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Waves rocked the Going Merry gently. The cool morning breeze of the Grandline was felt across the deck of the majestic ship. The Strawhats Jolly Roger proudly waved in the wind, and Princess Vivi couldn’t help but look out at the ocean with a sense of ease. Her time with this… eccentric crew of pirates had been nothing but laughs, adventure, and plenty of scares. (Vivi was sure she had heart problems at this point.) But, nothing could beat the feeling of being free that going on this adventure had brought her.
Though her worry for Alabasta still managed to keep her spirits down. Her country, her land, her people, they were all suffering because of Mr. 0. Because of Crocodile. But, she wasn’t as scared as she had been before. With such a strong crew backing her, the princess felt that only good things awaited. Turning around, she stepped back into the galley. Today, she’d help Sanji with breakfast. A small way to show her gratitude.
…
When Luffy woke up, everything felt stiff. Now, for a normal person, that might’ve been usual, for the unusual positions Luffy took up while sleeping. But, for the Strawhat, this was a first. Being made out of rubber always had him feeling good, no matter what strange orientation he had woken up in. Whether he had folded over himself, or managed to get tied up into a knot, he always woke with a smile and the energy he needed to go on his journey, to become King of The Pirates!
Today was different however.
It was a struggle to get his eyes open. Not to mention how hot it was. Maybe it was just because it got so stuffy below deck.
Luffy groaned and curled up into a ball. It was like he was being doused in sea water, despite there not being any around. With a bit of a struggle, the captain managed to pull himself up. It was only then, did Luffy realize something.
His dark eyes slowly scanned the room. “Hey, where’d everyone go?”
Normally Luffy woke up around the same time as Usopp. Zoro would already be awake, but he stayed down there. At least, he did until Luffy and the others were above deck. Then he’d nap up there.
‘Guess I slept in.’ Luffy’s mind felt cloudy. It was probably because he was hungry. Honestly though, he didn’t actually feel very hungry. He just felt… weird.
Slowly, he clambered up to the deck. It sounded like everyone was still at breakfast, he could hear Nami and Vivi’s conversation, Usopp’s tall tales, and the bickering between Zoro and Sanji. A smile slowly made its way onto his face. He loved his crew. They were all the best of the best. After all, Luffy wouldn’t settle for any less.
As he tried to take a step forward, he wobbled.
Weird.
Taking another step was when he finally came crashing down. A breeze swept across the deck. Any other day, Luffy would have appreciated it. Today was not any other day. He curled in on himself. Everything felt wrong, he was shivering and cold, but sweat was rolling down his face.
‘What’s happening?’ Luffy let out an annoyed whine. He barely had the energy to notice his hat almost blowing away. And it would have. If it hadn’t been for Zoro. The swordsman grabbed the strawhat and its owner.
“Luffy.” His first-mate sounded concerned.
“...Zoro…?” Luffy flopped into the man’s arms. “...Did you get my hat..?”
“It’s right here.”
“...Thanks.” The young captain buried himself in Zoro’s hold.
There was a loud noise, and lots of stomping from the galley, before Sanji stormed out. “You shit swordsman, you better have gotten Luffy up-”
The cook stopped when he saw his captain.
Luffy looked terrible. Pale, sweaty, flush in the cheeks, and he looked so lethargic. Very un-Luffy-like.
“He’s sick?” The cook rushed down the steps. He pressed his (cold) hand against his captain’s forehead, causing the boy to flinch back slightly.
“Sanjiii,” Luffy grumbled, “You’re cold.”
Zoro pulled Luffy up, and over his shoulder. “I’ll take him back down below deck.”
Sanji nodded, “I’ll tell the others what’s going on.”
“…Food.”
The two crewmates gave each other a look. Zoro patted Luffy’s back. “Swirly-brow will bring something down to you in a bit. First, you need to lie back down.”
Luffy wriggled out of Zoro’s hold. “No-!” He swayed on his feet, before finally finding his footing. “I’m fine! Now where’s breakfast?”
“Luffy–” His first mate reached towards him. But, Luffy side-stepped him. “You need to lay down.” Zoro’s voice was firm and he managed to grab his captain’s shoulder.
Sanji, surprisingly, nodded along with Zoro’s words. “Listen to the moss-head, captain. You need rest.”
“No.” Luffy said, voice surprisingly firm. “I’m fine.”
The swordsman scowled, “What if it was one of us that was sick?”
The cook seemed to instantly get what Zoro was doing. “Yeah, what if I, Usopp, or dear Nami-Swan got sick? What would you do, captain?”
Luffy’s eyes widened, “Find you guys a doctor!”
“And if you’re the one that gets sick, what do you think we as your crew will do?” Sanji folded his arms. “Think that we’d want you to get worse?”
Zoro hoisted Luffy back up. “If you rest you’ll get better. And if you don’t, you’ll get worse.”
“But I don’t get sick!” Luffy tried to wriggle out of his First-Mate’s arms. “I just need meat!”
“Well, you did now.” Sanji turned towards the stairs leading to the galley.
Luffy spent another couple minutes struggling in Zoro’s arms before he just slumped. He felt sapped of all his energy. Maybe he accidentally drank seawater. Or… Maybe he shouldn’t have eaten those strange bugs on Little Garden. Whatever this ‘sickness’ was… He hated it!
Once Zoro had gotten Luffy on his hammock, the swordsman debated whether or not to leave his captain alone. In the end, he knew that someone watching their idiot was the best course of action. So, he set Yubashiri and Sandai Kitetsu against the wall. Then, he settled down into the hammock below Luffy’s.
“You better get some sleep, Luffy.” Zoro already knew that even if he blinked, Luffy would try to leave. “Or else Cook will only make salad for you. No more meat.”
He could hear a sad groan from the hammock above him, and a couple minutes later, that turned into soft snores.
‘Good. He’s asleep. Now we just need to get to Alabasta. Surely he’ll be better by then.’
…
“Luffy’s sick?” Nami just couldn’t believe it. Their rubber captain? The dumbass who’d stuff himself with anything even remotely edible? He was sick? No way. “He probably just didn’t sleep enough last night.”
Vivi (being so new to their crew and dynamic), was much more worried about the boy. “Does he have a fever? Do we need to find a doctor?”
Sanji opened his mouth to speak, but he allowed Nami to cut him off.
“No. He’ll be fine. It’s Luffy! This is the guy who beat Arlong, then proceeded to eat everything on a buffet table! He tried to eat the plates!”
Usopp nodded along with Nami’s words. “I wouldn’t be too worried about Luffy, he’s tougher than he looks.”
Sanji huffed, “I don’t know, our captain may be durable… But this seems different. He said that he has never been sick. For some bug to get to him…”
Vivi looked from the blonde, to the brunette, and finally to the ginger in front of her. “If we need to delay our travel to Alabasta, and find Luffy a doctor-”
“Nonono.” Nami smiled at the princess, “We’re heading straight for Alabasta. Our captain will be fine.”
_________________
He was not fine. It had been 3 days since the weird illness first infected Luffy. As the days passed, their captain had only gotten worse. His fever had gone up according to Vivi. Luffy hadn’t even woken up when that weird pirate Wapol tried attacking them! Thankfully, Zoro and Sanji managed to deal with him.
Though the crew was worried now. And Nami was panicking, trying to get them to the closest island. Which thankfully, they could now spot. The only problem was that it was a Winter Island, which would not help Luffy’s condition in any way.
Luffy sat up on his hammock. Sweat rolled down his face, and he still felt like he was being drowned in the sea. His ears were ringing.
“Urgh… Shut up! It’s too loud!” The teen slapped his hands over his ears. That did not help.
“Luffy?” Zoro hadn’t left Luffy’s side for the past three days. He wasn’t particularly worried, Luffy was strong and he would never die so easily before becoming King of the pirates. Still… It felt unusual.
“...Zoro..?” Luffy looked down at the green-haired man. His voice was rough from disuse. It was uncanny. “What’s that ringing noise?”
The swordsman helped Luffy down from the hammock. “What do you mean? There’s no ringing.”
Luffy slumped in Zoro’s arms. His face fell even more. It was miserable to see the rubber man like this. “...The ringing…in my ears.”
That caused Zoro to pick up the pace. They were almost at the island, and he had to get a coat onto Luffy. They needed a doctor, fast. “It’s uh– just ignore it.”
After a couple of minutes, he was up on the deck. Luffy slung over his shoulder. Wrapped up in Zoro’s coat, and the captain’s own coat. A bit overkill. But at this point, no one in the crew was complaining. They just needed the idiot back on his feet. It was almost comical how much they actually relied on Luffy. While he didn’t know how to navigate, or cook, or stay out of trouble… He did know how to bring people together. And without him, well, the Going Merry felt kinda lonely.
“...Is that Alabasta?” Luffy mumbled into Zoro’s shoulder. “...I’ll go kick Croco man’s ass.”
“No. It’s not. We’re at a different island, we’re gonna find a doctor.” Nami came to Zoro and Luffy’s side.
“...Don’t need a doctor. Need to help Vivi…”
“You can’t help me if you’re sick.” Vivi tried to put on a comforting smile. But she was sure it came out as more of a grimace.
“Don’t worry Luffy! I, the great captain Usopp, will make sure you get better quickly!”
“…Heh…thanks Usopp.”
As the Going Merry drew closer to the island’s shore, the Strawhats could see people gathering.
“This better not be like Whiskey Peak.” Zoro snarled, “I don’t have the patience to cut down anymore members of Baroque works.”
“I could always do it, since you’re obviously not strong enough.” Sanji goaded.
“No, they aren’t a part of Baroque works.” Vivi pulled her coat tighter around herself. “These are just residents of this island. Drum Kingdom.”
“Have you been here before, Vivi?” Usopp questioned, “You seem familiar with this place.”
Nami nodded along, “Yeah, some sort of royal alliance with Alabasta?”
Vivi shook her head. “No, I really only know of Drum Kingdom from the meetings of Royals from all over the Grand Line. Me and my father would go. The King of Drum Kingdom, Wapol…”
The princess trailed off, and the rest of the crew made the same realization that she did.
“That pirate we fought was this island’s King?!”
“I should’ve recognized him! I’m so sorry!” Vivi bowed her head down.
“Ah-! It’s alright Vivi-dear!” Sanji yelled out.
Luffy buried his face into Zoro’s shoulder. It was getting too loud for him, but he would never tell his crew to have less fun. They were getting along, having fun, and laughing. ‘Stupid sickness.’
Zoro glanced down at his captain. With a sigh, he looked back to the island. “We better hurry.”
Nami and the rest of the crew immediately got to work. There was a small channel that brought them further inland into the island. And as soon as they anchored their ship down, they were faced with guns and other weapons.
“Who are you and what is your business here?” A large man wearing armor and a green coat asked.
Nami stepped forward, “We need a doctor. Our captain is sick.”
“Are you pirates?” Another person in the crowd asked.
“They’re flying a Jolly Roger! Of course they’re pirates. We should send them away!”
This was bad. If the people of this island forced them away–
“Please!” Vivi’s voice cut through the air, she stepped forward. Before she went to the ground, bowing with her head to the floor. “Our captain is very sick! We won’t bother you- we just need a doctor. I beg of you- Don’t let him die!”
The rest of the crew, excluding Zoro and Luffy (obviously), followed suit.
“Please! Our captain needs help!” It was a cacophony of the Strawhats' voices. But their tone all contained the same plea, the same desperate undertone. They needed Luffy to be okay.
There was a long pause. A terrible—terrifying—couple of minutes where no sound could be heard.
The large armored man finally spoke. “You can come ashore. But I must warn you, we have no doctors here anymore.”
“What?” Zoro held onto Luffy tighter. “Just great, so all this was for nothing.”
Vivi (ever the saint) helped pull the crew together, they decided that Karoo could stay with the Going Merry, while the rest of them went onto the island. The duck quacked a goodbye and saluted them as they followed the villager (who they now knew was named Dalton) further inland.
While everyone had the same question on their mind, Usopp was the only to actually voice the question. “Why aren’t there any doctors on the island?”
“Because of our former King. Wapol.” Dalton led them through a small village. “He took the 20 best doctors for himself and killed the rest.”
Vivi looked appalled, “No way! Why would he do that? A country needs doctors to function.”
“For control.” Simple words, but it told them enough.
“Well good thing Sanji, Zoro, and I, the glorious Captain Usopp, took care of him!”
Dalton seemed to take note of that. His eyebrow quirking up, but he didn’t mention anything else about it. He cleared his throat before continuing. “Lucky for your friend, we do have one Doctor on this island. Though some would rather call her a witch. Doctor Kureha.”
“Oh that’s great!” Nami looked around the village. “Which home is hers?”
“None of these. She lives up on the highest peak. In the former king’s castle,” the man pointed up to the top of one of the mountains, “Up there.”
Looming high above them, there they could see the flat topped mountain. And distantly, the faint outline of a castle residing upon it.
“Does she ever come down from the mountain?” Sanji took his cigarette out of his mouth. “Because I don’t know if our Captain could make that journey in the state he’s in.”
“Sometimes. But they’re infrequent, and usually limited to once or twice a month. She came down already a few days ago. And I do not know when she will descend again.” Dalton led them into his home. “But, I do know of an easier way up the mountain.”
The Strawhats took off their coats once they got inside. It was a cozy home. With a big fireplace that almost all of the strawhats gravitated towards.
After a short pause in conversation, so the crew could get warmed up, the swordsman finally spoke up.
“So, what is this other path up the mountain? I need to get him up there now.” Zoro was almost glaring at Dalton.
“There’s a path that leads up the mountain, but you need a sled. Some sections of the trail are dangerous on foot.” The hulking man turned to the fireplace. “I can help you set out tomorrow-”
“Zoro, come back here! It’s dangerous!” Usopp yelled out the door.
But the swordsman had already gotten too far.
“Stupid moss-head.” Sanji pulled his coat back on. “I’m going after him, he’ll get lost if we don’t.”
“Wait Sanji-!”
But the cook was already chasing Zoro. It was only made worse by the winds getting stronger, and night coming in fast.
“What do we do?! They can’t be out there like that!” Vivi frantically pulled on her own coat. “Let’s go after them-!”
Dalton looked out the window. “They can’t get far in this weather. Let me help you.”
He opened the door, leading the remaining strawhats outside. He disappeared around the back of his home, and a few minutes later he had a sled behind him. “You can climb in, and please, hold on tightly.”
The air around the man shifted, and his face began contorting, stretching out, and growing hairy. Horns sprouted from his head, Dalton’s hands shifted into hooves, and then they were off.
“You ate a devil fruit?!” Usopp was clinging to the side of the sled.
“Yes. The Ushi-Ushi no Mi. It allows me to turn into an Ox.” The man’s pace was relentless even in the snow.
…
Zoro stabbed the ground with his sword. Shit. When had the wind gotten so strong? “Hang-” He pulled himself forward against the strength of the gale. “Hang in there Luffy. I’ll get you to the damn doctor.”
“Mmrgh…” Was the only response the swordsman got.
With renewed urgency, Zoro began moving faster. It was loud. Like a typhoon, the air tried to tear them down. And it was almost like there was a little voice telling him to stop. Like hell he would.
Though, it seemed to be getting louder. And closer? No matter, he’d just keep pushing forward.
“..oro!”
“...Y….itty…sw..d..an!”
At this point it was clear the voice wasn’t in his head. Zoro straightened up. Digging his sword into the rock to keep him stable, he turned around. He could see the blond’s figure through the snow.
‘That dumbass cook.’ Was all that ran through his head for a moment. “Swirly-browed idiot! What are you doing?!”
Sanji caught up to him and spent a moment catching his breath. “Making sure you don’t get lost, with that terrible sense of direction you have.”
“I don’t get lost. I was just taking a shortcut.”
Sanji rolled his eyes. “Yeah? And I don’t cook.”
“Just shut it.”
…
“The weather’s getting worse out here… I hope Zoro and Sanji are at the very least managing Luffy alright.” Vivi looked out at the landscape, but the snow was the only thing she could see.
“I’m getting worried. If we’ve gotten all the way up here without spotting them.” Usopp put his goggles over his eyes.
Nami peered over the cliff. “If only it weren’t so windy. It wouldn’t be as big of a problem.”
Dalton had a hand on his chin. Apparently lost in thought. “I’ll go after them. You three can stay here. Let Ms. Kureha know what’s been going on with your captain, before they get up here.”
“But the snow-!” The princess began, “It’s a blizzard out here!”
“You have seen my devil fruit power. It insulates me well from the cold. And, if your friends are out there any longer… I’m worried for their survival.”
Usopp nodded his head, “Plus, think about it you two, we have no experience with the island. Dalton has lived here all his life! Let’s go find the doctor, and see if she’ll be willing to help Luffy once he’s up here!”
The two women seemed hesitant, but eventually, they followed Usopp inside the castle. Not before Nami called back to the man: “Please make sure those idiots get up here alive!”
…
“Shit, where are we?” Zoro and Sanji had used the coats to tie Luffy to the swordsman’s back.
“These winds are making it impossible to see anything. I can’t even tell if we’re heading the right way at this point.” The cook took a step forward, trying to see anything that wasn’t in a 2 foot radius around him. “At this point, it’d be faster just to scale the side of the mountain.”
The long silence (well besides the roaring winds) that followed that statement had Sanji whipping around. “Don’t you even think about-!”
Zoro had already drawn two of his blades. “Guess it’s time to scale a mountain.”
“You can’t scale a mountain! You have no gear, you gave your coat up to Luffy, and if you fall, you’ll both die!”
“Then I won’t fall.” He stuck one of the swords into the side of the mountain, and he began to pull himself up.
Sanji yanked Zoro down. “I don’t know what you’re trying to prove right now. But it’s not helping our captain. So stop goofing off, and let’s follow the trail.”
“Just shut up, blondie!”
“Oh whatever, moss head!”
“If I go up the mountain this way, I’ll get up to that Doctor quickly. Unless you want to magically fly up the mountain, I’m not seeing much else of a choice.”
“The path?! We can keep following the path! You dumbass!”
“You wanna fight?! Is that what this is?” Zoro yanked his sword from the side of the mountain. “Let’s fight, target brow!”
“Fine! I’ll kick some sense into you, scruffy-bastard!”
Luffy stirred slightly on Zoro’s back, causing both men to stop in their tracks.
“...”
“...”
It was Sanji who broke the silence first.
“I’ll beat you later. First we get Luffy up to the Doctor.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be the one beating you.”
The two silently followed the path for a while. The higher up the two of them got, the colder it got. It didn’t help that the winds seemed to have it out for them. It had to have been at least an hour until they spotted something in the distance. It was a large form. Some sort of animal?
“The hell’s that?” As his first instinct Zoro reached down for his swords again.
“If it’s something that attacks us, you have to sit out. Can’t have you injuring our captain in a fight.”
“I could do it without injuring Luffy!”
The cook turned back to look at the imposing figure. Once it was in better view, he could tell it was a big animal. “Is that an Ox?”
“There’s an animal like that all the way up the mountain like this?”
“That’s strange. He’s got something strapped to his back as well.”
Once close enough, the ‘Ox’ shifted into a man. One the two strawhats recognized.
“Dalton?!”
“I came down the mountain looking for you two. Once your friends and I reached the summit and realized you two were nowhere to be found, I offered to come find you.” The man grimaced, “How you managed to get so far with no coat astonishes me, swordsman. Please, get into the sled, and I’ll run you three up to the castle. Your crew has likely explained the situation to the Doctrine at this point. Now please, climb into the sled.”
Zoro and Sanji loaded Luffy into the sleigh first, before climbing in themselves. And once they were moving, Sanji subtly glanced over at Zoro. His crewmate was trying to power through this weather, but it was obvious that it was affecting him.
‘Zoro, you idiot.’ Sanji shook his head, if later, Zoro’s favorite food was made, Sanji wouldn’t say anything about it. It would just be a coincidence. Nothing more.
_________________
“It’s a talking reindeer!” Nami and Usopp shouted in unison.
They had already described what had been going on to their captain to Ms. Kureha. The old– er… very youthful woman, told the three that they could stay, and that she would help their captain. But they better have some way to pay. (She also offered Nami and Vivi her secrets to her amazing skin and youthful appearance. They both declined the offer).
“And he’s hiding the wrong way.” Vivi pointed out, as the blue-nosed animal stared at them from the doorway. Upon hearing Vivi’s words, he put his body behind the door frame.
“N-No I’m not!” The creature squeaked out.
“Well, you’re the right way now.” Nami tilted her head, “What’s your name?”
“...Chopper.” He slowly inched out of the doorway. He gently prodded Nami’s hand, then Usopp’s, and finally Vivi’s. “None of you are sick, right?”
“Yup, none of us are sick. It’s our captain who’s caught some sort of bug.” Nami smiled as she crouched down to be on Chopper’s level.
“Are you guys pirates? Did you sail here? Where’s your captain now? Shouldn’t he be here?”
“Well we did sail here, we had to fight through hordes of pirates on the Grandline… Millions of soldiers!” Usopp mimicked using his slingshot. “But I single-handedly defeated them all!”
“R-Really?!” The reindeer perked up, “That’s awesome!”
Vivi smiled at the sniper’s antics. “I’d take his stories with a pinch of salt, Chopper.”
The 4 of them talked for a while. It didn’t take long for the strawhats to learn that Chopper was studying as a doctor under Dr. Kureha. Or the obvious fact that he had eaten the Hito Hito no Mi.
“Oh yeah-! Where is your captain? If he’s sick, shouldn't he be here getting treated by Doctrine?”
“Yeah, he should be.” Nami massaged her temple, “But one of our crewmates thought he could get him up here, all by himself. And another went after him. When we got up here before them, Dalton offered to go and look for them.”
“Wah-! That’s not good! Aren’t you worried?” Chopper scurried to his feet- hooves.
“A little bit. But those three are tough. So I know they’ll make it.”
“Wow, you guys really trust each other…” The small doctor looked down at his hooves. “Do you think they’d want to be my friend?”
“Of course! If we could become friends with you, they’ll definitely become your friends!” Nami reassured, she patted Chopper’s hat lightly.
Chopper lit up, a huge smile on his face, and he did a little dance. “You saying that doesn’t make me happy or anything!”
…
Sanji and Zoro burst into the castle. They had already thanked Dalton for his help. (Well more like Sanji did). And the cook made Zoro give Luffy up to him. (God knew Zoro would somehow end up back down the mountain with Luffy if he didn’t). They could actually get him to the doctor.
“Where’s the damn doctor?!”
“Shut your mouth Zoro, we just got here!” Sanji started for the stairs that led higher up into the castle, but stopped once he saw Nami. “Nami-swan! Do you happen to know where the dear Doctor is?”
“This way! Chopper can take us to her.”
“Who’s Chopper?” Sanji and Zoro asked at the same time.
“...I am!”
“A talking raccoon?” Zoro looked at Nami incredulously.
“I’m a reindeer!”
“He’s a doctor! And he helps the Doctrine. Now c’mon you dumbasses!”
The group followed Chopper through the castle. Until they finally reached the Doctor. Well, Sanji, Luffy, Nami, and Chopper did. Zoro was nowhere to be found.
Chopper flung the door open with his hooves. “Doctrine! The patient is here!”
“Put him on the bed. You two, out of here while we’re treating the patient.” Kureha immediately got to work on Luffy. “Chopper, draw some blood. I need you to take a blood smear, check for infection.”
Nami and Sanji stepped back into the hallway. While they were worried for their captain, they were also wondering how the hell Zoro got separated from them.
“He has moss for brains too! Not just hair!” Sanji buried his face into his hands. “Where the hell could he be?”
Nami sat on the stone floor, just as dumbfounded as Sanji, “How does he always manage to do that?”
…
‘Where the hell did that witch and waiter go?’ Zoro looked down at the rest of the castle. His shortcut had taken him up to the very top of the roof. ‘That’s an interesting flag. Is it a Jolly Roger?’
His investigation was cut short when he noticed a dark silhouette creeping towards the palace’s doors. It could be someone from the village, or maybe that weirdo Wapol was back. So, he did what any logical person would have done. Jumped from the top of the castle all the way down.
“And who are you?” Zoro asked the stranger. The man wore an orange hat, weird blue pins or something rested on top.
“I could ask the same.”
“What are you doing up here?” Zoro narrowed his eyes.
“Looking for someone,” The stranger finally looked up, “Well two people really.”
The swordsman grabbed one of his sword handles. Zoro pulled his bandana on, after recognizing the man as Portgas D. Ace, he had seen the man’s Wanted Poster during his time as a bounty hunter. “You’re that one Whitebeard pirate.”
“Yep, I am.” The man tugged his black cloak off. “And who are you? Some rookie wannabe?”
“Roronoa Zoro.”
“Doesn’t ring a bell.”
‘2nd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates. I have to be careful,’ The swordsman thought. “Who is it that you’re looking for?”
“My little brother.” Ace smiled, “But if you want to fight, I’ll give you a fight.”
“Not really looking for a fight. More so looking to protect my captain.” Zoro unsheathed the Wado Ichimongi and put its hilt into his mouth. “It took a lot to get him up here. And I’m not gonna let another pirate kill him.” His words were slightly muffled, but the general idea of what he was saying got through to Ace.
“Oh really? And who’s your captain?”
“The man who’ll be King of the Pirates. Monkey D. Luffy”
“Wait-” Ace stopped in his tracks, “You’re captain is Luffy?”
Zoro narrowed his eyes at the Whitebeard pirate. “Yeah? What about it? I’m not gonna let you anywhere near—”
“You’re on my little brother’s crew?!” The man had an unbelievably wide grin on his face. “Where is he? I’ve got to see him!”
It took a moment for Zoro’s brain to process what he was hearing. The words: “You’re his brother?” spluttered out of the swordsman’s mouth.
“Yeah, I’m his older brother!” The other pirate then stopped. “Wait- you said it took a lot to get him up here… Is he okay?”
Zoro sheathed his swords once more. “He’s sick.”
That’s when the man claiming to be Luffy’s brother paled. “He’s never gotten sick before.”
If it were a normal day, or any other pirate, Zoro wouldn’t have let them in. But, something in his gut told him that Ace really was Luffy’s brother. Maybe it was the smile? Or maybe he was wrong, and the barely formed crew would be dead before they knew it.
…
“They’re in here somewhere.” Zoro grumbled.
“We’ve been walking in circles around the staircase.” Ace couldn’t believe this was one of his brother’s crewmates. While Zoro seemed dedicated… He had absolutely no sense of direction. Whatsoever.
The green-haired man spluttered, and Ace could see Zoro’s cheeks were getting red. “I-I was just-!”
“Zoro, is that you down there?” A female voice called down. “Get up here and stop messing around! Luffy is finally waking up!”
Ace couldn’t fight the grin that rose on his face. He grabbed his brother’s crewmate and ran up the stairs. Even if his brother had somehow gotten ill, he was still happy nonetheless. 3 years apart, made him eager to hear (from Luffy’s own mouth) all about his adventures.
Zoro stumbled as he was dragged up the stairs. “What the hell–!”
“I need to see my bungling kid brother!”
They made it to the top of the stairs and Ace practically slammed the door open. Before any of the strawhats could question who this new man was, Luffy was out moving faster than he had since he first got sick.
“Ace!” The 17-year-old had wrapped himself around his brother. “When did you get here?”
Ace chuckled, “Luffy! I hope you haven’t caused any problems for your crew so far.”
The rubber-man just smiled. “They’re really cool-!”
“Ack-! Why are you out of bed?” The blue-nosed reindeer scurried over to Luffy and managed to yank him away. “If you keep getting out of bed, Doctrine will be really mad, and you’ll get sicker!”
“But Ace is here!”
Ace folded his arms. His little brother could be stubborn, he had known that. But, he also knew ways to get him to listen. “Listen to the doctor Luffy, you need to lead your crew by example.” He leaned against the wall, “Plus, I’m not leaving anytime soon.”
That got the teen to settle down, and eventually, he was fast asleep.
“Okay, now that he’s asleep… Who are you?!” The orange-haired woman spun around to face Ace. “And how do you know Luffy so well?”
“The name’s Ace.” A smirk crept its way onto his face. “And I am Luffy’s older brother.”
The boy with a long nose spoke up next. “We didn’t know Luffy had a brother. Are you also a pirate?”
“I’m a part of Whitebeard’s crew.”
A chorus of confused ‘WHAT’S?!’ echoed through the room.
“The Whitebeard? Went toe to toe with Gold Roger, Whitebeard?” The orange-haired woman gaped at him.
“That’s the one. Second Division commander actually” Ace chuckled, though pride swelled in his chest as he said those words, “Now I hope I’m not the only one giving introductions. I know Zoro, but what about the rest of you?”
The blonde who had been fairly quiet so far, stepped forward. “Sanji, the cook on the crew. Pleasure to meet our captain’s older brother.”
“And I’m Nami, the navigator, over there is our liar, Usopp,” She turned and pointed at the woman with blue-hair, “And that’s Vivi.”
“Pleased to meet all of you.” Ace turned to face his brother, “Now what’s going on with Luffy? I’ve never seen him get sick.”
“He wasn’t lying when he said that?!” Usopp fell backward in shock.
“Well, no. I’m assuming it had to do with him being rubber though.”
The small reindeer stepped forward again. He fiddled with his hooves before speaking up, “The bacteria seems to have only been able to infiltrate his immune system by getting through his skin. It had to have either been ingested or something got into an open wound.”
“Him and eating things he shouldn’t. Seems like him.” Sanji grumbled into his hand.
“If you had brought your little captain here any later, or to any other doctor… I don’t know if he would still be alive.” An old woman walked through the door. Ace suspected that she was the ‘Doctrine’.
Vivi looked over at the doctor. “What did he get infected with?”
“An ancient virus. One that bugs would carry, he was either bitten, or he stupidly ingested it.”
The crew gave each other looks after the Doctrine said that.
“Now, everyone clear out, except Chopper. We need to make sure he gets sleep. So get out!”
The strawhats + Ace reluctantly left the room. All 6 of them found a room on the bottom floor of the castle to stay in for the time being. It was filled with idle chatter, mostly between Nami and Vivi. Though Usopp and Sanji occasionally joined in.
After some time passed, the little reindeer doctor- Chopper, slowly crept into the room. He nervously approached Nami and Vivi.
“Are you guys really pirates?” He managed to squeak out. “Or were you just messing around earlier?”
Nami spent a second thinking, seemingly realizing something, she spoke again. “We are a real pirate crew, sailing all across the Grand Line.”
“Wow! Really? What have you guys seen so far? I wish I could go on these adventures too!”
Nami turned to Usopp, “I think Usopp should tell you more stories of our adventures. He’s much better at recounting the tales.”
And soon, the room was once again filled with noise. But this time, it was exaggerated storytelling. Ace couldn’t help but find himself snorting along with the boy’s jokes or obviously stretched truths. His brother would be fine with this crew. Luffy was going to go far. Just- After he got better from this illness or infection. Whatever the right terminology was!
…
Luffy tossed and turned, until he woke up in a sweat. They were still on Drum Island, in the Doctor’s castle. ‘We need to get Vivi home… And I need to tell Ace about how strong I’ve gotten, and my crew.’
Rolling out of the bed, Luffy thudded to the floor. Before he managed to get himself up. Whatever that medicine the tiny thing and old lady had given him was working. He felt better than before. Though it still felt like he was being drenched in seawater.
A weird sound outside caught the teen’s attention. It was late. But curiosity overruled everything in Luffy at that moment. He moved towards the window, but there wasn’t a great view of the area the sound came from. So, despite the doctor’s orders (when had Luffy ever listened to those?). He left the room. Making his way down the dark and snowy corridors, he eventually found himself at castle doors.
Luffy shuddered as he stepped out into the snow. He tensed up when he saw a strange man approaching the castle. His gut told him that the man in front of him was bad news.
“Look what they’ve done to my beautiful palace! What is that flag up there? Snow is flying into the halls!”
Luffy did his best to straighten his posture, “Who… are you?”
“I am the king of this island! You are the trespasser staying in my home.” The paunchy man stepped forward. His metal(?) jaw glistened in the moonlight.
“No. The nice doctor and reindeer-dog live here.” The pirate captain tilted his head, “Are you here for a check-up or something?”
“No. I’m here to take my kingdom back!”
“What kingdom?”
“My kingdom! Drum kingdom!”
“There isn’t a Drum Kingdom, this is Drum Island.” Luffy swayed on his feet, “I’m gonna go eat, but I hope you find your drum or something.” The wind blew hard and fast as Luffy made his way back towards the door.
“Not so fast! You come back here!” Stomping through the snow, the walrus or whatever his name was, tried grabbing Luffy. “You listen to me!”
“A-Ah–”
“Don’t start crying now–”
“ACHOO!” Luffy sneezed on Wapol. With a loud sniffle, he rubbed his nose with the back of his hand. “Sorry.”
“WAH-! YOU! AH!” Wapol stumbled backwards, “D-Disgusting!! You’ll pay for that!”
The teen steadied himself, so he wouldn’t sway as much on his feet. Even Luffy could tell that this was leading to a fight.
Wapol had run forward, and taken a bite of the castle’s stone walls. Only a few moments later, his arms were stone clubs. “Try to withstand the power of my Baku-Baku no mi!”
Rushing forward, Wapol swung his clubs and Luffy just barely managed to step out of the way. Another swing, then another dodge. The ‘King’ of the island let out a shout of anger before he stopped. “Stop dodging! It is illegal to dodge the King’s attacks!”
Luffy nodded, “Okay.” He then balled his hand into a fist and drew back, “Gomu-Gomu no-!” His arm released, flying forward, “Pistol!”
The man flew back a couple meters and onto his ass. But he didn’t fly back as much as Luffy had been expecting. Wapol, who was now enraged, jumped up off the ground.
“You annoying rubber brat! I’m going to get my Palace, and Kingdom, back! No matter what you try, you will fail!”
The two charged towards each other—!
…
CRASH!
Ace shot up from his sleep. Something in his gut told him that he needed to be awake right now. He looked around at his little brother’s crew, who were all still asleep, slowly and carefully, he made his way out of the room. As he stepped out into the castle’s hallway, he couldn’t help but take in how eerie it felt at this time of night. It was dark, and snow piled in the hallways.
“Sheesh, how do they live here?” He muttered to himself. While Ace was grateful to Kureha and Chopper helping his brother, he couldn’t help but think that they were a bit of nutjobs, the old lady especially so.
The Whitebeard pirate kept wandering around, until he ran into the Doctrine herself. He was going to say hello but was quickly cut off.
“Where is he?!”
“Where is who..?”
Kureha rubbed her forehead. Exasperation was evident on her face.“The rubber boy, he’s out of the sick bay!”
“Luffy!” Ace groaned, “That idiot… I’ll find him. And I’ll get him to stay in one place, I promise.”
“You better. Or else I’m going to demand his boat in payment!”
The pirate just nodded, “I’ll find him. He’s bound to be nearby.”
…
As Ace checked through every room he found, he started to get annoyed. ‘Where could he have gone? I’ve checked every room.’
. . .
“I CHECKED EVERY ROOM!” He ran towards the castle’s exit and–
“Not Doctor Hiriluk’s flag!” Chopper was crying. There was a weird thing–er–man at the top of a tower. He was eating a Jolly Roger. Strange.
“Chopper! What’s going on out here?”
Before he got an answer, there was a blur of red in the air. Luffy slammed into the person. Causing them to tumble off the tower, and down into the snow.
“This is important to Chopper!” While Luffy’s voice was rough, it was loud, and cut through the roaring winds. “You have no right to destroy it! I won’t let you mess with my friend!”
Ace used his flames to quickly reach his brother. “Luffy! What are you doing out here? What happened?”
“Weird guy tried taking Chopper and the Old Lady’s home. So I stopped him.” The teen was rocking back and forth, so Ace quickly grabbed him.
“Yeah, and now you gotta go back to bed.”
Chopper tugged on Luffy’s arm. “Mhhm! Y-You could have frostbite, or-or you might get even worse!”
“Meat.” Was all Luffy mumbled before drifting off to sleep.
________________
One could forgive the straw hats for being so worried during their excursion to Drum Island. But with one such as Monkey D. Luffy, a person never knew what was in store. Poor Chopper. He didn’t realize after accepting the invitation to the crew, what he was in for.