji repeated chopper's question. He had returned just in time to hear Usopp's claim.

"He did! Really!"

Sanji looked doubtfully to Nami for confirmation but she smiled back at him and nodded. Chopper, Usopp and Franky in the meantime had had shared a brief victory dance before they resumed their unloading of supplies amongst excited discussion of their song-to-be. The light wouldn't last much longer and they had a lot of preparation to complete before their trip inland that night. It was a huge risk they had no choice but to take. It had taken this long to drag Luffy back a few paces from the abyss he'd teetered on since that night but for the first time in what seemed a long time a spark of hope ignited amongst the Strawhat crew.


Thank you for reading. Any criticism or feedback is always welcome.