Hello my dear readers, I'm back!
I hope I didn't make you wait too long this time (I know it took too long anyway, I'm sooo sorry🙇 )
Anyway, here's the next chapter for you! I tried my best again, so I hope you like it!😊
Have fun!
A deep sigh was heard, coming from none other than an orange haired young lady who was left alone in the infirmary, huddled in the chair next to her comatose captain's bed.
There they were again, swapping shifts to take care of Luffy, his condition still leaving a change to be desired and preferably an improvement.
Nami sighed again for what felt like the umpteenth time as she hugged her legs even tighter to her torso. She had rested her heavy and throbbing head on her sore knees, her gaze fixed on Luffy's motionless body, occasionally rubbing her tired eyes, under which dark circles stood out in contrast to her pale skin, an indication of her lack of sleep.
The air, heavy with uncertainty, matched the tension the navigator felt, suffocating her. Chopper, who had been forced to retire to his bunk for a while due to his exhaustion, had previously assured her that Luffy was on the mend. At least as far as his wounds and what his body had been through on the last island were concerned. As for the actual source of his distress, his terminal illness, Chopper hadn't said much. He had merely pulled a grim face and told her in short words that Luffy's sickness would worsen inexorably, but that he would continue to do his best to heal it. So in short, nothing new, much to Nami's dismay.
Nami herself had only nodded understandingly at this clarification, even though she didn't know how she should feel about this statement. On the one hand, she was quite worried about the worsening illness, but on the other hand, she had faith in Chopper's words. When the little reindeer recognized Nami's dissatisfaction and the uncertainty in her facial features caused by her mixed feelings, he immediately tried to give her an encouraging smile with the words that he would never give up.
Nami, of course, had no doubts about this. Chopper was a very dedicated doctor who would never let his patient die. But Nami, as perceptive as she was, had seen through the reindeer's crumbling façade, the clear despair in his eyes could not deceive her. The whole situation was just as difficult for him as it was for everyone else, with the additional weight of being the ship's doctor resting on his shoulders. Nami could almost feel the enormous stress and pressure that Chopper was under with this responsibility.
No one had the slightest idea about medical procedures and what else was involved in being a doctor, except Chopper himself. But Chopper shouldn't feel alone, because they were a crew, a family. The reindeer seemed to have forgotten this in his desperation, so Nami didn't miss the opportunity to remind him again.
From Nami's observation, Luffy's condition didn't look like it was taking a turn for the worse at the moment . However, the navigator didn't like the way Luffy was still lying on the bed, completely motionless except for the steady rise and fall of his chest. The Luffy she knew would have come to by now, and even if he hadn't, he would have at least adopted his chaotic way of sleeping. His loud relentless snoring, his softly mumbling demands for food and meat, his drool dribbling from the corners of his half-open mouth, his strangely uncomfortable position, in which his limbs point in all directions.
All those silly habits of his were missing. Nami bit her rough and already chewed lower lip in frustration as she struggled to recognize her captain. It was as if Luffy had been replaced and in front of Nami's nose was a stranger who was the complete opposite, someone so fragile and vulnerable. Where was the person who had freed her and her home village from an endless tyranny? Where was the person who could overcome any situation, no matter how precariously difficult?
How could it have come to this?
A question that she had asked herself at least a million times recently and had not found an answer to just as often.
Nami absentmindedly fiddled with the itchy bandages on her arm as she reminisced about the past. Her lips curved into a slight smile and she immediately felt like crying again at the fond memories, only she had already cried so much that she had no tears left. Yesterday's events had tugged at her psyche so that she no longer had any control over the tears that had been flowing incessantly from her eyes. Nami thought back to all the wonderful moments they had spent together on their journey, which seemed a long time ago to her.
It seemed like an eternity ago. She could hardly remember the last time they had all sat together at the dining table and cheerfully enjoyed their meal, or the last time they had thrown a spontaneous party where Luffy had laughed heartily and fooled around. Not a bit of those times was left, the current situation a sheer nightmare. A nightmare with no way out.
The most depressing thing was that the young captain wasn't even able to lift a finger now. Her eyes glided over Luffy's still form and stopped at his hand, which lay motionless and limp at his side. Nami resisted the urge to take his hand in hers again, unable to bear how slack and lifeless it felt, despite the fact that it was warm. Ashen with all its visible blue veins, but still warm.
A harsh gasp escaped Nami's lips as images from days gone by, when they were still so happy, flashed unanticipated before her inner eye, the seemingly insignificant moments that Nami had unfortunately not appreciated enough. She had taken everything for granted and this was what she got in return. Well deserved, her inner voice scoffed. The young navigator would honestly give anything to get everything back the way it was. Anything.
Nami reflexively squeezed her teary eyes shut and buried her face in her knees as the joyful memories were suddenly replaced by yesterday's incident, which had been replaying in her head ever since, never seeming to subside. It was simply too traumatizing for everyone present and especially for Nami, who was also crushed by the enormous weight of guilt. Nami's teeth, still chewing on her lip, finally broke through the surface, causing blood to seep out right away, but Nami was far too absent-minded to even notice or feel it.
It was Nami's fault. Her fault alone. Because of her, Luffy had been so close to dying. If only she hadn't been so damn incompetent, this wouldn't have happened to Luffy. If only Nami wasn't so fucking stupid, then her captain wouldn't have to suffer any more than he already did. What sort of friend was she?
Definitely not one Luffy deserved.
—
~Flashback~
"H-he...L-Luffy has no pulse...he is...dead…."
Chopper's words echoed in their heads as each of them tried hard to process his statement. Luffy together in the same sentence with the word "dead" sounded so damn wrong. No, they didn't even belong in the same sentence! That wasn't possible.
It just couldn't be possible...
From Nami's point of view, the world stopped the second the jarring words left Chopper's mouth. Her throat felt extremely tight, causing her to gasp dryly, unable to get much-needed air into her lungs, and her incessant tears began to fall like a waterfall. The shock was written all over Nami's face, like that of the others.
Even Zoro, normally imperturbable like no other, had fallen to his knees, his expression so indescribable and his face so ashen and tear-streaked as Nami had never seen it before. This shockingly unfamiliar expression had literally imprinted itself on her mind, never to be forgotten again. Of course, all the other members felt the same way. Their faces showed much more than just a combination of sadness and anger; they were clearly destroyed. Their hopes and dreams had been washed away in one fell swoop, but nothing made them feel more pain than the great loss of their beloved captain. They didn't care about anything else. Nothing mattered without their guiding light. Despite the fact that it was broad daylight, the Straw Hats felt as if they were shrouded in pitch-black darkness, without even a spark of light. It was over. They had suffered the worst possible defeat with a loss so devastating .
Cries of denial continued to rang throughout the deck and shortly after, Sabo collapsed from the grief and shock he was experiencing as he stubbornly tried to stop Chopper and Koala from taking Luffy away from him. Everything seemed to happen in the blink of an eye, too fast for Nami to take it all in. But Chopper's urgent exclamation brought Nami and everyone else present back from their stupor.
"There... there's still hope!"
All the Straw Hats glanced up at once, snot and water dripping down their faces. Immediately after Sabo had lost consciousness, Chopper had released Luffy's bloodied, lifeless body, which was growing cooler by the second, from his slack grip and laid him flat on the grassy deck with his limbs outstretched, while Koala cradled Sabo's unresponsive body in her arms. Her body trembled violently, both from shock and being completely overwhelmed by the whole situation, the desperation was written all over her face. Torn back and forth by the state of her best friend and Luffy, she shook and shook Sabo vigorously with eyes cloudy with tears, whose mouth was still open in his last scream, but it was no use, Sabo was dead to the world.
Without wasting another precious second, Chopper promptly shifted into his human form, placed both hands on top of each other on Luffy's chest just above his heart and began to perform CPR. At regular intervals, the reindeer pressed his captain's chest, which gave way a little due to the enormous pressure he was exerting and Luffy's rubber powers, and then brought his mouth to Luffy's cold blue lips to force oxygen into his lungs.
Chopper tried to pull himself together as best he could and get his trembling body under control, but it was anything but easy for him. In all the years he had spent as a doctor, he had never experienced an emergency like this. The Straw Hats had never been so close to losing one of them, at least not in this way, when all his knowledge and skills as a doctor were in such demand. Every single second counted and every second could be the last and any mistake, however small, could mean the final end.
Vast thoughts raced through Chopper's mind, making his task even more difficult as he struggled to concentrate. His emotions threatened to seep through behind his serious but wavering expression and he couldn't hold back the tears that streamed from his eyes despite every effort to suppress them. After all, it was his captain, his best friend, who was threatening to slip through his own hooves. Straining, he gritted his teeth and inwardly begged Luffy not to leave them. Chopper continued tirelessly with the compressions, regularly blowing air into Luffy's lungs and pleading pitifully in between.
"Please Luffy, please don't leave us."
"I need you! We need you!"
"Our journey is not over yet damn it!"
"Please…"
"Come back to us, breathe!"
There was a spark of hope, but only a small one, as the very little amount of blood still in Luffy's body was simply not enough. Chopper knew exactly that what they needed now was something far beyond the first aid he could provide; namely a miracle. It was only a miracle that could bring Luffy back and free him from the ice-cold, merciless clutches of death.
With new-found hope, the remaining members of the crew watched tensely, but the next moment they realized how the navy was closing in on them again. Of course, it was only a matter of time before they caught up with the Straw Hats. It had been clear that they would not simply accept such a defeat and let the pirates get away with it. Sanji and Zoro were immediately on the alert as they sensed the approaching marines, including the boss of the base. The latter, a very vindictive beast, would never let up without capturing them single-handedly and putting them behind bars. That was not good, not good at all. To make matters worse, the navy, who had done all this to them in the first place, now had to chase after them. With heavy hearts, the crew had to take their eyes off Chopper, who was tending to Luffy and giving his all to get his heart beating again.
"Guys, we have to get out of here as fast as we can! The navy is on its way here!" Zoro warned in great alarm and it had taken him a while to find his voice again.
The first mate immediately prepared for battle together with Sanji as they made their way to the railing, facing the island. The blond chef had lit a cigarette to calm his nerves and took a generous drag, filling his lungs with the unhealthy substance. He and Zoro compulsively tried to concentrate on the navy alone. They didn't have the skills to help Chopper with Luffy anyway, so all that was left was to protect the crew and prevent any more casualties at all costs. Whether they wanted to or not, they were forced to suppress their emotions for a moment, but revenge and bloodlust was the only thing they felt. Revenge for their captain. Zoro could barely stop himself from running towards the soldiers and slaughtering every single one of them and making them regret what they had done to them, but his legs wouldn't take him one step further from the Sunny. His heart hammered nervously in his chest as he continued to listen to Chopper's attempts to revive Luffy.
Meanwhile, Jinbei and Franky took care of the ship and made her ready to cast off, while Robin and Usopp secured the smaller ship of Sabo and Koala to the stern of the Sunny with thick ropes and then helped to hoist the sails. Under time pressure, the comrades hurried back and forth, but their worried and tense glances occasionally slid to Luffy, who did not yet appear to be returning to them, and with each passing minute, their hope dwindled more and more. Nami, who was the last to regain her composure and could only involuntarily separate her eyes from Luffy, opened her mouth to shout out instructions, but instead a scream escaped her lips and her eyes widened as she saw the next problem looming on the horizon.
Dark gray clouds had gathered together as a sign that a storm was brewing in the far distance, which Nami could sense with every fiber of her body from the falling temperature and the steadily rising humidity in the air. A shiver ran through Nami's entire body, giving her goose bumps at the same time. They had to act, and they had to act quickly.
"Guys, there's a huge thunderstorm coming, possibly even a cyclone! We have to flee now , preferably to the south!" Nami warned loudly so that everyone could hear and heaved her heavy body off the deck on trembling legs.
The blood-dripping wounds that adorned her entire body were gradually getting to her, but she pulled herself together once more, even though her body was long past its limit. From this point on, it was a miracle that she still had the strength to stand up at all, let alone be conscious. But another glance at Luffy was enough of a reason to keep going. Deep down, she knew that Luffy was fighting too. He was fighting to get back to them, so they also had to do everything in their power to get out of this situation. For him.
Even more panic broke out among the crew when Nami's frantic voice reached their ears. Their minds initially struggled to process the , widened eyes turned to the horizon, only to discover the very next problem approaching.
"Holy shit!" Usopp cursed, breaking out in a cold sweat.
"Quick, we need the coup de burst!" The thought that they would definitely die here together was not something he exclaimed aloud, but the fear of it was written all over his face. In complete frenzy, his gaze shifted from the furiously threatening clouds to Luffy's still lifeless form. Usopp gritted his teeth and tried to counteract the despair that was about to engulf him.
"That would be the best solution right now! I'll fill the cola barrels right away and then let's get out of here!" Franky shouted and was about to go below deck to make the preparations, but was suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"Stop, please...don't do that! That would be... anything but a good idea, not... under these circumstances!" Chopper countered as he continued with the heart massage, clearly already out of breath but still determined.
Three minutes had already passed without success, but giving up was not an option. All eyes fell once again on Chopper and Luffy in the middle of the grassy deck, slapping themselves for not having thought of it, but it was hard to think of a solution in their condition. The adrenaline coursing through everyone's veins was now the only thing driving them forward and keeping them from a complete breakdown.
This situation really seemed unlike any other complicated situation. None of them had ever felt as helpless and desperate as they did at that moment. The endless cruel nightmare just didn't seem to let up and the Straw Hats felt at the end of their tether. The fear for their captain, the navy and now the storm that was brewing ever closer was all far too much for them.
His thoughts raced through his restless head as Franky closed his eyes for a moment to clear his mind and find a more suitable solution. His heart pounding in his chest and the steadily rising panic didn't seem to make it any easier.
"The paddle wheels!" The carpenter suddenly shouted out, cursing himself for not coming up with the idea sooner.
"At least we should be able to get away faster with them." Franky added and instantly headed for the soldier dock system without wasting any more time.
Each of them took care of their task. Nami joined Jinbei at the helm to plot the course. Her gaze switched between the needles on her lock pose and the dark clouds in the sky, which were getting closer and closer by the minute.
"I'm afraid we'll have to sail through the storm. There doesn't seem to be a way out." Nami feared and clutched her head in frustration.
"Leave it to me, Nami." Jinbei said firmly and placed a hand on the shoulder of the distraught navigator.
Suddenly shots rang out as a sign that the navy had finally caught up with them. Zoro and Sanji fended off the attacks with ease as the Sunny finally started to move after all the preparations had been completed. Unfortunately, the attacks from the island were not the only thing that had to be fended off, as the Straw Hats soon realized. Battleships were also approaching with the intention of surrounding the crew and sinking them on the spot with cannon fire.
"Oh no..." Nami whimpered and brought the hand she had been holding her head with earlier to her mouth. However, she was reassured by Jinbei, who still refused to be defeated and remained calm despite the chaos they were in.
"Full speed ahead!" Everyone on board heard Franky shout at the top of his voice as he made his way back on deck.
Meanwhile, Brook, Robin and Usopp had joined Zoro and Sanji to get the ship away safely at all costs. The shots began to fall more frequently as the Sunny moved away from the island in the direction of the storm, the only way out they had left. The luck that was normally on their side had completely deserted the crew today.
While the crewmates struggled to survive, Koala felt completely useless as she was the only one who hadn't moved from her spot, still holding Sabo in her tight grip. No matter what she did, Sabo refused to wake up. Her gaze slid from Sabo's face back to Chopper, who had suddenly sat up from his downward leaning position and grabbed Luffy's wrist to feel for what looked like his pulse. Koala studied his features tensely, searching for hope, and her heart jumped when suddenly Chopper shifted in his position and jerked up. His worried, stressed expression was suddenly replaced by relief and new tears instantly filled his eyes, spilling out of the corners of his eyes.
"I can feel a heartbeat!"
The long-awaited news caused the crew to pause in their activities and all eyes darted to Luffy and Chopper. A collective sigh of relief could be heard and some had tears streaming down their cheeks while others smiled.
"Luffyyyy!" They all shouted at the same time. The tension visibly eased from their tired bodies.
The joy had to be cut short, however, as Chopper, who had cradled Luffy in his arms, never taking his eyes off him, once again put on a serious face. He hated to ruin the mood, but he had to stick to the harsh reality.
"But…But that could change at any time, because his heartbeat is quite weak and his breathing is very shallow. He needs blood!" Chopper explained fleetingly and turned to Koala, his gaze briefly drifting to the unconscious Sabo in her arms. At that moment, he wished he could multiply so he could take care of the blonde haired as well, but he knew he would be just fine. At least as long as Chopper managed to free Luffy from the clutches of death.
"Koala, you have to come with me to the sick room quickly! I need your help. Can you manage to carry Sabo on your own?"
The young woman addressed agreed without hesitation and nodded vigorously, wiping the snot from her nose with a swift movement before she was already in the process of lifting Sabo fully into her arms and standing up. As soon as Chopper received his answer, he dashed below deck into the infirmary, careful not to shake Luffy too much on his way.
Luffy's head had fallen back over Chopper's arm, still completely unresponsive, but the reindeer decided to gently support his captain's head with his arm and even leaned it against his chest so he could feel his faint breath on his fur as it came through Luffy's slightly open mouth. Every shallow breath that Luffy took spurred Chopper to quicken his pace. He was aware with every little breath that it could be the very last. The race against time gave Chopper a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach and he had to force himself to swallow the bile in the back of his throat. He simply could not allow himself to collapse now, not when he had already managed to get Luffy's heart to beat again after it had given up, not when he had the chance to save his captain.
Chopper's own heart raced faster in his chest and more adrenaline pumped through his veins as the growing sense of panic and fear of losing everything overwhelmed him. At the same time, a heavy sense of guilt flooded him without him being able to suppress it. Deep down, Chopper knew that this was all his damn fault. If only he had made a decent medicine for this disease long ago, it would never have come to this. If only he had been a capable doctor, he wouldn't be carrying his half-dead captain in his arms right now.
While Koala struggled to keep up with the reindeer, dragging the unconscious Sabo in her arms, Chopper reached the infirmary, whereupon he carefully placed his captain on the bed. The sticky red liquid seeped into the white fabric of the bed sheets and stained it, just as Chopper's fur was mostly soiled with it. What happened from then on happened so quickly for Chopper and as if in a kind of frenzy, so blurred.
His body had gone completely into doctor mode and acted automatically, while his mind was still trying to process what was actually happening. There seemed to be no end to the nightmare he was literally in. As a professional doctor, this shouldn't cause Chopper any problems, but for the very first time the intense metallic smell of blood was really getting to him. The way it crept up his sensitive nose with every quick breath he took, making him feel even more nauseous. How the little reindeer felt the exact same warm sticky substance on his fur as it slowly dried out and clumped together.
Despite everything, the ship's doctor tried desperately to maintain his composure and concentrate on his actions instead, because after all, any wrong step could have fatal consequences. He could never forgive himself for that.
Just at that moment, Koala burst in with Sabo, who had lagged a little behind the reindeer due to Sabo's extra weight that she had to carry. The brunette quickly glanced around the room, not quite sure where to place her friend, as the infirmary didn't really offer much space. Koala saw how Chopper was already rushing back and forth, highly concentrated and focused on stabilizing Luffy's condition, so she didn't want to stand in his way and placed her companion on his back to the right of the door, taking off her thin jacket to fold it up as a pillow for Sabo's head. With a worried expression, she brushed a few tangled strands of blond hair from her face, at the same time feeling his temperature, which was a little high for her taste, but nothing threatening. Koala was not at all unfamiliar with this scenario and she remembered the time when Sabo had found out about Ace and had been completely knocked out for a few days, so that she had almost thought he was going to die. A deep frustrated sigh escaped the young revolutionary as she quickly threw these thoughts away and turned her attention to Chopper, who seemed to have his hands full.
Koala gave herself a mental kick when she found herself watching Chopper stupidly instead of offering him her help, which he could certainly use, and since the rest of the members on deck were struggling with outside influences and problems, she was the only person left to help. The shock must still be deep-seated and only now could the brunette feel ready to pull herself together. Even though she was incredibly worried about Sabo's condition, Luffy, who was on the brink of death, was their priority at the moment.
Chopper's immediate first step was to hook Luffy up to any devices that would allow him to keep his heart under control and support his breathing, and fervently hoped that he wouldn't have to resort to more drastic measures. Once this was done, Chopper made sure that everything was connected correctly in his frenzy and that Luffy was at least somewhat stabilized, though far from being out of the woods. Just the sight of Luffy's weak body taking small but regular breaths took some of the weight off Chopper's shoulders and allowed him to catch his breath for a little moment.
Luckily, or rather more a bad sign than luck, the little doctor didn't have to bother stopping Luffy's bleeding as it looked like it was coming to an end on its own.
Koala stood by Chopper's side and promptly wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on his tense, wrinkled forehead and were almost dripping down, offering him a slight smile of encouragement despite the gravity of the situation. Chopper wished he could return the smile, but instead he fought the urge to cry out loud. The little doctor thanked him curtly.
"Thank you."
Unfortunately, Chopper had to cut his breather very short as he realized to his chagrin that Luffy's already very sluggish heartbeat threatened to cease with every subsequent beat recorded by the beeping heart monitor.
The source of the problem was clear, of course: A serious lack of blood.
Luffy had already lost a ton of blood, so Chopper himself couldn't really explain how the black haired boy's heart was still able to function at all, but he quickly dismissed the thought and accepted it as one of his captain's miracles. Nevertheless, without enough blood in Luffy's veins, this miracle would no longer do much good and would only make all of Chopper's efforts futile.
Koala immediately recognized the change in Chopper's demeanor and also became alarmed, her smile from earlier replaced by a worried expression.
"What's wrong Chopper? How can I help?"
The brunette's gaze darted back and forth between the reindeer and Luffy and she couldn't help but notice, now from a closer view of Luffy, how much his ashen skin rivaled the white bedsheets. The seriousness of the situation became clear to her once again.
"We have to act fast! He's missing blood!" Chopper's voice was laced with urgency.
To prevent Luffy's system from failing again, Chopper had to start an immediate blood transfusion, for which he rushed to his mini fridge without even a second's hesitation to dig out a few bags of F-type blood.
"Go and get the blood transfusion set from the drawer under the medicine cabinet and the disinfectant pads from the cabinet next to it." Chopper instructed, just as Koala began to panic even more, itching to help.
Koala nodded firmly and followed Chopper's instructions, but had trouble controlling her uncontrollably trembling hands. However, this did not stop her from carrying out her task and so she searched through all the drawers and cupboards until she had gathered the necessary utensils. Occasionally, the revolutionary caught herself checking Sabo's still unchanged form in the corner of the room, in the hope that he would regain consciousness. One less thing to worry about wouldn't be bad for her, but fate had other plans.
A loud gasp from Chopper made her stop what she was doing for a moment and turn her gaze to him. Chopper looked stunned into his fridge and had staggered back a few steps while holding a bag of blood in his right hoof.
"Chopper?!" Koala exclaimed in shock, dread filling her stomach at Chopper's horrified expression, which made her unable to immediately assess what was going on.
"I…I only have one bag of F-type blood left! That will never be enough!" Chopper cried, tears already stinging his eyes, and then hurriedly began to rummage through his fridge again, hoping that he had missed some. Koala gasped, processing Chopper's words in her racing mind, then immediately realized something significant.
"No problem, Chopper." Koala rolled up the left sleeve of her arm.
"I have the same blood type, take as much as he needs!" The brunette offered the doctor and held out her arm to him.
The exasperated Chopper looked puzzled for a moment before his expression changed drastically to the opposite. A broad, relieved smile spread across his lips and his shoulders visibly relaxed. Chopper almost thought it was all over. Even though Jinbei had been the solution to this problem, he had other problems to deal with along with the others and would certainly not have been able to donate blood, or the safety of the entire crew would have been jeopardized if he had turned away from his task. Any possibility would have ended badly for all of them, and Chopper was all the more glad not to have to think about it any longer.
The race against time continued as Chopper now had to act all the faster to draw blood from Koala in order to administer it as quickly as possible to Luffy, who was dying despite all the measures and equipment and, above all, all the efforts to keep him alive. Chopper started a transfusion with the only bag of blood he had left, before finally drawing as much blood as he could from Koala with his nimble hooves, careful not to take too much. Chopper was well aware that the amount Koala could donate would not be enough and that Jinbei would have to donate later as well, but for now it was better than nothing. Luffy needed every drop of the scarlet life-liquid he could get at that moment.
Just as the little reindeer figured that nothing could go wrong, except the chance that Luffy's body might reject Koala's blood, which hopefully wouldn't be the case, and was about to set up a second full pack of blood on the IV pole to administer to Luffy, a violent rocking shook the ship. Chopper nearly dropped the precious packet as he fell unceremoniously on his backside, while Koala's reflexes kicked in to just barely keep Luffy from falling out of bed.
"Woahh! What's going on outside?" The revolutionary blurted out in surprise, holding on to the bed to keep her balance and at the same time making sure that Luffy couldn't fall out.
Chopper's eyes widened in realization as Nami's words from earlier replayed in his head again.
"The storm!" Chopper cried out and he hadn't expected what happened the next moment. The timing couldn't have been more inopportune.
A long beeping suddenly emanated from the heart monitor and filled the entire room with its unbearable shrill sound. The scenario that Chopper had been trying to prevent all this time had, to his horror, come to pass.
Luffy's heart had stopped again.
Chopper's own heart almost stopped for the second time in a row when the beeping reached his ears. Reflexively, he jumped up from his position on the floor and would have tumbled to the ground again immediately afterwards as the ship continued to rock, had he not grabbed hold of the bed in time this time.
"Chopper, we have to try and do something! Luffy's dying!" Koala whined loudly, not knowing what to do, the violent rocking of the ship making it all the more difficult for them.
The loud beeping drowned out all the sounds coming from outside, including the distant cannon shots and the crew's panicked shouts to each other, so Chopper and Koala couldn't really understand what exactly was going on outside. Even though it scared and unsettled them very much, they had a life to save at all costs before it was extinguished forever.
So Chopper took action, returned to his human form, even though he was struggling to maintain his balance at the same time, and once again resorted to chest compressions.
~Meanwhile on the deck~
With everyone's help, the Straw Hats had successfully outrun the navy, but now they faced an even more devastating problem; the massive hurricane. Since the crew had been hit from all sides, there had been no other way out than to head straight for the epicenter of the storm and now they were facing a huge cyclone. Mentally, they were all in the sick room, wishing they could physically be there to support their captain. Chopper wouldn't allow a commotion in the infirmary anyway, even if they didn't have to fight out here. Unfortunately, they could only pray that everything went smoothly inside and that Luffy was alright.
Forcing themselves to concentrate on what was happening on deck, Sanji and Zoro took in the sails on Nami's orders, while the remaining members tried to hold on somewhere, because at the moment there was nothing left for them to do but rely on the skills of Jinbei and Nami.
In the latter's case, it was nothing short of a miracle that she was still able to stand on her feet at all, if only with great effort and a little support from Jinbei. Despite everything she had been through that day and the storm they were in, she didn't seem to falter, which was also reflected in the determined expression on her drained face. It would have been a lie if she didn't admit that she had thought about giving up for a single second. But she banished this thought from her mind as quickly as it came when she thought of Luffy and how he was also fighting for his survival under the deck. Not just for himself, but for all of them. And that was exactly what her duty as navigator of the Straw Hat Pirates was now. She had to guide them all through this storm, for all of them and especially for Luffy.
She bit her lower lip bitterly as she hoped that all went well in the infirmary, little did she know that another life and death battle was taking place there.
Everything around her was sapping her strength, and Usopp and Brook's incessant, repeated cries of "We're going to die!" in the background didn't make it any easier for her and her tense nerves. This time she didn't even find the strength to do anything about it, let alone raise her voice, and was all the more grateful for Sanji's intervention. Unfortunately, she had rejoiced too soon when the cook in question got into an argument with Zoro shortly afterwards, the reason for which she couldn't quite hear, as the sound of the increasingly strong wind and the large waves crashing against the bow rang in her ears.
Suddenly, the sounds of her surroundings became increasingly muffled until she heard a monotonous beeping echoing in her ears and the next moment her vision went completely black for a moment. Jinbei, who was lightly supporting Nami's body while at the same time steering the wheel with a firm grip, suddenly cushioned Nami's slumping body by leaning it against his and preventing her from falling to the ground.
"N-Nami, wake up! Can you hear me?" Sheer panic could be heard in Jinbei's voice as he tried to shake the orange haired girl's body awake. His shouts alerted the rest of the members by attracting their attention, causing an immediate commotion among them.
"Nami!" They all yelled concurrently, a look of concern on their faces.
To Jinbei's and the others' relief, Nami quickly regained consciousness and opened her eyes a crack.
"I'm fine, just a little dizzy..." The navigator mumbled, raising a hand to signify her statement before Sanji could rush to her side.
"Thank you, Jinbei. I'm fine." Nami repeated the last sentence, more to herself than to the other as she tried to stabilize her balance again.
Jinbei remained unconvinced, as he also knew from the beginning that her wounds were not to be taken so lightly and watching skeptically as Nami tried not to let her pain show. Instead, she ordered the other members around, who doggedly tried to keep up with her instructions and at the same time not fly off board or be swept away by large waves that crashed unannounced onto the deck. The fishman admired her for her tenacious nature and strong will and decided to keep an eye on her anyway, just in case. He suddenly remarked, how Nami repeatedly tried to rub the blur from her tired eyes and saw her squinting hard when something caught her attention.
Jinbei followed her gaze curiously.
"Jinbei, am I just imagining things or is that..." Nami cut herself off as her eyes strained to focus.
After a few moments, she saw it. A spark of hope suddenly shone together with the broad rays of sunlight that fought their way through the dark clouds on the far horizon ahead of them, heralding the end of the storm.
"Guys, we're almost there!" Nami excitedly announced in a hoarse voice, but the joyful news reached everyone on board. Cheers rang out, even if the crew could just barely hold on, as they tried with all their might not to capsize, the ship still swaying back and forth. Nevertheless, knowing that this would soon be over made them beam with great relief.
However, this relief would not last long if the friends had any idea what was going on below deck…
~Back in the infirmary~
"Chopper, Luffy's heart has stopped again! What should we do?" Koala asked frantically, her heart fluttering wildly in her chest, despair engulfing her more and more with each cardiac arrest. And this was already the second time.
Chopper, who was giving his captain CPR for what felt like the umpteenth time, despite the fact that the ship was still rocking and making the process more difficult, was pondering furiously. A thousand thoughts rushing through his head, when he finally came to a decision.
"Koala, you have to bring me epinephrine and a syringe right away!" Chopper gave the order without even turning away from Luffy for a moment, constantly checking his falling oxygen levels. Koala nodded, even though she didn't quite understand what exactly the doctor wanted from her, but she didn't hesitate and hurried to the medicine cabinet as fast as she could, trying to hold on to something on her way there so as not to stagger around too much.
"Epi-epi what?" The brunette asked aloud in a wavering voice, her eyes hastily gliding over all the vials and bottles one by one, trying to decipher all the strange technical terms on the labels. At the same time, she tried to keep her balance, which only made her task more difficult than it already was with the lack of knowledge and the thought that the contents of the cupboard would suddenly fall out and smash on the floor caused her great fear.
None of the labels seemed to resemble the word she couldn't even pronounce, and she cursed under her breath as she lost precious time with each unsuccessful second. She wasn't a doctor, she was just a revolutionary, yet she cursed herself for her piteous incompetence.
"I-I-I can't find it, Chopper! Which one is it?" Stuttered Koala, feeling rather uncomfortable being useless rather than a helper.
"It should be at the top of the first row on the left! Haah...please hurry, we're losing him!" Chopper begged out of breath, the extremely stressful situation was getting to him. His eyes filled with hot tears again, which he quickly blinked away. He couldn't cry, not now.
He had to stay strong, he had to stay strong, damn it!
"Luffy... p-please , d-don't give up now!" Chopper sobbed painfully. Koala's heart clenched at that.
The revolutionary followed Chopper's description and could have slapped herself for having overlooked the vial despite going through the rows several times.
"Found it!" Koala gasped and reached for the small bottle, searching the drawers for a syringe with her other hand and promptly finding one without any further problems. The next thing she knew, she was stumbling back to Chopper's side, who silently accepted the utensils, obviously highly tense and concentrated, and with his nimble, skillful hooves filled the empty syringe in no time at all, only to empty it into Luffy's bloodstream the next instant.
Hoping for a quick reaction, preferably a heartbeat, Chopper continued with the chest compressions, his eyes checking closely for any change on the monitor. Koala also swallowed nervously and tensely and could only stand by and hope. She grabbed Luffy's limp hand and squeezed firmly, her gaze fixed on the young black haired boy's face. She may not have known Luffy as well as Sabo, but she couldn't believe that it was Luffy who was threatening to leave them in front of her eyes. It simply couldn't be the infamous captain of the Straw Hat Pirates who was in this dicey situation right now.
What felt like an eternity had in fact only been a few seconds when the heart monitor recorded another heartbeat. At the same time, Luffy's oxygen levels gradually improved, causing Chopper to let out a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding all along and Koala to make a mixed sound of relief and joy. Deep exhausted breathing filled the room accompanied by a regular beeping sound. Chopper explicitly made sure once more that Luffy was out of danger, at least for the moment, and that everything was correctly connected, and bandaged his wounds roughly for now, the rocking of the ship not allowing him to stitch them up properly.
Finally after everything was done, the ship's doctor let his exhausted body slump to the ground as he simultaneously shifted into his normal form.
"We've made it. Even if it's still too early to rejoice because he's not out of the woods yet...Luffy...Luffy's alive." Chopper's voice quivered at the last words, again on the verge of bursting into tears at any moment. Koala, also with tears in her eyes, surprised him with a sudden tight hug, whereupon Chopper could no longer hold back his tears and let them run free, burying his face deep in Koala's shoulder.
"You're an amazing doctor, Chopper!" Koala praised the little reindeer and pressed his head against her shoulder, which already felt soaked, resting her chin on his head. Chopper only sniffled in response and remained in the same position with Koala on the floor next to the bed. The symptoms of exhaustion suddenly made themselves felt, leaving Chopper without the strength to do anything other than cry out his accumulated frustration of the last few hours.
"I...I thought we were going to lose him for good." Chopper howled, his voice muffled by Koala's shoulder. The brunette slid her hand over Chopper's back to pat him with soothing motions.
"Shhh, it's over, everything's going to be fine. Luffy's not going anywhere. He'll always be by your side. Listen." The revolutionary paused to let the little doctor listen to the high pitched beeping that filled the entire room, proof that Luffy was very much still among the living. Chopper's grip tightened on Koala's top with every beep, with every heartbeat that pounded in Luffy's chest. Chopper couldn't describe the feeling of relief at all, and yet he felt like crying. The fight for Luffy's life had simply been too much for him. He had never been so close to losing him or another member.
Slowly but surely he calmed down again and his crying finally subsided. Just in time, he heard loud, rapid footsteps behind the door and the next moment the rest of the crew were standing in the sick room. Normally it was impossible for them all to fit in, as it was a very small room, but most of them crammed themselves in as best they could.
Chooper's tearful and snotty look almost gave each of them a heart attack, but when they heard the unmistakable sound of the heart monitor, they all calmed down visibly, the relief was palpable and beyond words. The shock and trauma that their captain had caused was still deep-seated, which none of them would be able to process and deal with so quickly.
"What happened, Chopper? Is everything...okay?" Usopp was the first of them to regain his voice and asked hesitantly, hardly believing his eyes. To be honest, none of them could believe their eyes, even though they hadn't doubted for a second that Chooper could save Luffy.
The doctor in question broke away from Koala's embrace and wiped his tears from his face before smiling reassuringly.
"Nothing…everything's fine. Luffy is alive!"
Chopper kept the fact that he had had to resuscitate Luffy several times and had therefore fought the hardest battle of his life to himself. None of them needed to know this, especially not after everything they had experienced. The important thing was that their captain was still alive. That was all that mattered.
Hearing these momentous words from Chopper's mouth meant the world to the friends. Completely exhausted but beaming with joy, they watched Luffy's calm form on the bed. All eyes scrutinized Luffy, drinking in every single detail of him, counting every shallow breath he took and generally appreciating every sign of life he showed. Despite the fact that he looked absolutely miserable, more so than after every fight he had fought put together, so pale and still covered in dried blood and hooked up to a number of devices, the crew were incredibly grateful that Luffy was still alive. He would get through this, even if it would take some time. Nami gently brushed the damp strands of hair away from his face, while Robin gave his hand a gentle squeeze as a sign that they were all by his side.
After they had made sure, one after the other, that Luffy was indeed alive, and continued to be so, and that their minds were not playing a dirty trick on them, most of them had to leave the room again at Chopper's request, which they did not oppose, even if it was difficult for them to leave the side of their beloved captain.
The team minus Nami and Jinbei trotted into the kitchen and sat down at the dining table while Chopper gave Nami some quick medical attention, drawing enough blood from Jinbei before the reindeer could finally take full charge of stitching up Luffy's deeper wounds now that the storm was finally over. Meanwhile, Koala was huddled in the corner next to Sabo's still unconscious form, impatiently waiting for him to wake up.
"Man, what a day..." Sanji sighed heavily as he reached for a cigarette, finally happy to be able to light one freely, as smoking was strictly forbidden in the sick bay. The first deep drag alone was enough to calm his frayed nerves. The blonde chef was the only one who hadn't sat down, preferring to stand. Instead, he leaned casually against the kitchen counter. Feeling the effects of the nicotine kicking in, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he slowly let the large puff of smoke escape his lips.
"Huh huh." The crew agreed in unison, exhaustion evident in their voices. Their appearance matched their voices, as soaked as their clothes were and as disheveled as their hair had become from all the adversity, but no one really seemed to notice, and even if they did, that was the least of their problems.
Dead silence reigned in the galley, the fine raindrops still pattering sporadically on the wooden planks outside clearly audible. No one had the strength or the right words to say anything, resulting in a mixture of an unpleasant and gloomy atmosphere. The shock was still engraved on everyone's face and the question of whether what they had experienced in the last few hours had really happened was floating around in their heads.
Even Zoro's icy mask, which was usually good at hiding any emotion, crumbled, giving an insight that clearly showed that he had been hit the hardest of all. The swordsman's blank gaze stared straight ahead at nothing, while his friends could only guess at the guilt that must be nagging at him. He felt most responsible. The state the first mate was in alone said a lot about the low point the crew had reached that day. Once again they had failed Luffy. Once more they had been on the verge of losing him forever. More than ever before.
Despite the fact that Luffy was alive, even if only barely and despite the crew's immense happiness and relief, none of them could honestly express their joy.
They had seen Luffy die, had actually let it happen, which was indisputably a bitter defeat .
That day was truly the darkest day for the entire Straw Hat Pirates. A day that they would not be able to erase from their memories so quickly, if at all.
That night, the loyal friends had decided to give up their beds to stay by Luffy's side in the sick room. In case of an emergency, they wanted to be there to help. Fortunately, there were no serious incidents apart from a few minor complications and Sabo's rude awakening. The dazed blonde man calmed down at the sight of his healing brother and with the help of a sedative and eventually fell into a restless sleep at his bedside, exhausted.
The rest of the crew also lost the battle against fatigue and let nature take over. Before long, everyone was out like a light.
~End of Flashback~
—
Plagued by guilt and self-hatred, Nami fell more and more into a state where she completely lost herself. Mentally, she found herself back on the deck in front of Luffy's dying body, unable to do anything about it but watch. The same horrible scene replayed itself over and over again. All while she heard Luffy's last words echoing in her ears, the insistent smell of his blood in her nose, the screams of her comrades, her pulse racing in her veins. It felt so real that Nami was unable to separate the present from the past.
She squeezed her eyelids shut even tighter, her face still buried in her knees, while her fingers, which until recently had been fiddling with the bandages on her arm, managed to loosen them, exposing the still healing skin underneath. Completely subconsciously, she continued to scratch her wounds, as if desperately trying to find a hold, anything to stop the images in her head, until her fingertips dug into her wounds and managed to reopen them. Blood immediately rose to the surface and trickled down her arm. But not even that or the pain it caused stopped her from continuing, from making it worse. Nami's breathing became more labored as drops of tears simultaneously leaked through her clenched eyelids.
"S-Stop..." The suffering navigator uttered under her breath, her nails digging deeper into her wound.
"Please... s-stop." Nami begged again, gasping, not knowing who or what she was begging, just wanting whatever this was to end .
Suddenly, something placed itself on her arm and wrapped around it weakly, causing Nami to flinch violently and instantly snap out of her state, her head shooting up.
Her teary eyes followed the object that had wrapped around her arm, which turned out to be a hand, until her gaze locked on its owner. Nami gasped in shock and then blinked away her tears as she stared in disbelief at the half-opened onyx-colored eyes. The navigator had never expected this to happen, especially not when so little time had passed. She could hardly believe her eyes.
"L-Luffy?!" Nami breathed shakily, her voice a bit above a whisper.
"Nami...finally...you stopped." Luffy mumbled weakly. A relieved little smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as his eyes strained noticeably to stay open and look into Nami's, occasionally losing focus.
The medicine, the effects of which he was under, sapped his already scarce strength and tried to force him back to sleep. But as stubborn as Luffy was, he fought against it. He felt his grip on Nami's arm loosen, his strength waning. But just as his hand was about to fall back on the bed, it was seized by Nami, who approached his face at the same time. The navigator's look of disbelief turned to one of delight as she finally realized that her captain had woken up. Her traumatic attack of a moment ago was as if forgotten.
"Luffy!" Nami repeated more euphorically, gripping his hand tighter in hers, mindful of the pulse oximeter on his index finger. A smile spread across her lips, which was quite peculiar in combination with her swollen, reddened eyes from all the crying.
"You're awake!" The orange haired added as she looked into Luffy's sluggish, blinking eyes.
The young captain didn't know where he was and what had happened. He also didn't know what exactly had caused him to wake up, nor how he had even been able to. His foggy head was struggling to remember anything and the tiredness clinging to his consciousness wasn't making it any easier. Luffy let his eyes glide around the room, but his vision was so fuzzy that he couldn't really make out much.
"How are you feeling?" Nami wanted to know, her eyes studying Luffy's features, trying to figure out if he was in any pain. Luffy's brain took a while to process Nami's question and gave a delayed answer.
"T'red."
Luffy's eyelids fluttered, staying closed for a longer period of time with each blink. Nami gave him an affectionate smile, which Luffy was only too eager to return, but he failed and the result was a tired twitch of the corners of his mouth, a smile that didn't even come close to reaching his 's answer didn't surprise Nami in the slightest, as this was quite natural after he almost died. Besides, she didn't know how his illness was progressing.
Before Nami could ask another question, Luffy suddenly went limp again, his drooping eyes falling shut completely as his head fell to the side on the pillow without support. Nami gasped in shock and her eyes widened when she saw it. Her traumatized head made her think for a moment that he had died again.
"Wha-, Luffy? Luffyyyy!" the navigator blurted out, her voice laced with pure panic, which was also reflected in her entire face as quickly as it lost all its color at once. Her heart raced in her chest and a feeling of dread sank into her stomach as her eyes frantically searched for a sign of life.
The beeping that indicated the heart monitor was intact suddenly reached Nami's ears, whose head had completely blocked out the sound. Nami visibly calmed down as she listened intently to the sound, the beeping echoing through her head, louder than ever, as if to prove to her that Luffy was fine.
She began to count each beat and could also hear her captain breathing in and out. Then her eyes slid from his face to his chest, only to see it rise and fall in sync.
Everything was fine, she tried to reassure herself.
Luffy was only unconscious.
Luffy was okay.
He was alive.
With each passing second, Nami's wheezing breathing improved and her heart returned to its normal rhythm.
After finally calming down, Nami slumped in her chair and slouched forward. Sighing deeply, the young woman buried her pretty face in her hands, struggling to get over the brief shock as she was still in the middle of recovering from yesterday's incident.
When would it all finally come to an end?
Nami didn't know how long she could hold out. It was just too much for her.
All of a sudden and without prior notice, the door handle was pushed down and the next moment Robin entered the room with a cup of coffee in her hand. Her gaze immediately fell on Nami's miserable condition. The archaeologist's mood dropped at the sight, sensing her friend's pain. Since Nami hadn't turned around, Robin assumed that she hadn't noticed her entering at all, as deep in thought as she must have been. She carefully crept up behind her and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, causing Nami to flinch and look up at her.
"Are you okay?" Robin inquired worriedly. A very stupid question, to which the archaeologist knew exactly that the answer would be negative. Of course Nami wasn't fine, none of them were.
"Woah R-Robin, y-you scared me!" Nami snorted slightly, but her upset expression changed abruptly when she suddenly threw her arms around Robin's neck, which took the black haired by surprise and almost caused her to spill the contents of the cup she was holding.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Robin interrupted herself as a heavy sob suddenly reached her ear.
"Nami?" Robin asked cautiously. She hadn't expected this sudden reaction from her counterpart and at that moment her instinct told her that something must have happened. The black haired woman gently placed a hand on Nami's back as the navigator tightened her embrace and buried her face deeper into Robin's shoulder. The tears Nami was shedding soaked into the fabric of Robin's shirt, which didn't bother the archaeologist, but instead increased her concern for her sobbing friend.
Robin stroked soothing circles over Nami's back while she let Nami cry it out and waited patiently for her to calm down enough to share her distress with her. Robin's heart clenched painfully with every minute that passed, every sob that left her friend.
"L-Luffy...Luffy has just regained consciousness for a moment!" Nami said between whimpers, whereupon Robin let out a sound of surprise. Her eyes moved to Luffy at the same time and a sense of relief filled her.
"But then he...I thought...he had...he had died again..." The navigator stammered, her body trembling.
Robin struggled to follow Nami for a moment, but then quickly understood what must have happened. After what they had experienced, it was no wonder that Nami's psyche was suffering so much. It was only natural.
"Shhh, calm down. Everything's fine. It's going to be okay." Robin tried to softly reassure Nami. After a while, the younger girl broke away from the hug and slumped back in her chair, wiping away snot and the remnants of her tears.
Robin, on the other hand, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear with her left hand and leaned against the small table next to the bed. She then held out the coffee cup to Nami, which she was still holding in her right hand.
"Here, I brought you a cup of coffee. I thought you might need it." Robin smiled. Nami's tension eased and she gratefully accepted the cup, immediately taking a sip from it. She grimaced briefly as the bitter taste of the coffee mingled with the icky flavor in her dry mouth, but it felt soothing to her scratchy throat as the hot liquid traveled down. Nami lowered the cup into her lap, clasping it with both hands as she followed Robin's bleak gaze, which now rested on Luffy's form.
"It seems like there's no other change, except for his brief awakening." The disappointment was clearly audible in the archaeologist's voice.
Nami turned her eyes away from Luffy, unable to bear to look at him in that state any longer. She shook her head reluctantly at the remark and lowered her gaze to the cup in her hands, suddenly finding interest in the rising hot steam.
"Unfortunately not. But Chopper said he's on the mend... you know, as far as his wounds are concerned. Nami said before taking another generous sip from her cup, the taste no longer bitter. Robin just nodded understandingly and turned away from Luffy again. Her gaze landed on Nami's arm and only now did she notice how her bandage had come off and a little blood was oozing from her wound.
"You're bleeding!" Robin pointed out, causing Nami to turn her attention to her own arm.
"Let me see." Robin added, leaning down to Nami, who turned her head away uncomfortably as she had her arm examined.
"It's nothing, really. I must have scratched it open somehow." Nami justified herself, keeping secret what had actually happened. Robin eyed her suspiciously and went around Nami's chair to Chopper's cupboard to get out some bandages and disinfectant. The black haired woman didn't want to believe Nami's words, but she also decided not to inquire further. She noticed Nami's sudden tension and simply didn't want to make her feel any more uncomfortable. Nami would eventually come clean when she was ready.
The next few minutes were spent with Robin caringly tending to Nami's wound, which clearly needed to be treated to avoid possible infection, while Nami silently continued to sip her coffee.
"You should get some rest now. You don't look well." Robin said after she had finished applying the bandage. She didn't like the visible pallor on Nami's face at all. And the feeling that it wasn't particularly good for Nami to be next to Luffy, at least not while he was in such a state, wouldn't leave her.
"But it's my turn to look after Luffy, so I should-" Nami objected, but Robin cut her off.
"I can take over, no problem. You need to rest and besides, we don't want our navigator to get sick, do we?"
Nami opened her mouth again to protest, but closed it again straight away and considered Robin's words for a moment. The orange haired woman chewed the inside of her cheek. She knew Robin was right, even if she didn't necessarily want to admit it. Nami also felt really unwell, physically exhausted and mentally just a mess.
Finally convinced, she gave in and agreed.
"Fine, but I'll swap with you just to be clear. It'll be my turn again later." Nami replied with a sigh, to which Robin smiled and nodded. Nami returned her smile and took one last look at Luffy before leaving the room.
—
In the meantime, all the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates had retreated to their private places and went about their everyday business. Or at least that's what they tried to do, because they were also still feeling very shaken up by yesterday's events, which were still very fresh in their memories.
Sanji was currently busy preparing dinner, even though he knew that none of them really felt like eating. Nevertheless, he was responsible for the crew's well-being and they all had to keep their strength up, whether they wanted to or not. It was enough that Luffy couldn't be present as captain, they didn't need someone else to be absent. Completely lost in thought, he stirred the slowly simmering stew, the images of yesterday afflicting him.
Meanwhile, Usopp was building a new invention with Franky, but there was no trace of his usual motivation and enthusiasm. Both of them had the idea that this might distract them a little while they waited for Luffy to wake up, but instead they both just sat there screwing at metal parts, not really paying attention.
Brook, on the other hand, had found himself a nice spot on the grassy deck to play a few uplifting songs on his violin. However, he didn't really feel like playing music either and for some reason the notes he played sounded off-key. His thoughts wandered repeatedly to his old captain Yorki, as they had done many times recently, trying to digest the fact that he had almost lost another captain. Tears rolled out of his empty eye sockets, which he couldn't stop. Here he was again, feeling completely inept.
Jinbei stood at the bow of the ship and stared out to sea, reminiscing about his wonderful journey with the straw hats, which had been on the verge of being over forever yesterday. His thoughts were also revolving around Luffy. The fishman had often witnessed how close Luffy had come to dying, but seeing him actually die had completely devastated him. As his crew member, as his nakama, he had failed completely.
The first mate of the Straw Hats had entrenched himself in the training room, far away from the others, alone with his own agonizing thoughts. Heavy weights were lifted fiercely, one exercise followed the next without so much as a break. Beads of sweat rolled down his naked torso and soaked into the fabric of his waistband while some landed on the floor as a result of his movements.
Self-guilt was the source that drove him, while at the same time eating him up from the inside.
He had failed
He had to become stronger
Much much stronger
He couldn't protect Luffy
Luffy had died
Zoro had once promised Luffy never to lose again
And yet he had lost Luffy
If it hadn't been for Chopper and his medical skills, he would be forever gone now.
Zoro's thoughts were racing, so he didn't have the chance to quiet them. His face was painfully tense as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear his head, the thoughts overwhelming him. To make matters worse, images of Luffy's lifeless body flickered through his mind's eye, making it clearer to him that he was a failure. Zoro stopped abruptly, clutching the dumbbell in his hand tightly, when suddenly a very specific statement from Luffy popped into his head. The memory of that time was still fresh in his mind, as if it were yesterday.
»The World's Greatest Swordsman, that's great! And it's fitting since your new boss is going to be The King of the Pirates! Anything else would make me look bad!«
The world's best swordsman? What a big joke! He wasn't even capable of being a First Mate worthy of Luffy!
With full force and frustration, Zoro threw the barbell in his hand to the ground and sank to his knees, his head hanging towards the ground as his clenched fist hit the carpeted floor. All the emotions he had managed to disguise well welled up all at once, revealing a mentally devastated Zoro with a tear or two escaping from the corner of his eye.
"I'm so sorry Luffy, I failed you." The green haired cried out through clenched teeth, his pain-laced voice echoing through the empty room.
—
~2 days later~
Small footsteps, increasing in speed, sounded from inside the ship before the galley door was flung wide open the next instant.
All eyes turned to the little ship's doctor who appeared behind the door, as they paused what they were doing. The broad grin that appeared on Chopper's lips filled them with hope as the words they had been waiting for for what felt like an agonizing eternity were the next to leave the reindeer's mouth.
"Luffy has woken up!"
Before the crew, including Sabo and Koala, knew it, they were all standing together in the crowded infirmary, all eager to see the young captain. An indescribable feeling of relief spread through each of them, sweeping away the frustration of the last few days. Tears welled up in their eyes at the sight of Luffy, his upper body propped up in his bed, leaning against his upright pillow. His typical smile adorned his still somewhat pale face and made it look as if he had just woken up from a simple nap.
"Hey guys, long time no see!"
So that's it again for this time!😁
I know not a lot happened and most of it is just a flashback. I decided to write this flashback in detail because some of you may have wondered what the Straw Hats were experiencing at that moment and how Chopper managed to save Luffy.
But I promise the next chapter will have more interactions between Luffy and his crew, so look forward to it😉
Let me know your thoughts on this chapter and I'll see you next time!