Even rubber has its limits until it tears

by Luffymero

How many times has Luffy gone far beyond his limits since the beginning of his journey? At some point, the time came when his body could no longer keep up with his recklessness - In the end, even rubber has its limits until it tears. [cross-posted on AO3]

14. Yearning for Normality

✨Hello my dear readers, I'm back!✨

And once again I took way too long with this chapter than I thought, I know, I know. I'm so sorry 🙇 Please don't come at me

But to make up for it, this chapter is extra long. I've been writing it day and night for the last few days to finally finish it quickly, but somehow it kept getting longer and longer 😵 💫😮 💨

I hope you don't mind, of course

Before you start reading, I want to thank you fot everything. I really appreciate your support and your kind words really spur me on to keep writing. Thank you so so much!

I don't know if I'm too self-critical or not and quite always unsatisfied with the chapters because of that, but at least I really hope you like this one😊

️Warnings: Mentions of Blood and description of Vomiting. If you are sensitive to this content I would advise you to stop reading at this point.

And for those, who have no problem with it, have fun!

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It truly did feel like a déjà vu. Once again, Luffy had given them the fright of their lives, just like when the first symptoms of his illness had appeared, and once again the Straw Hat Pirates stood in front of Luffy's sickbed with great relief after he had finally woken up after days.

The young captain tried to make light of the situation and beamed with his broad smile, which Nami in particular would like to slap off his face again as compensation for all the worries he had caused them. How did he have the nerve to do this to them over and over again? And then to sit in front of them as if nothing had happened.

"Luffy, you're finally awake!" Usopp was the first to speak, small tears spilling from the corners of his eyes, emphasizing his joy and relief. He could hardly believe his own eyes as he scrutinized his friend, who had literally returned from the dead.

Only Luffy was capable of doing something like that.

"Yeah, guess I am." Luffy replied, still smiling. Then his eyes suddenly lit up when he realized that his big brother was present.

"Oi Sabooo, you're here?!" Luffy shouted excitedly. He had missed his brother a lot and could barely comprehend that he was standing right in front of him. How long must he have been asleep to have missed that?

What Luffy had least expected was to be scolded by said brother.

"Stupid baby brother, you scared the hell out of all of us!" Sabo rebuked, shaking his head, then sat down on the edge of the bed next to Luffy. The blond haired had clenched his fist for a light blow to the head, but he let it go again, mindful of Luffy's condition. The last thing he wanted was to put his newly recovered baby brother back into a coma.

"Oh, did I?" Luffy asked in surprise, confusion written all over his face. The 19-year-old had to admit that he was very confused. He knew he was ill and that was probably why he had rested and slept a little, wasn't it? But that didn't explain the huge reaction from Chopper and the rest of his companions. The various emotional faces they pulled didn't really seem to tell him anything either. Had he perhaps fainted again?

All this thinking only made the throbbing pain in his head more intense.

"Yes, you almost died... no, you actually died, remember?" Usopp reminded his best friend, tearing open the still healing wounds of everyone present. Luffy didn't miss the pained expressions of his friends, who all suddenly turned their gazes to the ground at Usopp's statement. They were all unable to shake the guilt that was constantly gnawing at their conscience.

"Huh...I died?!"

Luffy might not be the brightest, but he was a natural when it came to gauging the feelings of his crew. It really didn't look like what the longnose had just said was one of his exaggerations. Luffy frantically tried to remember, ignoring the growing pain behind his eyes. However, he was unable to clear the fog in his head. None of this seemed to make sense to him. He didn't even know what he had done before he had fallen asleep or, well, lost consciousness.

Luffy's continued confusion puzzled his friends, but they didn't think much of it, as he had only just woken up after days and simply blamed the delirium on it. Chopper, on the other hand, was the only one with a thoughtful face, a constant queasy feeling in his stomach ever since Luffy had awoken.

"But I'm still here and pretty much still alive, aren't I?" Luffy stated irritably and then studied his arms and hands slightly anxiously to make sure he wasn't a ghost or something similar.

"Of course you are, thanks to Chopper. He saved you." Sabo explained proudly, reaching out to pat his brother's head with a gentle smile on his lips.

"Sabooo, you don't have to praise me like that, you bastard! That doesn't make me happy at all!" Chopper complained with his cheeks turning pink, seemingly embarrassed, and did his usual cute little dance. This elicited a small chuckle from the revolutionary, ignoring the insult in between.

"Thanks, Chopper." Luffy giggled and gave him a special smile before turning to the others in the room.

"Thank you all. You guys are the best, what would I do without you?"

"Well... it was very close this time." Zoro now spoke up, his iron gaze matching his serious words and causing Luffy to swallow hard, his smile disappearing. Once again, the young captain realized how badly he had screwed up this time.

He wished he could at least remember…

"And what a close call it was!" Sanji emphasized, agreeing with Zoro. He still couldn't believe their incredible luck, even though he was aware that his captain was simply built differently.

Luffy felt increasingly guilty that he had caused his friends such a fright. His lips formed a straight line as he was at a loss for words to make amends.

"But…hey guys, I told you I'm not going to die and I promise you that! Look, I'm doing great!" Luffy laughed, stretching his arms out wide to prove his words.

"But we were fucking worried, damn it!" Nami suddenly snarled at him from the side, pinching the bridge of her nose. She immediately cursed herself inwardly for her little outburst, as she had the least right to snap at Luffy like that. Luffy flinched slightly at the navigator's tone and his laughter quickly faded. Instead, a deep frown appeared on his face and he lowered his gaze.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Nami."

"Hey guys, the most important thing is that he's still alive and well, isn't it? Calm down, everything's fine." Koala tried to cheer up the suddenly low mood and remind the Straw Hats of the essentials.

"Sorry, Luffy...I didn't mean it." Nami sighed apologetically. She averted her gaze, unable to face him.

Luffy, who hadn't taken offense anyway, only gave her a small smile, the brightness of which warmed her aching heart. The 19-year-old knew he definitely deserved more scolding, that had just been nothing. After all, he was fucking weak and almost let his precious crew down.

"Uhm…Tell us, Luffy, can't you remember anything?" Franky suddenly uttered the question that had been buzzing around in his head the whole time, with a little concern in his voice, thus bringing everyone back to the previous problematic topic.

There was a brief silence in the room as they all waited together for an answer from Luffy, their expectant nervous gazes fixed on their sick captain. Luffy just rubbed his aching head and looked helplessly around.

"Hm…not really." Luffy smiled sheepishly and shrugged his shoulders.

Not knowing exactly what that meant, and beginning to worry if everything was alright with Luffy, everyone's eyes darted to Chopper, hoping he had an explanation to offer. Alarm bells rang in the little reindeer's mind and he immediately had a suspicion. Something he had already feared, but hoped would not come to pass.

"Hmm…I have a hunch, but I'll have to run some tests to determine a diagnosis. Luffy, do you have any other complaints or symptoms?" Chopper asked with a frown and dug out one of his medical books from his shelf to leaf through it straight away.

To be honest, Luffy was feeling a little stranger by the minute, as evidenced by his fading broad grin. His hurting head was one thing, but what was gradually adding to it was his vision, which was losing its sharpness every now and then. Then there was the increasing dizziness, that also bothered him, making even the simple task of sitting upright difficult. However, he blamed this on the headache, that didn't look like it was going to subside any time soon.

All in all, he didn't really feel well, not as if he had almost died or was dying, but still pretty bad .

Of course, Luffy wouldn't admit to any of this, at least not as long as all his friends and his brother were in the room. Even though he couldn't remember what had happened at all, he understood from his crew's behavior that it must have been pretty hard on them all. Luffy couldn't and didn't want to worry them any more. His heart broke at the sight of the broken expressions in his comrades' eyes. He deeply hated being the source of their misery, more than ever with every incident.

"No, I- *cough* *cough*" Luffy began, but he was promptly cut off by a nasty cough that quickly turned into a series of coughs. His hand flew to his mouth to muffle the sound and stop the slimy something that was suddenly crawling up his throat from escaping. The sick captain's poor body shook with the force of each cough that tore through his raw throat.

Everyone present flinched, caught off guard by the sudden coughing fit. Their jaws tightened as each terrible-sounding cough reached their ears. Sabo's eyes widened and all at once his brotherly instincts kicked in as he almost reflexively reached for the water carafe on the bedside table to pour a glass of water to hand to Luffy. The rubber boy gratefully reached for the glass, but just as he thought he had grasped it with his fingers, a sudden numbness spread through his hand and he lost all feeling in it.

The cup crashed straight to the floor and shattered, the shards scattering everywhere. With a soft thud, Luffy's failing hand fell limply onto his blanket.

A collective gasp could be heard as the Straw Hats all automatically leapt into action to somehow help Luffy, with Chopper at the forefront. Sabo, who was closest to him, even reached out his hand to Luffy's back to support him and rub it soothingly. Just then, Luffy shakily lifted his hand a little, which had just gone limp, causing his friends to pause. The coughing seemed to subside again, and he pulled his other hand away from his mouth and immediately tried to clench it slightly to hide the small hot drops that he could clearly feel in his palm. Unfortunately that didn't work either. That hand suddenly seemed to disobey him too, that's why he simply let it disappear under his blanket as inconspicuously as possible. He didn't need to check to know that he had coughed up blood again.

"It's okay *gasp* I'm fine." Luffy panted heavily, covering the situation again with a, this time forced, little smile. The raven haired was careful not to flash his teeth in case they were stained with blood. His soiled hand was rubbed clean under his cover on his trousers. The horrified faces of his crew, however, told him that he couldn't fool them. It was pretty much clear to all of them that something was very wrong with Luffy, apart from his coughing fit, which they were already aware of anyway.

"You're fine, my ass! Stop fooling us, Luffy! What's wrong with you?" Usopp shouted hysterically, concern etched across his face.

"Yeah, what the hell is wrong with you?" Sanji repeated the question firmly, as he could clearly see that Luffy was once again trying to cover up his condition, just like everyone else could.

"Please be honest, Luffy-san!" Brook was now urging him on as well.

"Nothing is*cough* wrong with me!" Luffy croaked loudly, insisting on his last statement. He clenched his teeth as he felt rather pressured by everyone, grappling with the idea of telling the truth after all. He just couldn't bring himself to do it, even though it was obvious that he was struggling.

The mood had become tense again. The main reason for this was obviously due to the fact that the crew members were still under the stress of what they had experienced. But before the situation could degenerate any further, Chopper suddenly intervened. The little doctor had tossed his book aside, looking as if he had found what he was looking for.

"That's enough now, guys. You all need to leave the room right now, cause I really need to run some tests on Luffy."

At Chopper's urgent request, everyone paused, their perplexed gazes switched to the little reindeer.

"What? But we... but we've only just-"

"Please, Usopp." Chopper cut the sniper off with a serious expression.

"Did you find out something, Chopper? What's going on?" Sabo inquired anxiously, his brow furrowed. He then straightened up from his seat. Even his legs refused to move away from Luffy. The revolutionary just didn't want to leave his brother's side so soon, he had only just woken up.

Chopper wished he could tell them more and answer that specific question, but it just wasn't possible without further research, as disappointing as it was. All he knew was that it was serious. He quickly set about evicting everyone present from the sickroom, that was overcrowded anyway.

Panic surged through the crew because of Chopper's frightening, hurried manner. And his silence made it all the worse.

"I...I think it must be cerebral hypoxia...but I'm not sure." Muttered the reindeer doctor as he ushered everyone out into the adjoining galley and was about to close the door behind them.

"Hypo...what?" Nami asked aloud, not at all familiar with this technical term. She didn't even know if she had understood correctly, because the way Chopper had mumbled indistinctly. The others felt the same way as they looked at each other questioningly. But before Nami could ask another question, the door slammed shut with a small apology from Chopper.

"I'm sorry, everyone, but please just trust me and...don't worry!"

"But Chopper-"

The last thing they saw was Luffy's still, befuddled form, his mind still racing inside as it tried to connect to some memory of what had happened. His head was so foggy and he felt so incredibly woozy. Nevertheless, he forced one last smile for his friends onto his dry, pale lips that never reached his eyes as a sign that all would be well until the door finally closed and his crew disappeared from his sight.

A few seconds ago, cramped in the room and overjoyed to finally see Luffy awake again, the Straw Hat Pirates now stood puzzled in front of the infirmary's closed door. None of them understood what was suddenly going on and what was happening to their captain, which made them feel a familiar fear settle in their chests. Even Luffy's usually hopeful smile just felt wrong and did nothing to ease their worries. However, they decided to put their full trust in their ship's doctor, not that they had any other choice.

Completely distraught and with multitude of unanswered questions swarming their heads, they gathered at the dining table, once again waiting for a diagnosis.

The constant waiting in worry and anxiety that everything would go well was sapping the crew's strength. Their daily routine had been thrown out of kilter. Some of them hardly slept at all, just as they hardly ate, although Sanji went to great lengths with his dishes to keep his friends going. All of this was beginning to show in the Straw Hat Pirates' gaunt physiques, which was becoming increasingly apparent. If they continue to be exposed to this level of stress, they could soon be competing with Luffy's sick stature.

Suddenly, Usopp threw his upper body theatrically onto the table, pressing his cheek against the tabletop. An extremely exhausted expression appeared on his face. His heavy eyelids drooped and some snot hung from one of his nostrils.

"I can't take any more of this, guys!" A deep sigh escaped him.

"It's not just you, Usopp." Nami replied, also sighing deeply.

"I guess that's how we all feel…It's just too much..." The navigator only whispered the last sentence, the strength in her voice quickly fading.

"Everything will be fine, guys. Be patient, my brother is strong enough. He'll pull through, whatever that is." Sabo said encouragingly, more to himself than to the others, as he settled down on the floor in front of the infirmary door, hoping to be able to listen better to what exactly was going on inside between Luffy and Chopper.

Zoro, never letting anyone notice his inner turmoil, imitated the revolutionary and also made himself comfortable next to him with a little distance, his arms tucked behind his head. The swordsman let his eyes fall closed and listened attentively, looking as if he was taking a nap. Something he had forgotten the last time he had done with serenity...

Someone who was known for sleeping all the time, no matter where and when, had completely forgotten what sleep even was. This fact alone summed up the state of mind of the entire crew perfectly.

~Inside the infirmary~

Concentrating, Luffy carefully tested his two hands again, clenching them into a fist and releasing them, then checking each finger individually. The somewhat numb feeling still remained, but overall the strength in his fingers and knuckles had returned, much to his relief. His strange condition seemed to confuse the poor black haired boy even more, as he had never experienced anything like this before. Besides, he couldn't remember such a symptom of his illness. But his memory wasn't very reliable at the moment anyway, as he had found out, so he couldn't really be sure.

Chopper, meanwhile, was busy sweeping up the glass shards from the floor as Luffy now looked up from his hands, averting his gaze from his hands. He put on an apologetic smile, feeling guilty.

"Sorry about that, Chopper." A small embarrassed giggle escaped Luffy's lips, so innocent that it was impossible to blame him, especially since he couldn't help it at all.

"No need to apologize, Luffy, after all, it wasn't on purpose." The reindeer replied compassionately and threw the remaining shards into the garbage can. The sinking feeling in his stomach intensified with each passing minute and he was all the more pleased to have finally finished cleaning. Having successfully cleared the floor of shards, he was finally in a position to begin his examinations.

Chopper quickly proceeded with the preparations, his every move followed by Luffy's curious eyes as he just sat there in unaccustomed silence. The sight of the syringe that the doctor had laid out on his small silver tray gave the young captain goose bumps, which only added to his burgeoning nervousness. The uncomfortable silence that also reigned in the room didn't make it any better for him.

"So Luffy, I need you to be honest now, okay? I can tell when you're lying, so don't even try." Chopper cautioned with a serious tone in his voice that matched his firm expression.

"Oh, really?" Luffy grinned sheepishly, trying to lighten the situation a little and obviously still not realizing the seriousness of the situation. The smile on his face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared when he noted Chopper's lingering stern expression.

A sigh escaped the 19-year-old now instead. At least he was glad that the rest of his friends weren't there, which would make it much easier for him to explain to Chopper just how bad he actually felt, though he wasn't aware at the moment that his brother and his first mate were listening in behind the door.

"It...it's really very confusing for me. I'm trying to remember, but it just won't work." Luffy admitted, rubbing his forehead strenuously.

Chopper just nodded in understanding, not interrupting Luffy as he wrote down every single detail his patient told him about on his clipboard.

"Let me see...so I have a pretty bad headache, I feel fuzzy, my vision blurs every now and then and..." Luffy enumerated, counting his symptoms with his fingers at the same time.

"Hmm...oh yeah, and my hands still feel a bit numb from before. I really don't know what happened all of a sudden." Luffy shrugged his shoulders cluelessly and tested his hands again, this time demonstrating them to Chopper.

The little reindeer doctor studied Luffy's hand movements carefully and wrote down these signs as well. With each point that his captain had listed, his suspicions had grown stronger and had almost been confirmed. A few more small tests separated him from a fully accurate diagnosis. Luffy tried to analyze the ship's doctor's facial features to see if he had any idea what was wrong with him as Chopper scribbled in his notes with great concentration. However, Chopper's professional, solemn face gave nothing away at all.

"Okay, Luffy." Chopper started and put his clipboard aside to take the next object from his silver tablet, a small flashlight.

"I'm going to run a few quick tests on you now, alright? Sit up straight for a moment and look at me." Chopper instructed, whereupon Luffy obeyed and moved his blanket to the side, then shifted to the edge of the bed and dangled his legs over it.

One quick movement too many caused him to wince briefly in pain and he suddenly felt a burning sensation in many places all over his body at once. Until now, he hadn't realized that he had wounds everywhere, if it hadn't been for the pain that had made him aware of it in an unpleasant way. Well, after all, he had almost died, hadn't he? The additional itchy feeling of the bandages under his clothes was also slowly becoming noticeable as the pain subsided.

"Everything okay?" Chopper asked when he noticed Luffy's flinch. He received a clear nod in reply.

"You should be careful with your movements, your wounds are not yet fully healed." The reindeer informed the raven haired.

"Yeah, I noticed that, shishi." Luffy chuckled, his face relaxing again as the burning in his wounds finally stopped.

Chopper then continued with his next test, carefully shining the light of his flashlight into Luffy's eyes, watching the reaction of his pupils. In an instant, his gaze changed to a scowl. The pupils' lack of reaction to the light was very worrying. Another indication of his suspicions, that he promptly wrote down before resuming.

As Chopper briefly turned back to his utensils, Luffy suddenly gasped, clutching his head as he almost toppled forward off the bed. The ship's doctor's good reflexes kicked in in time to support Luffy, who quickly regained his composure. The world had suddenly tilted as he sat upright, his vision blurring drastically, losing focus.

"Luffy! Hey, are you okay?!" Asked Chopper in a panic, not having expected something like this to happen all of a sudden. His heart pounded in his chest in terror as he looked at his captain in scrutiny.

Luffy's eyes were squeezed shut, his hand still holding his throbbing head and a slight tremor ran through his body. You could clearly see that he was struggling to sit.

"It's fine, I...I just think I need to lie down for a bit." Luffy replied weakly and let himself be guided back onto his back with the help of Chopper. The reindeer doctor gritted his teeth, blaming himself for Luffy's deteriorating condition. He cursed himself for overexerting his patient, how could he have been so careless?

Luffy gasped softly, his eyes still closed as he waited restlessly for the dizziness to subside. Meanwhile, Chopper did not remain impassive and reached for his blood pressure monitor, which he would have used for the next step anyway. The doctor quickly placed the cuff on Luffy's upper arm, making sure it wasn't too tight, then placed the stethoscope just below the cuff on the crook of his elbow. Once this was done, Chopper put on the earpieces and started pumping.

The result, just like the pupil test from earlier, turned out to be rather bad, as the numbers Chopper could read off the device stood for low blood pressure. Chopper's sick feeling in his stomach got progressively worse with each new confirmation of his assumption, but he still prayed that it would turn out differently, even if the chances were very slim at that point.

Luffy's eyes slowly fluttered open and he belatedly noticed Chopper's missing presence at his side. He cautiously turned his head to the side, his vision still rather fuzzy, and his eyes looked around for the little reindeer until they spotted him not far away. Chopper was in the process of filling a syringe with Etilefrine to stabilize Luffy's condition immediately. Such low blood pressure was not to be taken lightly, as it could have very serious consequences.

"Ch-Chopper...This feeling... It won't go away. I feel so...woozy and...and sick." Luffy muttered and let his eyelids fall shut again, barely able to keep them open.

Damn, Chopper should have known! The signs were there and Luffy had told him! Still, he couldn't have expected his captain's condition to drop so drastically. It was just that Luffy was damn good at deceiving him, earlier he had smiled at everything and now so abruptly his health was going down the drain.

"Hang in there, you'll feel better in a moment." Chopper reassured the ailing captain and administered the dose of medicine, puncturing the vein in the crook of his elbow, eliciting a sharp hiss from Luffy.

After a few minutes, the effects of the drug kicked in and Luffy began to relax again, feeling much better with each passing minute. The foggy feeling was the only thing that didn't leave him but remained stubbornly to his displeasure and the first after-effects of the attack slowly made themselves felt in the form of tiredness.

"Are you feeling better?" Chopper wanted to know after he noticed how Luffy's body loosened up and his tense features relaxed, a subtle smile already tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Yeah, thanks Chopper." Luffy thanked him affectionately and blinked wearily.

Chopper saw how tired Luffy had grown, the whole debacle was far too much for his sick body, that had only just woken up from a coma. Nevertheless, he was still missing two test results, which he absolutely had to carry out, as much as it hurt him.

"Luffy, I know you must be incredibly exhausted and you should definitely get some more sleep, but I still have two tests to go, so could you hold out a while longer?" Chopper asked, before his patient could drift off into the land of dreams. Luffy yawned heartily before agreeing, trying his best not to succumb to the growing fatigue.

Chopper tried to speed up his actions to finally give Luffy his rest. After testing Luffy's sensitivity to pain and his reflexes, he was finally done. At this point, Luffy was already slumbering, his exhausted body unable to hold out any longer due to the effects of the medication. His head had fallen slightly to the side on the pillow and his mouth was slightly open, drawing in deep breaths while his chest heaved up and down in a steady rhythm.

Chopper would have loved to admire this peaceful view of his sleeping captain, who finally didn't look like he was dying, if it weren't for the final result, that left him frowning at his notes. He bit his lower lip bitterly and clawed his hoof, which he wasn't using to hold the clipboard, into his hat. The reindeer was on the verge of tears when they threatened to spill from his eyes.

Why did this keep happening? Why did Luffy have to suffer even more than he already did?

How was Chopper supposed to explain his discovery to his friends out there? His friends, who were waiting for good news and finally deserved to hear some after all they had been through. Fortunately, the result was not too serious, for which he was eternally grateful, but it was still another hurdle that they and, above all, Luffy himself had to overcome. As if his bad illness wasn't already enough for him to deal with.

It became too much for Chopper to bear as his little legs collapsed beneath him and he finally allowed himself to cry, silently.

~Meanwhile in the galley~

"What's taking so long? What is Chopper doing anyway? How could he just throw us out of the room without even mentioning what's going on?" Usopp suddenly broke his silence, losing his patience for good. He was clearly annoyed at what Chopper had pulled. On the inside, however, he was filled to the brim with worry and felt the urge to flee the galley and its suffocating air, were it not for the hope that their ship's doctor might burst through the door at any moment.

Nami, who wanted to ask her question for what felt like the umpteenth time, ignored Usopp's sudden outburst, as Brook was already taking care of him in order to calm the sniper down again. Her voice was laced with distress as she begged almost desperately.

"Guys, please, tell me, can you hear what's going on in there?"

Zoro and Sabo, to whom the question was addressed, only exchanged a solemn glance for a moment. Both agreed that they would rather not reveal what they had overheard and leave the job to Chopper. Not that they really understood what was actually going on with Luffy. Only they knew he didn't seem to be well, the way he appeared to be when they were in his presence.

The feeling of dread spread more in their chests, what of course they skillfully didn't let on and kept their blank expressions.

"I already said no." Zoro snapped at the navigator in a huff and shot her an exasperated glare. In response, Nami just puffed her cheeks in frustration and turned away, trudging towards the door to the deck.

"I need some fresh air." She mumbled under her breath, feeling that she would lose her mind if she stayed here any longer.

"Nami-san, wait please!" Sanji shouted after the navigator, glaring furiously at Zoro and Sabo for a brief moment.

"Sanji, let her go. She needs some time to herself." Robin intervened when Nami disappeared through the door the next moment. Sanji just sighed in response and reached for his pack of cigarettes, which was almost empty. He put the penultimate nicotine stick between his lips to light it next and take a deep drag. A calming haze immediately settled over his senses, numbing was always remarkable to him how much that soothed him.

Nami, who had slammed the door behind her, took a deep breath the second she stepped outside. Her legs hadn't carried her any further, the hope that Chopper would step out of the infirmary at any given moment tying her to the galley, so she decided to lean against the railing in front of the door with her arms instead.

Sighing, the young navigator closed her eyes and tilted her face towards the blazing sun shining down on her, listening to the waves and the sounds of the seagulls circling above the ship. An additional fresh breeze blew through the deck, playing with Nami's long hair, swirling the strands around. All this brought a quick calming effect to her soul, even if the gnawing concern for her captain remained unchanged.

"Everything will be fine." She assured herself. The gratitude and relief that washed over her that Luffy was still breathing at all, had woken up and talked to them, was enormous. He was very much alive and that was all that mattered. They would get through everything else together, come what may. Now she was sanguine again and stubbornly held on to that belief, simply refusing to give in to despair, even though she felt partly broken and so, so exhausted .

Exhausted, yeah, they all were, both physically and mentally. However, it felt wrong for any of the members of the Straw Hats to complain in the slightest while their captain was in a constant battle between life and death.

Silently and with impressive patience, the rest of the friends waited in the galley, hoping that the wait in uncertainty would finally come to an end, while Sanji, no longer able to stand remaining silent and inactive, had started cooking. Apart from smoking, this was the only thing that relaxed him profoundly.

A heavenly smell permeated the entire room and wafted into the noses of the gloomy crew, making their hungry stomachs growl, but there was no sign of appetite, the lingering nausea of nervousness predominating.

~Back in the infirmary~

Chopper had picked himself up after his brief breakdown and set about his routine work. He gave Luffy a dose of his special medicine for his illness, that had been slightly enhanced since the last time. Then he checked his breathing, listened to his heart and changed the bandages on his wounds, which left a lot to be desired in terms of the healing process.

Unfortunately, Luffy's ability to heal was no longer as good as before the onset of his illness, obviously due to the effects of his disease. It of course continued to worsen inexorably. In order to check the exact progress, Chopper took a small blood sample to examine it later. He did this regularly in order to detect complications at an early stage.

Another long night of examination and research awaited him.

The reindeer doctor wiped the sweat from his forehead when he was finally finished, his eyes watching Luffy closely, who was sleeping soundly despite everything, proving that he was still quite exhausted. The sick captain's face scrunched up a little in his sleep, as if he was in pain, so Chopper decided to give him a small dose of painkillers, that would certainly let him sleep for a few more hours.

When this was also done, the ship's doctor glanced at his watch, only to realize that it had taken him more than an hour. His thoughts quickly turned to his friends, whom he had hurriedly thrown out of the room without any explanation, and he felt bad. Even worse when he thought about having to convey this new diagnosis to them.

Zoro and Sabo rose from their seats and took a step back just as the infirmary door opened and Chopper finally stepped out, his face unreadable.

"Chopper!" Everyone exclaimed in unison and their faces lit up.

Nami, who also heard this from outside, burst into the galley, a mixture of joy and fear etched on her face.

"So Chopper, how is Luffy? Is he- Can we see him?" Sabo asked excitedly, already ready to go back to his brother's side.

The reindeer carefully let the door fall shut behind him before stepping closer to his friends. His face reflected the uncertainty he felt, what the others could now also detect. They knew immediately that it couldn't mean anything good, which only made them tense up even more.

"Yes, but he's asleep now." Chopper responded tersely, whereupon Sabo wanted to push forward first and rush into the sickroom, were it not for the reindeer's subsequent words that made him halt.

"Before that, I have something to tell you about his condition." After these serious words, everyone inhaled sharply, their hearts beginning to pound as they prepared for the worst.

"Oh no! Is Luffy going to die earlier? I knew it, I knew it couldn't mean anything good that it took you so long! Luffy is going to-" Usopp screeched in complete turmoil and held his hands to his head in panic until he received a punch on the skull from Nami, that immediately silenced him.

"Shut up, you idiot! Listen to what Chopper has to say first." Nami was fuming with anger at the fact that Usopp had to be so pessimistic and had to be held back by Jinbei so that she wouldn't take out all her frustration, that had built up over the last few hours, on him.

"Don't worry, guys. Things can't be that bad for Luffy. He was awake and talking to us normally earlier, wasn't he?" Franky pointed out, even though he didn't suspect anything good from Chopper's demeanor.

Recognizing a logical conclusion to Franky's words, everyone nodded and shifted their attention back to Chopper, who still hadn't said another word. The little doctor hopped onto one of the free chairs at the dining table, his eyes downcast.

"Speak up Chopper, what's going on?" Zoro wanted to know impatiently, the long wait had already freaked him out anyway, even if you couldn't tell by his façade.

"Is it that serious?" Sanji inquired cautiously, completely forgetting the food simmering on the stove for a moment. He watched Chopper's features intently, the queasy feeling in his stomach intensifying.

"No, it's not...well, it can be bad." Chopper began and looked up, his expression appearing stern, matching his voice. The Straw Hats had to swallow hard, trying to comprehend what Chopper's words meant.

"Luffy is currently suffering from cerebral hypoxia as a result of his cardiac arrest. This is a disorder of brain function that can result from prolonged oxygen deprivation and can have serious consequences." Chopper paused to let his words sink in, causing confusion for some. A combination of bewilderment and shock etched the faces of those present.

"In Luffy's case, his symptoms appear to be mild. He suffers from dizziness, headaches, blurred vision, memory loss, low blood pressure, and a decrease in motor coordination. His reflexes also appear to be impaired, as does his perception of pain. These are all the symptoms that indicate a mild course of this condition. That's all I could find out and maybe I can figure out more when he wakes up." Chopper explained in detailed words, staring into the pensive faces of his friends.

"And...how long will this condition last, I mean he's already suffering from his illness anyway. All this on top of everything else doesn't sound good at all." Sabo said worriedly, realizing how much worse his beloved brother would suffer.

"Normally it takes months, or it can even be permanent, but I hope that in Luffy's case it won't last more than a few weeks. I will also support him with medicine for the worst symptoms." Chopper replied, trying to suppress the tears that were already welling up in his eyes. The fact that Luffy was exposed to additional distress devastated him.

"I see..." Sabo retorted resignedly before vanishing into the sickroom the next instant.

"Why does this keep happening to us...to him?"

It took a long time for the friends to digest this information, while at the same time it weighed them down. There was no trace of the joy from an hour ago, replaced by renewed sadness and concern.

They could hardly finish the food they were served, despite Sanji's efforts and threats. And the rest of the day, when none of them could actually be productive, passed in the same way. Taking turns at Luffy's side, they once again waited patiently for him to wake up.

—

Drowsy eyes blinked sluggishly open as Luffy gradually woke up again. His brain tried to process where he was for a while as he waited for his distorted vision to focus. The outline of a person popped into his field of vision immediately, only becoming clearer after blinking a few times. It was his brother Sabo, of course.

"Luffy? You've finally woken up!" The revolutionary grinned from ear to ear. His tired eyes betrayed the fact that he had hardly slept. The hair that framed his round face was totally disheveled, the result of another restless night on the bedside chair.

"Sabo, you're here." Luffy croaked sleepily and gave his counterpart a small smile. The pirate captain still couldn't believe that his big brother was actually on his ship and it annoyed him that they hadn't been able to spend any time together yet.

He must have fallen asleep again and once more he could hardly remember. He wondered how long he had been out this time. A deep grumbling that unmistakably emanated from his stomach told him that it must have been a long time.

"Yeah, it's me, never left your side."

Sabo replied with a soft chuckle and raised his hand to comb it through Luffy's tousled hair, while the younger boy nuzzled sweetly against his gentle touch.

"Missed you."

"Me too. So much, Luffy."

A much louder growl interrupted the precious little moment between the brothers, eliciting a laugh from the older of the two. That was how he knew his beloved sibling. He hadn't changed at all.

"Looks like someone's really hungry." Sabo grinned amusedly and pointed at Luffy's belly. Luffy just grinned bashfully at him.

"No wonder, you've slept quite late, Luffy. It's already morning and Sanji is just about to prepare breakfast." Sabo said, pointing with his thumb towards the door to the galley, from which the first faint smells were already wafting through.

Luffy's eyes widened in shock.

"What? I slept in so long? It wasn't just a nap?!" Luffy sulked and now the clear reason for his immense hunger became apparent to him. He rubbed his complaining stomach as he tried to imagine how many meals he must have missed. Probably too many to count.

"I know, and knowing you, you're starving now, but Chopper told us not to wake you up 'cause you were still pretty fatigued and your body needed to recover. How are you feeling now?" Sabo asked as he let his eyes wander over his brother. Apart from the fact that Luffy's pallor was still quite prominent and he also looked gaunt, his usually full round face so sunken, nothing seemed to be amiss. Chopper's checkup results had also given no cause for immediate concern, lifting a huge weight off his shoulders.

Luffy had to deliberate for a moment. Unfortunately, his splitting headache wasn't completely gone, but it had lessened, and the fog in his head that was limiting his access to his memories hadn't lifted either, much to his chagrin. Next, he tested the grip of his hands, which seemed to be fine at the moment and the numbness had subsided. Overall, he seemed to be doing a fraction better, but that could change as soon as he straightened up.

This proved to be the case when he became overconfident and raised his upper body to sit upright.

"I'm actually fine."

He spoke too soon as giddiness suddenly set in and his hand flew to his head, alerting Sabo immediately.

"O-Oi Luffy!"

"It's just…I'm just a little dizzy, don't worry...should be over soon." Luffy reassured the blond haired in an unusually shaky voice, who was sitting on the edge of his chair, ready to call Chopper at any moment. The sick captain forced himself to smile through his discomfort to make his statement more credible. Sabo felt a little relieved and his tense shoulders visibly sagged, but his brotherly instincts told him to stay on guard, just in case.

"You know... I can call Chopper if you need him." Sabo mentioned after a while, realizing that it must be much more than a short dizzy spell and Luffy didn't move a bit from his stiff position, his eyelids still tightly closed.

"How are the others?" Luffy asked as a counter question, skillfully ignoring Sabo's offer, what confused the other quite a bit.

"Huh...I guess pretty good so far, just they're...you know...still a little shaken up, especially after the revelation of your new condition yesterday..." Sabo replied, rubbing the back of his neck as Chopper's words replayed in his head. He wondered how the hell Luffy could be thinking about anyone else at that moment but worrying about his own declining health, though he knew for a fact that his little brother was just like that. He'd always been like this and hadn't changed a bit over the years.

"I see..." Luffy retorted, his voice laced with frustration. His brain hadn't noticed the last part of Sabo's sentence about his state at all. His crew was unhappy, that was all he had filtered out of those few words, all that mattered. And worst of all, the source of their misery was him .

The pirate captain drew in a deep breath as the wooziness gradually dissipated and withdrew his hand from his face, revealing a determined look in his eyes.

"They need me."

Sabo was quite taken aback by what Luffy did next. The bed covers were flung aside in one motion before Sabo could even realize what Luffy had just uttered.

"Hey, w-wait a minute, Luffy!" Sabo called out, whilst Luffy stubbornly dangled his legs over the edge of the bed and then tried to stand up the next second. The attempt failed miserably at first when he had to be caught by his brother after his legs gave way like jelly. Luffy had not taken into account that his legs would not play along. He gasped out in pain as his wounds were irritated by his harsh movements.

"Oi Luffy, you can't just stand up like that! Where are you going all of a sudden?" Sabo chided him while he supported Luffy with all his strength, who was struggling to find his footing. He swung an arm around his waist, mindful of his possible wounds on the spot, whereas Luffy clung to him with his arm so as not to fall over.

"I want to see my friends!" Luffy answered weepily, obviously frustrated that his plan didn't seem to be working out the way he wanted it to.

Why did he have to be so incredibly weak? Stupid body!

But then he dared to take the first step, what went reasonably well and would be followed by the next, if it weren't for his brother holding him back.

"Stop Luffy, lie down again, you mustn't get up at all, especially not in your current state!" The revolutionary tried to persuade the raven haired, but unfortunately he didn't seem to be listening.

Sabo hated Luffy's stubbornness and knew that once he had set his mind on something, there was no stopping him. Sighing, he gave up, whereupon Luffy managed to free himself from his clutch and stumbled on towards the door. The older brother watched him warily and with a concerned grimace, toying with the idea of fetching Chopper.

"Just let me go, after all, I've had enough sleep." Luffy grumbled, highly focused on not falling. His legs didn't really want to cooperate, barely carried him to the door, against which he leaned, sweaty and out of breath from the short walk.

"Luffy, don't be so silly! You can barely stand on your feet, let alone walk!" Sabo yelled after him, hardly believing how his brother was torturing himself with his obstinacy. It pained him to watch.

"I'm fine, I can do this!" Luffy insisted, trying to take a minute to catch his breath. The young captain had let his friends down long enough, had disappointed them repeatedly and worried them to no end. Luffy didn't even want to imagine how awful they must all feel. He had to cheer them up, prove to them that he was alright. How could he give up now? With a final deep breath, he flung the door open the next moment.

Surprised faces promptly turned in Luffy's direction the instant the door opened entirely, revealing his fragile frame behind it.

The Straw Hats plus Koala, who had just arrived in the galley and were about to take their seats at the breakfast table, could scarcely believe their eyes. Even Sanji's cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth fell out and the pan of scrambled eggs almost slipped out of his hand if he hadn't grabbed it firmly in time . Surprise and happiness mingled in their widened eyes, whereas a big smile crossed the Friends' lips.

"Luuuffy!"

Everyone cheered loudly and beamed with joy, but the excitement didn't last long as Luffy's weak legs buckled under him. The 19-year-old groaned painfully as he fell to his knees with a soft thud. Those nearby instantly rushed along with Sabo to the fallen teen, first Chopper, who was the only one not very pleased to see his patient wandering around on strict bed rest.

"Luffy, what's wrong?"

"Hey, is everything ok?"

"Luffy, don't do anything stupid!"

Everyone bombarded the boy with questions, only the latter exclaim came from Zoro, who had momentarily abandoned his calm demeanor when he saw his captain fall helplessly to the ground. Before they knew it, everyone was gathered in a semicircle around Luffy's frail frame, while Chopper attended to him directly.

"Luffy, are you alright? What on earth are you doing out of bed?" Chopper asked in dismay and examined Luffy closely with worried eyes.

"It's okay, I'm fine." Luffy waved his friends off with a smile. He cursed inwardly, hating to be pitied by his crew like this. He was perfectly healthy, couldn't they see that?

"My legs just feel a bit funny." The sick captain added and pouted slightly, playing down the whole situation.

"You call that fine? You can't even stand on your feet!" Chopper exclaimed in terror, preparing to carry Luffy back to his bed.

"Chopper's right, Luffy. You have to stay in bed. Sanji will bring your breakfast to your side." Nami chimed in, resting her hands on her hips. She shook her head in disbelief at her wayward captain.

The tantalizing smell of bacon had reached Luffy's nose, causing his protesting stomach to suddenly growl all the louder and everyone around him to stare in bafflement.

Luffy grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. Everyone else giggled in amusement, realizing that they had missed this all-too-familiar sound so much lately that they couldn't believe they would actually miss it at some point. The fact that this silly noise alone could put a big smile on their faces was unbelievable and perhaps finally a small progress towards normality.

"I'm starving! Sanji, I want meat!" Luffy demanded in his usual way that everyone was so accustomed to, and if the fact that he had just been enfeebled by his illness and had collapsed was ignored, the scene seemed to come from their ordinary everyday life, a time that had long since been forgotten for the Straw Hat Pirates.

After a long back and forth discussion, Luffy's assertiveness had won out, which is why he was now allowed to sit with everyone at the breakfast table in the galley.

Despite the fact that he was able to get his way, and only because everyone had missed him so much, he didn't seem quite so content. The reason for this was right under his nose: Vegetable Soup. Luffy sat grumpily on his chair propped up with cushions and stirred unmotivatedly in his soup, that had already gone cold.

His grip on his spoon threatened to slip a few times, again feeling the odd tingling numbness in his hand. This only added to his stress.

"Stupid hand and stupid soup." The pirate captain muttered indistinctly to himself.

Everyone could see his dissatisfaction, but could not intervene as the rules were Chopper's rules.

"I wanted to eat meat." The 19-year-old sulked and let his eyes wander over the varied banquet on the table that his friends had been offered.

"This is so unfair!"

"This discussion again, Luffy? I promise you, soon you can eat something solid again, but your stomach wouldn't accept meat now anyway." Chopper explained again with a sigh and it didn't suit him at all that Luffy didn't keep resting in his bed.

"But it's my stomach and it says it wants meat." Luffy grumbled in exasperation and managed to shove a spoonful of soup into his mouth with a shaky hand, his nose wrinkling in disgust.

Sabo couldn't help chuckling and found the sight of his brother very amusing, as did the rest of the crew, as you could see from their amused faces and smiles. He saw how Luffy had trouble gripping his spoon properly, something that concerned him a little despite everything. Sabo knew only too well that Luffy's ego would not allow one of them to feed him or at least help him with it. Though, the revolutionary couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Do you need any help, Luffy?"

At this question, Luffy raised his eyes from his bowl and immediately declined his brother's offer with a clear shake of his head.

"No, no, I'll manage. My hand just feels a bit strange, like my legs did earlier, but it's no big deal."

"You don't need to pretend, captain. Just tell us if you need help and we'll be there for you, no matter what." Zoro chimed in, sensing Luffy's insecurity. The others nodded in agreement, their eyes locked on Luffy.

Luffy appreciated this as he just put on a large toothy grin.

"Thanks guys, but it's all good."

"We all know your main problem is your meal. If it had been meat, nothing would stop you from really digging in." Usopp remarked with a chuckle, prompting laughter to erupt in the room.

"It's so great to have you back, Captain! We've missed you so much." Jinbei stated with a smirk, clearly proud of Luffy for remaining among the living. The fishman leaned back in his chair and enjoyed the sight of his captain at the dining table, something that had felt like an eternity ago.

Jinbei's words managed to plaster a cheerful smile on Luffy's face.

"I'm glad to be back too, shishishi!"

"Tch, shitty captain, worrying us multiple times and not a trace of remorse." Sanji shook his head as he leaned against the kitchen counter, lighting a cigarette. Secretly, he was also delighted to be able to witness this moment.

"Some things just never change, Yohoho." Brook now also commented as he sipped his tea with relish.

For the first time in a long time, they were able to laugh freely again and enjoy the precious little moment to its fullest.

—

"Hypo-what?" Luffy asked, tilting his head, as he had to return to the infirmary after breakfast to undergo another thorough check-up. This had been the agreement he had made with Chopper to be allowed to sit at the table with everyone.

The young captain sat bolt upright on the sickbed while he obediently held up his shirt to let Chopper listen to his chest. Luffy was already bored out of his mind and the only thing he could do was impatiently rock his restless legs, which simply couldn't keep still. In his opinion, Chopper was causing himself unnecessary stress, even though he had assured him several times that he was feeling better. However, Chopper refused to believe him and decided to carry out his tests. This offended Luffy a little.

"Cerebral hypoxia. The reason why you can't remember anything that happened. I'm surprised that the memory loss didn't affect you more severely. In addition, you will have to cope with physical limitations for a while as a result of the damage to your brain cells. It seems to affect your hands and legs the most." Chopper explained to his patient.

Luffy, however, couldn't keep up and had no clue about all the strange terms the reindeer brought up, which is why he only listened to half of the doctor's explanation. He then completely tuned out the rest, his thoughts on Usopp and Franky, who were eagerly waiting for him outside the sick bay just so they could demonstrate one of their latest creations to him.

Luffy could hardly wait and moreover, he felt so suffocated by the sterile smell of the sickroom and was in dire need of some fresh air in his lungs. The calls of his two friends for him made him even more impatient and accordingly more fidgety, the excitement bubbling inside him.

"Luffy! Luffy! Luffy!" The two friends chanted outside the door, an bothersome background noise that ruined Chopper's concentration. Still, the ship's doctor tried to remain calm and not lose his composure even after several attempts.

"Shut up, you idiots, or should I kick you out?" Abruptly, an indistinct voice, undoubtedly belonging to Sanji, interfered. With this warning, the voices fell silent all at once.

Chopper, whose face still had a concentrated expression as he listened to Luffy's heart, grimaced a little. Despite the regular daily doses of his prototype medicine, Luffy's condition hardly seemed to be improving, not even temporarily, and he feared that his illness would suddenly strike back with full force, as it had done before.

The more the disease progressed inexorably, the less effective the medicine became, as it was still far too incomplete to combat this invisible, merciless malady. In any case, they had to reach the next island as soon as possible to search for the missing herbs.

Chopper's time, and especially Luffy's, was getting shorter with every passing day and was making things tougher for the reindeer, more mentally than physically. The ship's doctor no longer even dared to make a diagnosis, as the unpredictable course of the disease simply made it impossible, as Chopper had discovered over the last few weeks. Sometimes the medicine worked and was able to contain the symptoms to some extent, possibly slowing down the progression, and sometimes it didn't seem to work at all and Luffy's health suddenly went into a steep decline.

On top of that, other incidents were occurring constantly and were also affecting Luffy's ailing body, leaving it no time to recover. Whether it was the pneumonia or the near-death experience, both seemed to have inflicted even more harm on Luffy's system, even if it wasn't apparent at first glimpse and Luffy refused to admit it.

Luffy, who spotted a change in Chopper's composure immediately, raised his eyebrows.

"Is there something wrong, Chopper?"

Chopper hesitated momentarily as he put his stehoscope aside, his head ruminating for suitable words.

"Luffy...-"

"You don't have to hold back, Chopper. I've been aware for a long time that things are coming to an end for me, I can even feel it." Luffy stated bluntly to the reindeer when he noticed his distress. Something he probably shouldn't have put like that, especially not in a situation like this, but Luffy was Luffy.

The fact that Luffy uttered these heartbreaking words with a warming smile, as if he had already agreed to his demise, only broke Chopper's little heart even more and filled his eyes with hot tears.

"Don't...don't say that, Luffy, please...It...I..." Chopper cut off, grappling with the tears that were already pouring from his eyes. The frustration and stress of almost losing Luffy, that had accumulated inside him, suddenly overwhelmed him and he lost control of his emotions.

"I'm so sorry!" Chopper sobbed and leaped into Luffy's arms, who, somewhat taken by surprise, welcomed him affectionately and wrapped his arms around the trembling reindeer. Chopper buried his face in Luffy's shirt out of shame, incapable of looking at him, and continued to cry pitifully, his tears flowing unceasingly.

"Don't be, everything will be okay." Luffy comforted the doctor gently and stroked his back in a circular motion. He really meant what he said. Despite everything and despite the fact that Luffy's body was signaling to him that it was almost at its limit, Luffy held on to this belief. He trusted his friend and his skills more than anything else, which is why his words carried a sense of fortitude. Besides, Luffy still had a promise to keep, of course everything had to get better, hehad to get better.

"I can't do it, I just can't do it! You're getting steadily worse, your blood levels have deteriorated and your organs are slowly starting to shut down, especially your heart and lungs...they won't be able to keep up for much longer. And now there's the added problem of your brain cells. I...I'm just a bad doctor... I'm a failure!" Wept Chopper, most of what he said sounded muffled by Luffy's shirt.

Luffy was appalled by the last thing Chopper had blurted out, and his guilt reached a whole new level. He was the reason for all this, the strain and despair he was causing his crew. It had already gotten to the point where Chopper thought of himself that way.

A failure?

If anything, that was Luffy himself.

And if Chopper was in such a state, how did the rest of his friends fare? Luffy didn't even want to imagine it. It was already shredding his heart into thousands of pieces, the pain worse than anything he had been through so far.

Luffy couldn't just stand by and watch as his precious crew distraught over his illness and blamed themselves, even though he was actually the one responsible.

He hated it!

He fucking hated being so weak!

How much longer would things go on like this?

"H-Hey stop saying that! You are the best doctor and I couldn't wish for a better one! Look, I'm still alive, aren't I? Thanks to you!" The pirate captain raised Chopper's head to look into his tear-stained, swollen eyes. The view sent a sting through Luffy's chest, but his firm gaze did not waver, his large onyx-colored orbs filled with assurance.

Chopper blinked away his tears as Luffy forced him to meet his eyes.

"Yeah, but-"

"There's still hope, Chopper! You're a member of the future King of the Pirates, aren't you? Then you mustn't give up like this! Have faith in yourself!" Luffy kept trying to persuade Chopper, his tone harsher than he intended. His frustration and anger were never directed at his friend, but rather at himself.

Chopper just sniffled loudly and gradually began to realize it. He knew best to never give up, not even to toy with the idea of doing so. But the last few days had been particularly difficult for him and the utter helplessness he felt without the presence of his captain had really worn him down mentally.

Luffy's uplifting speech somehow seemed like a cure for his miserable state, for what the reindeer was infinitely grateful. That was exactly what he had desperately needed all this time. It was almost miraculous how these few little words from his captain were enough to keep his spirits up, to save it from a deep abyss.

"T-Thank you, Luffy. I...I'm so happy that you're still alive...I...I was so scared!" Chopper couldn't stop shedding tears and snot ran down his nose.

"I know...I'm so sorry, but hey, come on, stop crying now. There's no reason anymore." Luffy gave the doctor a broad smile, and the next moment it did its trick when a small smile formed on Chopper's lips.

"Much better!" Luffy commented contentedly, a giggle escaping his mouth.

Oh, how much Chopper adored Luffy. It was only now that he fully realized how much he had missed him, him and his positive nature, beaming like the sun, giving them courage, guiding them and showing them the right path. With regained strength and confidence, Chopper once again held on to the goal of defeating this disease, saving his best friend and achieving his dream.

Meanwhile, tears were also streaming down Franky and Usopp's cheeks, who had overheard Chopper's breakdown in the infirmary from outside, earning them quizzical looks from Sanji, who was too busy with dishes to understand what was happening.

As soon as Chopper had finally calmed down again, he returned to his unfulfilled tasks and administered another injection of his medication to Luffy. Next, he gave the 19-year-old his two extra pills, which he was also supposed to take every day.

"Can I go now, Chopper?" Luffy asked once his treatment was finished, unable to wait to return to the deck and join the rest of his friends.

His counterpart sighed heavily, having been expecting this very question. If it was up to Chopper, he would have much preferred to let Luffy recover at least a little or not to let him out of bed at all, but it was impossible to prevent Luffy from doing anything and besides, Chopper found it difficult to deny his captain anything. Not after he had been trapped in this room for so long and some fresh air would do him some good.

Chopper scrutinized Luffy and noticed that he was also in desperate need of a bath, because despite the fact that they had wiped him clean with wet cloths as far as they could, he still had dried blood crusts in his hair. His wounds should be safe for bathing, even if they weren't completely healed yet.

Before Chopper could even get a chance to speak, Usopp and Franky suddenly burst in unexpectedly, getting too impatient behind the door. They were closely followed by Sabo and Zoro, who also wanted to pay a visit out of curiosity.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Luffy, as enthusiastic as ever, waved to the four boys, a grin plastered on his face.

"So, how are you doing, little brother?" Sabo asked, visibly pleased to see a smile on Luffy's face. On closer inspection, the blond haired noted that there was finally some color back in his face, which delighted him all the more. Luffy still looked sickly on the whole, but there were definitely signs of a slight improvement.

"Quite well." Luffy replied shortly, although the four fellows couldn't quite rely on that and switched their gaze to the reindeer doctor instead.

Once again, Chopper was at a loss for words and the expectant looks only put more pressure on him. Fine wouldn't be the correct word, but bad didn't quite seem to fit either from the way he observed Luffy. His body gave warning signals, but the symptoms still seemed to be hesitant to make themselves felt. Something that was probably due to the effects of his medicine. It was only a matter of time before the first signs reappeared. Chopper only wished he could interpret things more precisely, but the damned treacherous disease was sheer unpredictable.

"As he says himself, quite alright for now. It could change drastically at any time, so keep an eye on him." Chopper then retorted after much pondering and deemed this to be the best answer. The last sentence was intended as a sharp warning not to be fooled by Luffy's seemingly good shape, a message that also got through to the four boys.

"So, can I go now?" Luffy inquired, ready to hop off his bed.

"Hold on!" Chopper stopped him, what made Luffy recoil.

"You should help him to get a better control of his arms and legs. A few light exercises are completely sufficient. Please don't let him overexert himself. Apart from that, he really needs to take a bath."

"Okay, we'll help him with all that." Sabo said understandingly and placed a helping arm around Luffy's waist when the latter couldn't remain seated any longer. Sabo wondered how the hell the younger boy could muster such energy in his sick state.

"Hey wait a minute Sabo-" Usopp objected.

"I can exercise with Luffy and then take a bath with him, like I usually do. I was planning to anyway." Zoro suggested and wanted to take on the role of Luffy's helpmate.

"Now wait a minute Zoro! You always take a bath with Luffy! I want to take over this time!" The longnose complained and pointed at himself with his thumb. Usopp, who felt completely useless in the whole situation anyway, wanted to be there for Luffy and simultaneously use this opportunity to spend some time with him.

"It's okay, guys. I'll take care of Luffy." Sabo stated, finding the little disagreement between the friends quite hilarious.

"But we wanted to show Luffy our new invention." Franky now joined in, sulking.

Luffy just stared dumbly back and forth between his friends and started to laugh a bit.

"Hey guys, you don't have to worry about me! I'm getting along fine on my ow-"

The young captain didn't get to finish his sentence when he suddenly lost his footing while standing up and almost crashed to the ground, if it wasn't for Sabo. Once again, Luffy had grossly underestimated his situation and was reminded of it in an unpleasant way.

"Are you in a lot of pain Luffy? Should I give you some painkillers?" Chopper asked to be on the safe side when he detected his captain's struggle.

"No, it's okay." Luffy declined, now more stable on his feet, albeit a little shaky.

The young captain just wanted to escape the room, feeling even more suffocated by his overprotective friends. He appreciated that they were caring for him, but he was perfectly capable of looking after himself and not being constantly mothered.

Luffy took one step after the other, the following one more stable than the last, and despite the fact that his legs felt stiff, he mastered it quite well. His companions gave him the space he needed and watched his progress. His sheer willpower contributed a lot.

"C'mon Luffy, let's go train." Zoro said and grabbed Luffy's arm, supporting him a little as his balance began to falter again.

"But Zoro-"

The swordsman only threw a grim look over his shoulder, which immediately shut Usopp up.

Sabo just smirked and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He decided to leave Luffy to the first mate for the time being, as he insisted. The revolutionary recognized that Zoro, in particular, felt very responsible for what had happened to Luffy and therefore had full understanding for him and that he had the urge to take care of Luffy.

Once outside on the deck, Luffy let himself fall backwards onto the grass, exhausted and relieved at the same time. Letting his sore body relax, he turned his face towards the rays of the blazing midday sun and spread out all his limbs. He breathed in the fresh air deeply, enjoying the warmth of the sun on his clammy pale skin. A fine breeze blew across the deck and played with his greasy hair, while a contented smile spread across his lips.

"That feels nice."

"Are you okay? If you want, we can postpone the exercises until tomorrow." Zoro asked and settled down on the grass next to the ebony haired with both legs bent up in a casual manner. His one hand ran over the blades of grass as he examined Luffy's form sharply.

Luffy had closed his eyes by now as he continued to enjoy the beautiful feeling of being outside and now blinked them open again as he craned his neck towards Zoro. The pleased smile still lingered on his face.

"No, we can start right away." Luffy beamed with his signature smile and stood up with a flourish. A mistake, as he soon realized, because everything instantly began to spin. He couldn't quite get used to his condition and hoped fervently that it wouldn't last long. His hand darted to his head and he closed his eyes for a moment, waiting for the spell to pass. Zoro shot him a worried glance.

"Are you sure-"

"Yeah, I am, Zoro. I have to get better." Luffy interrupted his counterpart with a determined tone and faced him, the vertigo slowly fading. The swordsman frowned at first, but decided to trust his captain.

"Let's get started then." Zoro countered and jumped to his feet again. He held out his hand to Luffy to help him up carefully, a gesture his captain gladly accepted.

After Luffy took a while to stand on his feet, the two companions decided to continue with slow warm-up exercises and stretching exercises with the focus on the legs. Luffy's stiff legs found it difficult to stretch, to move properly at all, causing him to lose his balance every now and then and land on his bottom.

"Ouch!"

"You okay?" Zoro questioned, trying to refrain from asking, as he was aware that his captain was getting annoyed by that very question.

Luffy remained on the ground, gasping for breath. Strangely enough, he was quite worn out from the little exertion. The raven haired dropped his head as a deep sigh escaped his lips.

"I can't do it, Zoro. It simply won't work."

The green haired man frowned, not used to seeing Luffy so downcast, so pessimistic. He crouched down to Luffy, not exactly sure what to say. He just knew that it might be better not to wear Luffy out like this. Chopper had already warned them about this, so he didn't want to risk anything.

"Maybe you're not ready yet, Luffy. I mean...after all, you just woke up this morning." Zoro eventually opined. He knew exactly how miserable his opponent felt, knowing him for so long.

Luffy slumped forward, his eyes facing the ground. His somber expression reflected his inner turmoil.

"Maybe you're right, but... You all need me, Zoro. It's taken me far too long to beat this disease...I can't keep doing this to you...It...it hurts...I'm so sorry..." Luffy only whispered the last part, his voice giving out towards the end as he had difficulty not to cry in front of his first mate. It was all so damn tough for him. The burden resting on his shoulders had become too heavy and Luffy didn't know whether he was still able to carry it.

"Luffy, look at me." Zoro demanded, resting a hand on the other's shoulder. Luffy ashamedly shifted his eyes to Zoro and one could tell he was on the verge of tears.

"Don't be so hard on yourself."

Luffy squeezed his eyelids shut, the tears that had gathered in his eyes spilling over the corners and down along his cheeks.

"We all have faith in you. You can do it, we will do it together."

Zoro was stunned by his own words that passed his lips, as he was never the type to say sentimental stuff. He was all the more proud of himself when those words were exactly what Luffy needed to hear. Relief washed over him as the young captain bit down on his lower lip and nodded firmly.

"Thank you, Zoro."

Luffy forced a smile onto his lips, one that Zoro returned.

"Nothing to thank and nothing to apologize for, captain."

"Well, that doesn't look like exercising to me." Sabo's voice suddenly sounded as he and Usopp joined the duo. He had placed both hands on his hips, wearing an amused look on his face.

Zoro and Luffy looked up at the two of them in surprise as they passed them two bottles of water. The swordsman skillfully caught his, while Luffy completely missed.

"Sabo! Usopp!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed cheerfully again, forgetting the situation from a moment ago. He had definitely needed some water, but he had trouble reaching for the bottle, that rolled away from him on the floor. The blond haired who noticed this mentally punched himself for being so inattentive before bending down to help Luffy with his bottle.

"We were just finished." Zoro justified after taking a generous sip of his water.

"Uhm yes...exactly. I guess I'm not quite fit enough yet." Luffy confessed with a snicker as he then focused on trying to grasp his bottle, which he succeeded in doing after several attempts.

"Well, if that's the case, then it's time for a bath!" Usopp shouted excitedly, earning a scowl from Zoro.

"Fine, you go and have a bath with Luffy. In the meantime, I'm going to train upstairs in the training room. See you later." Zoro finally decided to leave Luffy to Usopp, who was so eager to spend some time with Luffy.

"Should I come with you or can you manage on your own, Usopp?" Sabo wanted to know and helped Luffy to stand up after he had consumed enough fluids.

"I can handle it, don't worry." Usopp answered and propped up Luffy, who was once again struggling to stand upright.

"Hmm…Where are the others right now?" Luffy wondered as he let his eyes wander over the entire deck and couldn't see anyone else in sight.

"They're all pretty much below deck. Nami, Koala and Jinbei are currently planning our course and have also called me in. I think I should check on them while you shower." Sabo mused, scratching the back of his head.

"Franky is still tinkering with our new invention, Brook is helping Robin with her flowers and Sanji should be busy preparing dinner. And Chopper, as you know, has a lot on his plate." Usopp continued.

"Hmm I see." Luffy nodded.

"Well, I'm leaving then, little brother. Have fun!" Sabo said, waving, before heading off.

"See you later!" Luffy waved back.

Shortly afterwards, Usopp escorted Luffy to the bathroom. It wasn't very smooth getting there, since there were ladders to climb, but they made it with some difficulty. The sniper ran the bath whilst Luffy fought to control his breathing once he had settled on the floor next to the tub. He followed him with his eyes as he simultaneously tried not to let on that he was suppressing a nagging urge to cough. Fortunately for the captain, Usopp didn't notice his internal struggle when he spun back to him.

"I'll go and get some fresh clothes and be right back. Just hold on Luffy."

Luffy only nodded in return. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't get into the tub, let alone undress on his own. Even getting up from this position would take a lot of effort, since he could feel the numbness spreading through his limbs again.

As soon as the 19-year-old was sure that his longnosed friend was far away enough not to hear him, he let the coughing fit, that he couldn't restrain anyway, wash over him. One hand was pressed to his mouth in the hope of containing the noises.

Whilst one forceful cough followed the other, Luffy wondered why his symptoms occurred so soon after a dose of Chopper's medicine, for usually the effects lasted a little longer. This time they seemed to be completely absent. The fact that he was already frequently breathless today was in itself a bad sign, although it was only then that Luffy truly noticed.

It wasn't long before the hacking brought forth the first droplets of blood. Luffy could plainly feel them in the palm of his hand. He quickly became panic stricken, knowing that more would follow. A rapid solution was needed before he would stain the entire tiled floor with his blood and Usopp would then find him in such a mess. Luffy's head was racing for an idea, but getting up was not an option considering his limp legs. He didn't have much time as his mouth had trouble containing the accumulated blood, so he ended up disgorging the gush of red liquid into the bathtub.

One splash was followed by a second, until Luffy's head began to spin and he was forced to rest it on the edge of the tank, with one arm hanging over the edge in the sullied water. The crimson substance glistened in the light of the bathroom as it merged with the orange-colored water from the bath salts, a small color phenomenon in Luffy's cloudy eyes. Weakly, he coughed a few more times and spat the rest in his mouth over the edge of the pool. Luffy could no longer think about the look he was giving off and Usopp's shock that he would surely have if he bumped into him like that when he suddenly blacked out completely, hanging limply on the edge of the bathtub.

—

"uffy!"

"Luffyyy!"

Slowly, Luffy regained his senses as a frantic, inarticulate voice brought him out of his unconsciousness. A drop of something he didn't quite know what, landed on his cheek, then on his forehead, then on his nose, until he finally lifted his eyelids to see the crying face of his best friend.

"U-us'p?" Luffy slurred barely intelligibly.

"Luffy, thank god you're awake!" Cried the sniper, out of relief.

"Huh, wh't h-happened?" Luffy inquired confusedly and let his eyes roam. The pirate captain found himself lying on the ground, half in Usopp's arms. But his brain couldn't entirely realize where he was and what he had done last.

"You must have had a fit while I was out for a moment and lost consciousness. I thought you were dead! Damn it, don't scare me like that again!" Usopp yelled, his voice still shaking with shock. He was sure that his heart would no longer put up with all this.

"Sorry bout that. I'm good, no need to worry." Luffy mumbled a little more distinctly again and slowly straightened his upper body. The familiar lightheadedness returned, but thankfully didn't last too long. The pounding pain in his head was more of a nuisance, though.

"No need to worry?! Dude, I was dying of worry! You were sitting there flaccid, passed out and with all your blood in the tub!" Usopp retorted hysterically, whereas Luffy just bowed his head, feeling bad for almost giving his friend a heart attack.

Usopp froze as he suddenly realized that it was absolutely foolish of him to snap at Luffy like that, knowing full well that it wasn't his fault. It wasn't his captain's fault, but that of the fucking disease. The sniper felt so terribly stupid at that very moment.

"Sorry Luffy... I overreacted a bit..." Usopp apologized and wrapped his arms around Luffy, burying his head in his shoulder.

"It's okay." Luffy replied with a slight smile that was far from his usual one and rubbed his friend's back in a gentle, reassuring manner.

The duo hovered in the same position for a while until Usopp had calmed down entirely before they got into the tub together after the longnose had assisted Luffy in removing his clothes and running a new, clean bath.

Before that, Usopp had asked the ailing captain a dozen times if he was really alright and he had always gotten an explicit yes from Luffy. Usopp, who didn't feel like trusting his buddy completely, insisted on going to Chopper directly, but Luffy persuaded him to do so after, saying that he needed to have his bandages replaced anyway. And so they agreed on the latter.

The warm water did wonders for Luffy's sore body, but burned at his healing wounds, most of which had already begun to scab. Although it relaxed him, the water sapped his strength, so he leaned slackly against the rim of the bathtub, arms folded over it, while Usopp washed his hair and back in turn. There was total silence between the two of them, both lost in deep thought. Usopp had not quite imagined it this way, as they used to have a lot of fun together in the bathroom. Normally and at a time when everything was still the same...

"Hey Usopp, what are you thinking about?" Luffy's unusually calm voice broke the tranquillity, snapping Usopp out of his thoughts.

"Huh..uh nothing!" The sharpshooter returned as if caught out, massaging the shampoo further into Luffy's scalp.

"I know I've scared you guys too much lately, even though I cannot really remember it... I'm sorry." Luffy continued, his expression filled with sorrow as he closed his eyes. Usopp halted for a second, not liking Luffy's tone at all. In his opinion, Luffy still had nothing to apologize for.

"Luffy, stop apologizing already. Everything is fine again, well, except for incidents like the one earlier..." Usopp shook his head to erase the sight from his memories that had flashed before his inner eye again. The scene that had presented itself to him had actually resembled a crime scene and would contribute to his nightmares like the rest of the bad events.

"But you know, we've almost gotten over it... In fact, we've already forgotten! So don't worry about it." Usopp assured his captain, hoping to cheer him up and distract him from this topic.

Luffy, on the other hand, appreciated Usopp's attempt to make him believe that everything was fine.

Nonetheless, Luffy was not in the least bit dumb and could clearly see the lingering terror in the eyes of his crew and their overprotective behavior betrayed them as well. Nothing was alright, no matter how much his friends tried to pretend otherwise. He could feel the turmoil and tension within the crew, within each and every one of them. And that made Luffy feel sick, even more so than his actual illness itself.

"Usopp." Luffy began, determination etched across his features.

"Huh?"

"I promise it won't stay like this for much longer. I promise that I'll recover and then we'll continue our journey as before. Just give me a little more time, just a liiiittle more, kay?"

"Take your time, Luffy. We'll wait however long you need. As long as you come back to us with full strength." Usopp stated and his lips curled into a gentle smile, though Luffy didn't get to see it with his back turned to him.

"Thank you for still being alive."

The last words that left Usopp's mouth in a whisper warmed Luffy's heart profoundly and also brought a smile to his lips.

"I'm not planning to die anyway, as promised, shishishi." Luffy's giggle lightened the mood.

"But tell me, what exactly happened?" Luffy eventually inquired, his curiosity piqued, since no one had really gotten around to reporting what exactly had transpired.

Usopp just grimaced, reluctant to recall the events of a few days ago, even if they were still relatively fresh in his mind. Nevertheless, he decided to force himself through it, as his captain had a right to know, even if it would break his heart and, knowing him, only make him feel even more remorseful. In the end, he decided to leave out any precise details.

"I see... so, if I hadn't gone to the island alone, none of this would have happened?" Luffy concluded, holding his index finger on his chin and lowering his gaze after Usopp had at last finished rinsing the dried blood from Luffy's hair. The pirate captain didn't really know what to think of it all, though he felt worse now that he had learned everything.

It was all his mistake

And then he almost died

In front of his friends

In front of his brother

And Nami-

"Well not exactly, I mean, the navy would have hunted us down anyway...So it's not necessarily your fault...please don't blame yourself." Usopp pleaded as he looked into Luffy's blank face, whose feelings he could not decipher correctly. But the sniper knew Luffy only too well and was aware that he couldn't talk him out of it. Usopp only wished he hadn't been the person who had to bring all this up to Luffy. Looking into the other's eyes, he could only imagine how painful it must be for him.

"Okay..." Luffy only muttered, sighing.

Usopp couldn't remember a single instance when he had seen Luffy like this. Now that he was so close to him, the longnose slowly realized how much the situation with his ailment was not only taking its toll on them, but on Luffy especially. There was no longer any trace of the usual sparkling vividness in Luffy's eyes, replaced by dull ones that matched his pale face.

Luffy looked so incredibly tired and gaunt, in a way one would never associate him with.

"Thanks for saving me. Glad we made it out of there alive." Luffy forced a smile that didn't even come close to reaching his eyes. Usopp could easily see through it. The sniper knew that Luffy felt more like crying instead and masked it with a fake smile.

Suddenly, without prior warning, the door was yanked wide open, interrupting the more or less enjoyable time the two companions were spending together.

Luffy and Usopp's eyes flitted towards the direction as Sabo, closely followed by Zoro, Franky, Brook and Sanji marched in. Each of them had a towel in their hands and were stark naked, ready to bathe.

"Hey, what's with the faces?" The question came from Sabo, who tilted his head with a frown.

"Hey guys!" Luffy greeted in surprise and excitement at the same time, his facial expression changing abruptly as his eyes lit up.

"Do you have a place for us in the tub, Yohohoho?" Brook exclaimed energetically and plunged straight into the water without waiting for a reply, carelessly putting his towel to one side.

"Yes, of course, come over!" Usopp responded with a grin, also thrilled to have more company.

One by one, the rest joined them, sighing contentedly as the warm water soothed their tense muscles and allowed them to relax deeply.

For Sabo, such a communal bathing might have been quite new, but for the other members it was an occasion that they arranged every now and then. However, due to the many incidents that had taken place, the time gap to the last one had been too long, which is why they had now decided to do it spontaneously.

Of course, the fact that Usopp and Luffy were already there had also contributed to this. A bit of old tradition never hurt, especially not when they had been missing Luffy so much anyway and therefore couldn't leave his side.

Together they chatted and joked, while Sabo, the caring brother that he was, mainly looked after Luffy and scrubbed his body clean, mindful of his cuts.

An hour or two passed before Luffy found himself back in the infirmary, clean from head to toe and freshly dressed in his usual clothes. Chopper was in the process of treating his wounds again and finally bandaging them up before he noticed Luffy's pensive face, something very out of character for him.

"Is something wrong Luffy? Are you in pain?" Chopper asked curiously, checking his completed work again before he helped Luffy put his red shirt back on.

Luffy hesitated, not sure how he should reply. Usopp's words about how he should definitely get checked out because of his attack in the bathroom earlier and his promise to his friend that he would guarantee it ran through his mind.

However, the situation looked very different now that he was sitting in front of Chopper, who was looking at him with anticipation. Luffy's conscience urged him to tell about the incident, but his heart dissuaded him from doing so. Luffy simply couldn't bring himself to tell him that he was getting worse again or that Chopper's medicine was hardly having any effect, not when the little reindeer was already despairing of his illness. Moreover, there were his friends, whom he had given a traumatic experience. Luffy didn't want to keep making them depressed and let them live in constant anxiety.

Totally conflicted, the dark haired boy's mind raced in search of a suitable answer. The only downside was that the longer he racked his brains over it, the worse his headache became, even though it had never really subsided since it had started.

Then, all of a sudden , the brilliant idea of simply making use of the excruciating pain occurred to him. Thus he would also avoid lying, something he wasn't skilled at anyway, like he'd often had to discover recently.

Due to Luffy's hesitation, Chopper's hoof reached straight out to feel Luffy's forehead for a potential fever, already cursing himself for possibly having missed it.

"Uhm Chopper I-" Luffy started, confused by Chopper's abrupt reaction, only to be cut off.

"Hm, a little warmer than normal, but otherwise your temperature is fine." The reindeer released a sigh of relief, not registering in his rush of panic that Luffy was about to say something.

Luffy gave a soft chuckle. "It's not that, Chopper. My head just kind of hurts, that's all." The young captain rubbed his skull as Chopper shot him a sceptical look.

"Really, it's just my head!" Luffy tried to convince his doctor.

Chopper sighed deeply, and shook his head.

"That's quite expected in your condition. You should be getting plenty of rest instead of wandering around, after all, you only woke up this morning and you're nowhere near healthy enough, Luffy." Chopper attempted to talk some sense into his captain, whereupon he turned away from his patient to prepare an injection.

"I know, shishishi." Luffy just giggled, scratching the back of his head.

Chopper just rolled his eyes at that. He knew that Luffy wouldn't take his illness seriously, no matter how often he lectured him.

"I'm going to give you a painkiller for the headache and any other pain. It should work faster than pills." Chopper announced before continuing with his task, pulling up Luffy's sleeve and nimbly administering the potion. Luffy clenched his fist, enduring the unpleasant sensation of the prick.

"It should make you a bit sleepy." Chopper added and applied pressure to the puncture mark on Luffy's arm with a small cotton pad. Luffy nodded understandingly as Chopper then faced away from him again to clean the reusable syringe.

His forehead wrinkled as he thought about Luffy's condition and whether Luffy really wasn't hiding anything from him. According to his blood results, that he had examined earlier, Luffy didn't seem to have improved at all, but neither had he deteriorated too much. However, this did not change the fact that this disease was like a ticking time bomb.

"You should rest no-" Chopper began as he craned his neck to look at Luffy, but his voice trailed off.

The ship's doctor's eyes widened in disbelief.

Luffy had already run off.

—

...Or rather hobbled.

Luffy had successfully managed to sneak out of the infirmary and was slowly making his way towards the deck. Leaning on the chairs and the counter for support occasionally, he made his way through the empty galley, almost toppling over several times, until he reached the door leading outside.

Beads of sweat had formed on Luffy's forehead and he had to rest against the door for a while to catch his breath. His legs also threatened to buckle under him, but he pulled himself together and didn't let that stop him. It was nothing short of a miracle that he was able to get this far at all. If there was an explanation, then it was his sheer willpower alone.

The young captain flung open the door, using the handle as his best support, and promptly attracted the attention of all those on deck. A broad smile crept onto his friends' lips as their eyes spotted him.

"Luffy!"

"Hi guys!" Luffy waved his hand, also putting on a smile. He let his eyes roam over the grass deck.

Nami and Robin were sitting on the bench under the main mast, while the latter was reading a book. Sanji, holding a silver serving tray in his hands, had just served them a fresh, colorful cocktail, typically swirling around the two of them with heart-shaped eyes. Jinbei stood at the helm, keeping an eye on the course. And then there were Usopp and Franky standing by with their invention, eager to demonstrate it to Luffy.

Franky dashed towards Luffy as soon as he recognized that the sick boy couldn't move a step further and carefully lifted him into his big metallic arms, only to put him safely down on the swing.

"Thanks, Franky." Luffy grinned contentedly and made himself comfortable on the swing as well as possible, only grabbing the two ropes was a little tricky for his hands. Usopp hurried over to help him, whereas Robin, as attentive as she was, kept Luffy from falling off with hands that she sprouted with her powers. She also rocked him a little, knowing that he loved it. Luffy gave her a grateful smile, that the archaeologist reciprocated.

"Shouldn't you be resting inside, Luffy?" Nami asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Hm, Chopper meant that too, but I like it much better outside with you!" Luffy answered cheerfully, his eyes sparkling.

The navigator didn't really know what to make of the idea, but she couldn't complain either, since she had missed her scatterbrained captain on deck. None of them wanted to spoil Luffy's fun and enjoyed the refreshingly pleasant time with him as Usopp and Franky showed him their invention. It was a mundane device that served Usopp perfectly as a kind of mobile cannon with which he could aim extremely far and accurately. Luffy's eyes lit up with excitement, while everyone else rolled their eyes less enthusiastically.

"That's so awesome!" Luffy commented, his gaze following each shot that Usopp pointed at the open sea.

"Here, captain, a balanced drink full of vitamins for you." Sanji suddenly offered Luffy a drink from the side. He hung a wooden cup with a straw sticking out of it around his neck, specially prepared for the black haired boy, mindful of his condition. Luffy just looked puzzled, not accustomed to being treated on the same high level as Nami and Robin.

Upon receiving a sincere smile from Sanji, Luffy expressed his gratitude and licked his lips with gusto at the sight of the beverage now hanging from a string around his neck.

"You're welcome, shitty captain. But you're going to drink up, alright?" Sanji added as a warning, whereupon Luffy nodded his head, already sipping on the straw.

"I can't believe I'm experiencing this!" Nami marveled, chortling, while Robin beside her also gave a giggle, clearly amused.

"Don't worry my darlings, I'll give you both the next drink right away, Nami-swaaan~! Robin-chwaaan~!" Sanji chanted out loud suddenly getting hearts in his eyes again and waltzing over to the two girls to collect their empty glasses.

And so the wonderful day went on whilst Luffy savored his drink until his eyes began to drift closed as the effects of the painkillers kicked in. The soft sea breeze that whizzed around his ears together with the sound of the waves crashing against the hull also created a cozy ambience, perfect for sleeping.

Luffy's head flopped forward, now fully asleep, causing Robin to react swiftly before he could slip off the swing and fall face-forward. Sabo, who had joined them in the meantime, placed one hand under Luffy's neck and the other under his knees to hoist his limp form onto his arms.

"It was only a matter of time before his body succumbed to fatigue. He still seems pretty exhausted." Sabo remarked, looking at his peacefully slumbering brother in his arms.

"Well, at least his own body is forcing him to rest." Nami mused, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'd better get him inside now." And with these words, the revolutionary carried the young captain back to the sick bay, where he could continue his recovery, much to Chopper's relief.

—

Loud noises mingled with chattering voices roused Luffy from his nap. The second thing he noticed immediately was a nauseating ache that spread through his abdomen, making his stomach churn uncomfortably. For the time being, the sick boy tried to ignore the feeling as best he could, as it was nothing he didn't experience , Luffy let his eyes drift around his surroundings, only to realize that he was back in the infirmary.

And he was all alone.

Strange, because normally he was never alone in the sickroom, someone always sat by his side. Curious, he slowly straightened up and rose from his bed, the world suddenly tilting again and almost knocking him off his feet.

At that very instance, the door handle was pushed down and the next second, Sabo entered the room. The revolutionary's eyes widened in horror and before Luffy knew it, his brother had lunged to his side to prevent him from tumbling to the ground.

"Oi Luffy?!"

Sabo firmly wrapped an arm around the younger brother's waist before his fleeting hold on the bed could slip away for good and heaved him back onto his staggering legs.

"Sabo?" Luffy gasped, opening his eyes, closed before falling, at the sound of his brother's voice.

Tired orbs looked up at Sabo and met his, which looked Luffy over scrutinizingly. Slowly, the blond haired guided his brother back to the bed to give him a few more minutes, as his unsteady legs were obviously not the only problem he had to contend with.

"Are you alright, baby brother?" The concern in Sabo's voice was palpable. He gently stroked a few strands of hair from Luffy's forehead so that he could take a closer look at him. Luffy's face once again looked as white as a sheet, unlike this morning, as Sabo had to realize.

Luffy nodded with a slight smile, though it didn't fully convince Sabo.

"Don't worry, it happens to me all the time." Luffy explained and then took a deep breath, his giddiness gradually subsiding. Sabo visibly relaxed as Luffy's features eased, a sign that he was actually feeling somewhat better than a few minutes ago.

"What have you been doing out of bed?" The revolutionary demanded with a scolding undertone.

"Well, I woke up here and no one was by my side. That's why I got a bit worried and wanted to check." Luffy justified himself with a shy grin.

"I see, sorry I was away for a sec. We've all prepared something special for you." Sabo announced, grinning broadly.

Luffy's eyes perked up at these words and his smile instantly brightened.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I was actually just about to wake you up. Thought you were gonna sleep through the rest of the day." Sabo giggled, being quite excited himself.

"C'mon, let's go outside!"

Sabo helped Luffy to his feet again, even though he rather wanted to carry him than let him stagger to the deck, but Chopper deemed it preferable to let him walk by himself to get his legs back to their old shape.

Once outside, Luffy was stunned by what his friends had arranged for him. He let his gaze roam the entire deck and spotted a large table in the middle, set with all kinds of food, snacks and beverages.

Not far away, Sanji stood grilling at a barbecue, holding a pair of tongs in his hand while simultaneously bickering with Zoro, who was nibbling on a rather large bottle of sake.

Brook played his violin in a leisurely manner to create a lively atmosphere.

Everyone else had already gathered around the table and waved Luffy over when they caught sight of him in front of the galley door with Sabo close by his side.

"Luuuffy!"

"Whoa, a party!" Luffy called out excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

"Just for you." Sabo remarked, pleased to see Luffy so happy.

"Exactly, just for our captain!" Usopp shouted, raising a fist in the air.

"Even though we can't celebrate your full recovery yet, we still wanted to thank you in some way." Franky proclaimed, his face showing mixed emotions.

"Huh, thank me for what?" Luffy confusedly wondered and tilted his head.

"For remaining with us, of course. Thanks for being alive, Luffy." This time it was Jinbei who responded to the pirate captain, a genuine smile adorning his face, radiating pure relief.

Luffy's smile grew bigger with every single word and he couldn't have been happier at that moment. It meant so much to him to be cherished by his friends, by his family. Right then, he was reminded again why he was actually fighting this disease, fighting to stay alive.

Luffy loved each one of them with all his heart.

"Thank you guys, shishishi!"

Everyone paused mid-action and looked up at Luffy, who, despite his sickly pallor, was shining brighter than the sun itself.

He was their sun, their light in the midst of darkness.

Nothing and nobody would ever be able to take him away from them.

"Let's get this party started!"

—

Even though the Straw Hats were emotionally unstable and not all that motivated at first, they began to really enjoy the party as time went on. They laughed together, shared food and drinks and had more fun than they had had for a long time. Finally, if only for a few hours, they were able to forget and simply unwind.

Even their planned course to the next island was announced in between by Nami, causing everyone to get very excited.

"We should land on an island very soon. According to Koala, it should be possible to find herbs there. And who knows, maybe just the right ones that Chopper needs for Luffy."

"I hope so..." Brook sighed heavily.

"Yes, hopefully. Time is running out..." Usopp agreed, his mood dropping like that of the others at the thought.

"Hey guys! Stay positive, remember?" Koala reminded the Straw Hats, balling her fist in encouragement. She wasn't going to allow the mood to be ruined, especially not for Luffy. After all, this celebration had been for him and was by no means a mourning event.

"You're right." Nami returned Koala's smile, finding it comforting to have a upbeat person like her on board.

Taking Koala's advice to heart, they continued their party with greater optimism.

Chopper, who was the only one who had spoken out against such an event the whole time, as Luffy should in fact be resting and he himself should stay focused on his examinations, quickly became distracted by all the sweets and, above all, cotton candy.

Luffy, whose mouth watered at the sight of the all the food despite his stomach aching, was allowed to eat solid food this time as an exception and only in small portions, but also received specialties from Sanji such as purees in different varieties. Luffy tucked into the food, thinking that his stomach was rebelling from its emptiness, since it wasn't getting anything decent to digest as it usually did.

Oh how wrong he was…

The alcohol he consumed didn't seem to improve his situation either, quite the opposite.

"Hey Luffy, let's have a toast!" Sabo beamed and raised his sake cup towards his little brother, who of course agreed without hesitation.

"Oh no Luffy! No alcohol!" Chopper suddenly intervened in panic, but Luffy had already downed his cup.

"Why not, Chopper? I'm not overdoing it." Luffy countered and coughed a bit when he abruptly felt something like a lump in his throat.

Sabo promptly reached behind him and patted his back gently, thinking that he must have just choked on the sake.

"But Luffy-" Chopper started, back in his doctor mode, after he got a queasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"It *cough* will be fine." Luffy gasped out, pressing a hand over his mouth. Fortunately, his little coughing fit didn't attract any further attention as it ended as fast as it started.

"Oh come on, Chopper! Don't spoil Luffy's fun. Besides, Luffy's fine so far, right little brother?" Sabo addressed the question to the black haired.

"Yeah...everything's good!" Luffy held up his thumb in affirmation and his lips curled into a smile, though it seemed to lack his normal energy.

Chopper frowned doubtfully, but eventually decided to trust his captain. The fear that Luffy's illness was unpredictable seemed to make him behave rather overprotectively. Perhaps he should keep more calm after all, he thought.

—

The sun had already set, replaced by a full moon, whose bright light shone down on the Thousand Sunny and created an extra beautiful setting.

Everything was perfect, too perfect to be true. The friends all got drunk together, losing sight of reality as time went on and letting themselves be fooled by Luffy's reasonably good condition. But over the next few minutes, Luffy gradually began to regret his decisions.

One moment he had retreated to the bench by the mast to watch his friends listen to Usopp's tall tales with amusement, and the next Luffy was limping towards the stern of the Sunny.

As fast as he could in his condition, what wasn't really fast.

One hand clutched at his stomach while the other was clamped against his mouth as violent coughs shook Luffy's body. Simultaneously, he was struggling to get his legs, in whose feeling he was beginning to lose again, to obey him. Bracing himself along the railing, he eventually reached his destination, just as he had managed to get away from the party without drawing any attention from his crew.

Or so he thought.

Blood mixed with whatever he had consumed that day fell in spurts towards the dark ocean as Luffy hunched miserably over the railing, throwing up violently.

The sick boy sputtered and retched forcefully, emptying his stomach completely until only burning bile came up. His throbbing head screamed in pain as he begged for it all to end. Then his vision started to blur, which deteriorated as tears stung his eyes. Gradually Luffy's head began to spin as the familiar lightheadedness greeted him for the umpteenth time that day.

Please...

Stop…

Luffy felt like he was going to puke his whole stomach out, no, even his guts, when after spewing out everything he could, he began to dry heave. Every now and then he attempted to get oxygen into his struggling lungs, only succeeding with great effort by drawing in short gasps that sounded like he was choking.

Black dots appeared in Luffy's field of vision whilst his feeble hands, that miraculously had not yet lost their grip on the railing, started to grow numb. So did his frail legs, struggling to carry his weight with every passing second.

By the time his body finally stopped heaving, all his strength left him and he plummeted towards the floor.

In the end, it was all a pretense.

It wasn't over yet.

The treacherous illness had returned with full force once again, making their fun party that had started so nicely end like a total nightmare for Luffy.

---

So that's it again for this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it and that it has fulfilled your expectations to some extent, if not I am deeply sorry!💕

I would be very interested to hear what you think about it and would be happy if you could give me some feedback And of course, if you have any suggestions, you can write them in the comments😉

I wish you a wonderful time!

Until next time!👋