OPERATION ON THE MERRY GO

One piece belongs to Oda.

Sanji set out breakfast for his nakama on the kitchen table. After calling them, he stood aside to avoid said nakama's mad dash for their breakfasts. As they sat down to eat , Sanji noticed something different. He looked around the table, then noticed an empty seat with a full plate. "Um, has anyone seen Luffy?"

Zoro looked around. "That explains the full plate AND the fact my bacon hasn't been snatched.."

"Maybe we should check on him," Nami said worriedly.

Just then Luffy walked in slowly, looking ghastly pale and holding his right side. "H-hey guys.." He took one look at his plate, turned green, and ran out the door. There were soon sounds of vomiting as Luffy leaned over the railing.

Sanji looked shocked. This was VERY unusual! "I don't know if I should feel insulted or worried!"

Zoro looked at him. "Worried. You know Luffy'd eat anything. ."

"Your point?" asked Sanji angrily, thinking Zoro may be dissing his cooking.

"His point is that something's wrong with Luffy! I'm gonna find out what!" replied Chopper. His quickly ate his meal and went out to find him. He found the rubber captain leaning over the railing of the ship, moaning. "Luffy? Come with me, I'm taking you to sick bay."

Luffy nodded, still clutching his right side. "Good idea.. tell Sanji.. I'm sorry.."

"First things first." Chopper helped him onto a cot. "Now, lie down and tell me what's wrong, what happened?"

Luffy nodded. "I couldn't sleep last night..my right side's been hurting. I felt real sick this morning.. thought some meat'd make me feel better.."

Chopper frowned. "You should've come to me if you were feeling that bad." He put a thermometer in Luffy's mouth, then drew some blood. He frowned deeper when he took the thermometer out and read it. "You're running a fever. " He pressed down on Luffy's right side of his belly, which caused him to yell. "AAH! Chopper I TOLD you it hurts there!!"

"I'm sorry, but I've got to run a couple tests to be sure of something." He went to Luffy's feet and tapped them with his hoof. This brought out an anguished moan from the Straw Hat captain.

"What are you testing, my pain threshold?!?" he asked.

Without answering him, Chopper looked at the blood under his microscope. "Crap, I knew it!" He went to Luffy's side. "You need to get undressed and into this," He showed him a hospital gown.

"Why? What's wrong with me?" Luffy did what he was told, though he frowned at the gown. "I hate these."

"Luffy, you have appendicitis. You need an operation to save your life. We're miles from a hospital, which means I need to do it." He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, I've done this before."

Luffy looked at him worriedly. "That bad?" He's heard of appendicitis. Some have had that operation in Fuchsia Village, and some have died..

Chopper nodded, patting his shoulder. "But like I said, I've done this before. And Luffy, I've never lost a patient." He drew some medicine into a syringe.
Luffy smiled a little. "That's good to hear..OW!! What was that??"

"Just something to help you relax." He smiled, taking the needle out of his arm. "Now, rest here while I go get ready. Is there anything I can get for you? And food is not an option."

Luffy nodded. "Ace. I need Ace." Luffy trusts Chopper with his life, but he still felt a little scared. And when he's scared, Ace is the first person he thinks of.

Chopper patted his shoulder gently. "I'll do what I can." He left the room and wrote a note. Then he sealed it in an envelope and went out on deck. He blew a whistle, summoning a mail bird. "I need a rush order on this." He told the bird, giving him some fish." Bring that person back with you, and I'll double your tip!"

The bird let out a happy squawk, saluted Chopper, and flew off.

Ace sped along on his skiff, eager to follow the lead he has on Blackbeard's whereabouts. "Your butt is mine, you son of a-"

"SQUAWK!!" The mail bird landed in front of Ace. It pulled out an envelope and gave it to him.

"Ah, for me? Hm, 'URGENT'. Sounds serious." He opened the letter:

Ace:

You know I wouldn't bother you if it weren't important. Luffy's got appendicitis and I need to operate on him immediately..

Ace crumpled up the letter before finishing. He's read all he needed to. He looked toward the direction he was heading, glaring. "I'll deal with you later!" He looked at the mail bird. "Take me to the Going Merry, and I'll double your tip!"

Smiling as much as a bird can, he turned around and led Ace to the Going Merry.

Ace followed him. Blackbeard can wait. His little brother needs him, and that's his top priority. I'm coming, little brother.

Chopper went up and explained the situation to the others. Worried, they asked the little doctor what they can do to help. "I need for us to drop anchor here, until I finish. Robin, I need you to help me with Luffy. Your devil fruit powers will be a major help."

Robin nodded. "I'll do all I can."

Chopper smiled and thanked her. "The rest of you, I need for you to be as quiet as possible. Do NOT go into the sick bay until I say you can! Oh, and I sent for Ace. When he comes, have him wait out here, and Sanji, give the mail bird whatever he wants. I owe it to him."

Sanji nodded. "You got it."

"Good! Now, come with me, Robin." Chopper went to the sick bay with Robin close behind. "How much medical background do you have?"

Robin smirked. "I've done some nursing in my travels."

Chopper smiled. "Great! I've given Luffy something to relax him. He might talk a little strange, but it's just the side effect. Go check on him while I get the instruments out of the sterilizer. I'll be there in a minute."

"Alright." Robin went to where Luffy was lying. "Hey captain, how're you feeling?"

Luffy turned to her and giggled. "Hi Robin..I'm ok. You ok?"

Robin brushed his hair back. "I'm ok. I'm going to help Chopper take care of you."

Luffy giggled, "Big strong Robbie Wobbie gonna help Choppy Woppy?"

Robin smiled, a giggle escaping her lips. "That's right."

"Robin?"

"Hm?"

He whispered. "This ceiling has exactly 33 lines."

Chopper came over to them, wearing a long sleeved surgical gown and mask. "Robin, go wash up and put the mask on. How're we doing, Luffy?"

Robin nodded and went to scrub in. Luffy giggled at his little nakama. "Are you gonna rob me? Is that why you have a mask on?"

Chopper grinned beneath his mask. "Yep, I'm gonna rob you of your appendix!"

"Hey Chopper?"

"Yes, Luffy?"

He whispered. "Do you know every part of my body is stretchy? Even my.."

Robin came back, dressed like Chopper was. "Alright, I'm ready."

Chopper nodded, then looked at Luffy. "Ok, Luffy, we're gonna put some gauze on your mouth." He nodded to Robin, who placed some squares of gauze over Luffy's mouth and nose. Chopper then opened a bottle and held it over the gauze. "Now, I want you to name the members of your family."

" Ok.." Luffy closed his eyes as Chopper started pouring the bottle's contents drop by drop on the gauze. "Ace…Garp…Zoro…Nami…Usssopp…Sanjiii..Chopperr….R-Robinnn…"

Chopper stopped pouring and shook his head. "Poor guy..he ran out of relatives so he named his nakama."

Robin blinked back tears of happiness and shook her head. "No.. I think he sees us as family too.."

Chopper smiled. "Somehow I agree with you." He pulled back the cover to expose Luffy's belly. " Now, take that gauze with the brown stuff and wipe his stomach, and we'll get started."

Robin wiped down Luffy's stomach, then used her flower flower fruit powers to sprout more hands to help Chopper. "Where do you want me to stand?"

Chopper took a sharp knife. "Stand at his head, and watch his breathing. If he starts to moan, drop some more chloroform on the gauze like you saw me do." He poked the rubbery skin with the blade and watched Luffy's reaction. Seeing none, he cut through his skin.

In Luffy's mind, Luffy felt himself floating along an orange sky. He smiled. "Cool, I'm flying!" He looked around and saw several weird scenes, one of them being Robin sitting cross-legged, with six hands sprouting from each side of her. Her main hands were clasped as in prayer, and her eyes were closed.

"Hey Robin, whatcha doin' ?" Luffy asked with a smile.

Robin frowned at him. "Quiet! Can't you see I'm meditating?"

"Sorry." He looked around some more, then blushed as he saw a naked Nami standing on a seashell with Princess Vivi covering her strategically with strips of cloth. Nami winked and blew him a kiss while Vivi shook her finger. "You need a license to see the rest."

He smiled and turned his head, then saw a hiking bear sitting on a log drinking a coke. He nodded his head in respect. The bear nodded back. "Good day to you." It said.

"Can I have a sip of your coke?"

The bear shook his head. "You can't, you're having surgery. Perhaps another time."

Robin held an instrument that was holding the wound open for Chopper. "Interesting. Luffy's 17 years old, but he's so lanky, like he has no muscles."

Chopper nodded. "Side effect of the gum gum fruit. Otherwise he'd probably be as built as his brother."

Robin smiled. "That would make Nami happy. Then again, just seeing his face makes her happy."

Chopper chuckled. "So you noticed too. Ah! There's the little booger. Give me that clamp there."

Robin gave him the clamp, then handed him a thread to tie the appendix. "So that's what a bad appendix looks like."

Chopper nodded as he tied it and motioned for the scissors. "And not a moment too soon. Another hour or two, and it would've burst." He snipped off the appendix and put it in a small dish. "There we go. The worst is over." He started closing the wound. "Take the gauze off his face, so he can breathe air."

Robin took the gauze away. "But, won't that wake him up?"

Chopper shook his head. "Not right away. He'll still be out when we finish."

Luffy moaned as he started coming around. He felt a strong but gentle hand holding his own. He opened his eyes and grinned as the saw the owner of that strong hand smiling at him. "Welcome back, little brother."

"Ace! Chopper DID get you!" He smiled weakly. He tried to sit up, only to have Ace gently push him back down. "Hey, easy there. You just got cut open, remember?"

"Oh yeah." He replied with a grin. "Hey Ace?"

"Yeah?" Ace brushed his hair back.

"Can you have Sanji fix me some meat? I'm starved."

Ace chuckled, glad to see his little brother feeling his old self again. "You got it, Luffy!"

THE END

March 5, 2010