Chapter 27

Under pressure

"Did you find anything?" Franky asked, frowning behind his sunglasses.

"Yes, I was able to identify the poison," Chopper replied.

"Are you gonna be able to heal him?" Nami inquired immediately.

"I know the antidote," The little reindeer confirmed, yet concerned.

"Great!" Luffy got enthused.

"But?" Zoro grumbled, noticing the strained face of their doctor.

"It looks like you're not as happy as you should be," Brook agreed softly, stirring his cup of tea.

Chopper shifted in his chair uncomfortably. For almost two weeks since they had turned up in the New World, the crew hadn't had a minute's rest. First, the wounded had to be treated and the Sunny repaired after their shattering entry. Then, they had disembarked on an almost hostile island where the vegetation composed of carnivorous plants was such that everyone had almost been devoured. They had had to leave at full speed without being able to stock up and then on the way to the next island, they had been attacked again. Their opponents were different from those they had faced the first time but they were no less strong and once again, it had been a last-gasp victory.

That's when Usopp had started to show signs of weakness. Because he was an excellent liar and in the face of the increasing attention that navigation required, he had at first denied any difficulties. But after three days he had been unable to hide his trembling limbs, the sweat which constantly dripped from his forehead and above all, the throbbing pain that made him wince more and more often. Chopper had quickly identified the poisoning Usopp suffered from in connection with the arrow he had received, but without exact knowledge of the poison, he had only been able to try to appease it thanks to known treatments which in reality relieved the sniper only a little. For two days now, Usopp hardly left the bed in the infirmary, grappling with increasingly unbearable pain.

Nami had pushed up the limits of the Sunny despite the unpredictable weather and possible surprise attacks to reach the next island. They had disembarked this morning on an island with stormy winds and a harsh but authentic atmosphere. While the little reindeer had run off to get a blood sample to a laboratory, the rest of his friends had stock up on food, cola and medicine. As soon as the results of the analysis were obtained, however, no one had thought to rest and the crew had gathered in the galley, except for Robin who was watching over the gunner. Chopper was now sure of his diagnosis and yet, from his worried look, everyone guessed that their troubles weren't over.

"I don't have all the necessary ingredients," He admitted then, lowering his eyes. "I'm missing one that is essential to the remedy…"

"Can't we buy it here?" The navigator wondered. "I noticed their market is rather big; there is surely an herbalist."

The reindeer shook his head, annoyed. "It's a very expensive rare flower… The Rafflesia manillaza."

"How does it look?" Brook asked.

"It's a smaller species of the Rafflesia arnoldii family, a parasitic plant whose root only grows in certain specific places. Its flowers are about twenty centimeters in diameter."

"We can't miss it if we come across it," Zoro noted.

"Yes, but it's difficult to find, especially in bloom, since flowering can take months to fully develop and lasts very few days."

"Let me guess, we need the flower?" Nami sighed.

The little doctor nodded apologetically. "It exists in dried form but even so, I only saw it once at Doctorine's…"

"We have money," Luffy stepped in.

"Even with money, given the climatic conditions of this island, I doubt we'll find any", His friend lamented. "The locals don't seem wealthy enough or have enough knowledge to get it…"

"Maybe on another island nearby then?" Franky suggested.

"What kind of climate would be conducive to the blossoming of this flower?" Brook wanted to know.

"Hot and humid," The reindeer replied.

"How can we know in which direction this kind of island is?" Zoro asked.

"The Log-Pose only indicates the three nearest islands but by consulting the city records, it may be possible to determine their climate," Nami said, grabbing her maps not far from her.

"We can also ask the inhabitants," Franky proposed.

"And check with local merchants," Brook added.

"All right, we're going!" Luffy decided with determination.

Chopper nodded and gathered his own documents. "We can't waste a minute so I'm going to start creating the antidote with Robin. The preparation is long, I'll probably need some help."

The crew nodded and dispersed immediately.

"We searched the entire island, and nothing!" Nami was annoyed a few hours later when the friends gathered around the galley table again in the early evening.

"Half of the town's navigation logs went up in smoke last year in an arson attack, and those that we found don't mention a hot, humid island around here," Brook said, handing out a plate to everyone.

"A guy told us about a tropical island but several weeks away," Franky agreed, glancing at the swordsman who had come with him.

"I bought all the plants that looked like the flower!" Luffy showed them, pointing to the large bag he had given to the little reindeer on his way back.

"There are powerful antiseptics, maybe they'll slow down the effects of the poison but that won't cure Usopp," The doctor sighed.

"How is he?" The skeleton inquired, handing the huge plate of spaghetti Bolognese to his friends.

"Robin applies poultices all the time and she makes sure he doesn't get dehydrated but the poison is exhausting his body… I went to take his pulse just now and even if he hasn't passed out, the pain is such that he's getting weaker and weaker," Chopper admitted, his face tense.

"There must be a way to find this plant!" Nami got indignant.

"Why don't we call Sanji? All Blue has doors all over the Grand Line!" Luffy suddenly suggested, helping himself generously to fill his plate.

"There's no signal for All Blue here," The shipwright mumbled. "Not to mention the time he'd take to find it and send it to us…"

"We need to keep going, it's our best chance," Zoro pointed gloomily. "Maybe we'll find something on the next island."

"I doubt it, we have the choice between two polar lands and a desert one," The navigator growled while grabbing a piece of bread. "The only positive point is that they're not far…"

"Usopp won't last much longer, we need to hurry," Chopper reminded them anxiously.

At these words, Luffy loudly swallowed his mouthful of spaghetti, smearing himself with tomato sauce at the same time. "Don't worry, he's stronger than he looks! We'll get him that flower, I promise!"

Luffy sat on the edge of the sniper's bed in the infirmary, worried. He had lost a bit of his joviality in the five days they had been surveying the seas and all the islands in their path. Yet, true to his principles, he didn't lose hope. "We can do this," He assured him.

His friend smiled weakly. He was far too exhausted to straighten up and the mere fact of breathing twisted his ribcage in the worst possible way, causing him to wheeze at regular intervals despite the oxygen mask he wore almost constantly. "I know you're doing what you can…" The gunner's voice broke and he coughed brutally without being able to stop, almost choking. Luffy immediately handed him his oxygen mask and Usopp painfully put it on his nose and mouth.

"Give us a little more time, Usopp, we're almost there," He insisted.

"I-I don't wanna alarm you but… I don't feel half of my body anymore, Luffy," His friend pointed out softly through his mask.

The captain frowned. In less than two days, they had reached the desert island that Nami had spotted. The place wasn't very populated and going around it had been fast, just enough time to stock up on cola and information. Less than three days later, they had disembarked on the next island, a surprisingly calm land with a significant town. Chopper had been optimistic that they would find what they were looking for in this urban and well-stocked environment, but luck was obviously not on their side since none of the pharmacies and herbalists they had found so far had this miraculous plant. The crew had then gathered on the Sunny again, the anguish and confusion being now clearly felt among them.

"Robin has a lead," The straw hat boy added.

"Yeah, she told me… The Grand Line's psychopath?" The sniper tried to joke, his face contorting in pain.

"I'll find that flower, I promise." Usopp smiled sincerely despite his apparent dejection. "I know."

Luffy nodded firmly to mark his words then he stood up, determined to act immediately. He left his friend to rest to go to the cyborg's workshop where the rest of his crew was gathered around the Den-Den Mushi.

When he arrived, Nami turned to him. "Robin has actually seen him, he's on the island."

"Were you able to contact him?" The captain asked.

"Fortunately, Liam's transmitter is super-powerful. It managed to pick up his sub's frequency and broadcast directly into his navigation room," Franky explained. "Without his number, we'd never have been able to reach him otherwise…"

"What did he say?" The straw hat boy immediately wanted to know.

"He has some and he's ready to give it to us," Chopper answered.

"We made an appointment for tonight in town," Brook specified.

"He chose a discreet and remote place," Robin confirmed.

"Perfect!"

Zoro crossed his arms over his chest, less happy than his friends. "He also said it'd come at a high price," He reminded them.

"It doesn't matter," His captain brushed aside.

Nami bit her lip uncomfortably. "Luffy, I know the priority is to treat Usopp but we don't know him and his reputation isn't in his favor. He may be a so-called doctor, but he has killed a lot of people since he started to get famous. Pirates, Marines, everyone fears him…"

"Maybe he has nothing and it's a trap," Franky added.

"I should have noticed that this redness wasn't normal," Chopper sniffed, "If I had spotted it right away, Usopp wouldn't be in so much pain today…"

"He wanted you to heal the others as well," Robin comforted him.

In response, Luffy pushed his hat on his head resolutely. "Whatever he asks of us, we'll bring this flower back for Usopp. It's our only priority."

Around him, his crew nodded, understanding and sharing their captain's determination. Nothing would stop them from saving their friend. Not even the surgeon of death.

Zoro was clearly surprised when he looked up and a tall, slender figure sat down on the available chair in front of his small table. Although he had only ever seen him on wanted posters, the swordsman recognized him immediately. His long coat with the effigy of his Jolly Roger, his spotted cap pulled down over his inquisitive eyes and above all, this surprisingly long sword placed at his side. It was indeed Trafalgar Law, famous Supernova in the same way as his own captain.

The fencer frowned. The straw hat boy had left with Nami, Chopper and Franky a few hours earlier for the meeting place while he, Robin and Brook had stayed on the Sunny. While the archaeologist took care of the sniper, Brook had grabbed his violin and Zoro had noticed the small bar on the port visible from the deck. He would have preferred to fall asleep in the crow's nest or even on the grass of the Sunny while waiting for his friends to return, but it had been a while since he relaxed easily like before. Whether it was because of his personal torments or his heightened vigilance since they had disembarked in this new and dangerous environment, Zoro suffered the same consequences: he tended to go around in circles and his frustration grew at the same rate as his impatience. He had therefore decided to give himself a short break while making sure he could continue to see the Sunny from the table he had chosen.

"I thought you were meeting with Luffy?"

Facing him, the other pirate smirked. "Why not with you? I like solitary minds. I don't want to get noticed and your captain isn't the best at it."

Zoro grabbed his mug of beer. Trafalgar had obviously taken the trouble to find out about them before coming and regarding Luffy, the swordsman couldn't prove him wrong. "Fine. Gimme the flower and you can go then."

The Supernova ignored him and motioned for the bartender to bring him the same as the fencer before crossing his legs to make himself comfortable in his chair. "What you want is quite special. What is it for?"

"To help someone."

"I would have guessed. Lucky for them that I'm around…"

At these words, the surgeon threw a bag over the table which Zoro caught, then he drank a sip of his freshly served beer. For his part, the swordsman examined the dried powder at the bottom of the small transparent bag for a second. He then returned his attention to his interlocutor. "I know nothing about flowers. What tells me it's the right one?"

"You'll find out soon enough." In front of the closed face of the swordsman, the surgeon smirked again. "I won't pass up my chance to have another Supernova Captain owe me a debt."

Zoro grumbled before stuffing the bag in his pocket. He then finished his beer and quickly put his empty glass back on the table, ready to go.

"You'll tell your doctor not to underestimate the amount of lucragel needed to compensate for its potency, it could be fatal."

The swordsman stood up while nodding his head, then dropping a few berries on the table. "I'll tell him."

"Stay where you are." Zoro paused and looked up at the other pirate, his muscles tense. He was about to grab his sword when the surgeon calmly spoke again. "A squad of Marines has just entered and your outfit is most recognizable. Sit down quietly and hopefully no one will notice us."

The swordsman glanced at the copper pots that adorned the wall to his right and saw the reflection of several officers heading to the bar to order drinks. Absorbed in their discussion and visibly reluctant to watch over their surroundings, there was indeed a chance that they would go unnoticed. Zoro sat back in his chair and Law took a sip of his beer after cleverly hiding his nodachi against his chair.

"Since we have a little time," The doctor continued, "How is Blackleg-ya doing?"

Zoro instantly tensed in his seat, but he didn't make a move that might draw attention to them. Instead, he just stared into the surgeon's gaze defiantly over his mug. "The rumors were true then, he's no longer part of the crew," Law deduced from his silence.

The swordsman's gaze turned icy and the Supernova smirked. "Don't be surprised, news travels fast on the Grand Line. It was reported that he was on the East Blue not long ago while Straw Hat is drawing attention on all the islands around. I must say that your quest doesn't go unnoticed… Must be hard to lose both a lover and a crewmate…"

Zoro glanced at the Marines drinking at the counter and gritted his teeth. He didn't like to fight with words, it wasn't his domain. But since the Supernova was provoking him and he couldn't move, he wasn't going to back down. "So when people say you get laid with Kid, it's not a rumor either?" He asked nonchalantly.

His interlocutor stared at him for a second with surprise before nodding his head and putting down his mug. "Touché," He admitted.

"It seems that you're his personal bitch," The swordsman added with a sadistic grin.

"Don't be rude, Roronoa. You wouldn't want me to talk about Blackleg-ya that way, would you? Unless-"

"You better not finish your sentence, Trafalgar," Zoro cut him short in a dull voice, his hand clenched on the edge of the table.

"I just wanted to demonstrate my point of view," The surgeon retorted, taking back his glass and smirking.

"Yeah, but I don't care about your fucking demonstrations. I just want you to keep your mouth shut till these morons get outta here."

"You're as unsociable as me, Roronoa. I like that about you, we understand each other…"

Zoro rolled his eyes and Law finished drinking his beer, looking relaxed. The fencer then cast another glance at the officers and restrained himself from grimacing. Couldn't they pick another time to befriend the owner?!

Taking a deep breath to calm down, the swordsman ended up looking back at the man in front of him. "What are you doing around here anyway? I thought you passed the Red Line a while ago."

"I only recently entered the New World, my projects required some adjustments that I have just finished," The surgeon replied, "By the way, you should hear about it soon…"

"Yeah, you mean you were busy doing something else with your boyfriend," The swordsman sneered.

"'Boyfriend' doesn't seem appropriate to describe the relationship I have with Eustass-ya," His interlocutor corrected him by shrugging his shoulders.

"No shit. What would it be then?" The fencer asked while he was still watching the officers, not caring what the answer was.

"Hm… Sex-toy seems appropriate to me."

Zoro abruptly returned his attention to the Supernova before wrinkling his nose in disgust. "Damn, you're a nice pair of maniacs. Just seeing that creep, I bet your thing is sadomasochism."

Law leaned over the table, his smirk tugging his thin lips. "You want to know?"

"No, I really don't wanna know."

To prove his point, Zoro focused on the Marines still deep in conversation with the innkeeper and Law played with his empty mug, suddenly looking a little bored. "I'd like to know who told you about Eustass-ya and me," He said after a while.

"Why, you can't handle it?" The swordsman asked, not taking his eyes off the officers. "You're right. If I were you, I couldn't handle it either."

"It hasn't been that long so I wonder who could have known about it," The surgeon explained.

Zoro shook his head before looking at him again, clearly amused now. "He was some poor drunk guy in a bar yelling it on the first island right after the Red Line about twenty days ago. He said your… sex-toy was telling everyone. Maybe Kid was drunk when he met him but either way, he was chatty and the guy had details he apparently hadn't asked for."

"Eustass-ya has such a need for self-confidence…"

Zoro shrugged and watched as the Marines finally made their way to the exit, still caught up in their discussion. Once the door closed behind them, the swordsman got up right away and stared at the Supernova. "I hope for your sake this flower is the right one otherwise Luffy will hunt you down throughout the New World."

The surgeon rolled his eyes. "Remind him instead that he owes me a favor and that if I were him, I won't have fun trying to forget it."

The swordsman readjusted his blades before turning away. "Don't worry. Luffy keeps his promises."

The Kid/Law part is a reference to the story I was writing at the time, Double or nothing.

I always have fun with these two!

The New World without preparation is hard…

Next chapter will be post before the end of the year and will be about Sanji!

Have a very Merry Christmas!