Dark on Blue

Written by Kizoku-Totori

Ch. 4

Chopper sat between the curled horns of Merry's sheepish figurehead starring out at the great expanse of ocean that opened up before him, it reflected the night sky surrounding him in what seemed to be a never ending blanket of stars. The moon his only companion in what would normally be an unfriendly environment full of giant sea kings and unknown threats. Opportunities such as these had to be secreted in the dead of night when everyone was asleep in their chambers. It made him feel… would special be the word? He didn't know.

Hiccups and a headache are often times the repercussion of having such a gentle heart as Chopper, which would lead him into tears at the sight of an injured friend. He stared down at his somber reflection, the areas around his eyes almost as blue as his nose from lack of sleep and bruising from his constant wiping away of tears.

Sanji was conscious now and seemed to be his normal amorous and flirty self. But when all was quiet and no one was about he was suffering alone in his pain. Chopper knew this. Better than the others he believed, if he didn't than what was all those years training under Dr. Kureha for? It saddened him to see his friend suffer. There had to be a way to help him.

The damage done to Sanji's right arm and chest was repairable, he had stitched all the tendons and nerves back into place and applied a synthetic dermas replacement upon the burnt flesh to substitute the missing skin. A tricky procedure with hooves such as his, but the hito hito no mi fruit allowed him to transform into heavy point giving him hands to do the delicate procedure. He hadn't seen injuries such as these since the lightning lord of Skypiea had fried everyone to a crisp. Chopper wrapped his furry arms around himself for comfort and to stop his shivering that wasn't from the chill of the night.

Tears wells up in his eyes, he hadn't been able to fix it all. The damage had been done. Sanji's nerve endings were damaged and will constantly emit pain into his nervous system.

He howled into the night, his sorrow so great that not a sound escaped his mouth. He screamed silently up at the moon the tears flowing freely down his muzzle and onto Merry's brow. If one looked upon the scene they would think the silent companion of the straw-hat pirates was weeping with the little fawn.

His body jerking with hiccups Chopper's bawling slowed and he once again stared out at the ocean. He thought about to his mentor… Hiluluk, his father. What would he have done? Chopper tried to think of all the radical medicines that Hiluluk had used on the villagers of Drum Island. What had worked best? IL1-RA protein extraction and injection, Bee-venom, botulinum toxin, opiods…

He sniffed and the stream of snot hanging from his nose shortened. If he controlled the doses and kept an eye on Sanji it might work. Maybe, just maybe.

NO.

It will work. He will make it work. Even if Sanji didn't want his help, he would do it! He jumped up on Merry's wooden head and squared his petite rounded shoulders and punched a hoof at the heavens. "I will not fail!" He squeaked out in his child like voice. "It will work!"

With that he once again brushed the tears from his eyes and the snot from his nose and jumped off Merry's head, only to stumble in his excitement and slip on the handrail he had intended to land upon. "Eep!" Twirling his arms frantically he tried to swing his momentum forward back towards the deck of the ship, but the dew of the night had made the railings slippery. He tried running along the edge of the railing to pick up speed, hoping to use the momentum to jump up and catch one of the rigging lines to pull himself back in. But his smooth little hooves proved little to provide the grip needed to maintain the balance he had and he found himself falling towards the inky black depths of the ocean that reflected the stars like another universe.

The ocean opened up around him, welcoming him into her cold embrace. Bubbles of air and froth drifted out of his fur slowing his decent until he lay motionless in what seemed to be empty space. He looked above him at the sparkling surface of the ocean, watching the bubbles race away from the depths in which he was sinking. He was scared; he wanted to try to swim up with the little balls of air. But for a devil fruit user to become submerged in water is to become a hammer. He was helpless…. He was dead.

Or so he had thought.

The surface of the water erupted as a huge dark figure dove towards him. Chopper saw a fracture of light reflect off of green hair.

Zorro.

He was so excited he opened his mouth to shout for joy only to let the air he had been holding out and the salty ocean water in. But he didn't care. He had been saved.

Even after he received a dozen lumps on his head for his clumsiness he was crying for joy and blubbering about how he hadn't needed saved and Zorro could go fuck himself with his three swords. All the while smiling and praising the overly muscled brute in his cute little animal mind.

Both of them sat dripping wet on Merry's deck, Chopper continuing his ungrateful thanks and Zorro wringing out his clothes and hanging his green haramaki on the bow of the ship to dry.

Practically naked Zorro sat down next to the little reindeer and waited. Chopper stopped his banter and looked down at the deck, he knew without asking that Zorro had heard him talking to himself upon Merry's ram shaped figurehead. He thought frantically of a lie that would be believable, but who was he kidding. Chopper was a horrible liar; maybe he could run away and ask Usopp for some ideas….

"Will it help him?"

Chopper looked up at Zorro, startled. "Wha'…?"

"Will whatever you are planning help the shit cook?" Zorro just sat there cross-legged and cross-armed staring out at the horizon where the sun began to peak over the ocean's edge. Painting the sky with pinks and oranges. It was amazing how observant this muscle head actually was.

"I… I believe so. But… but I don't think he'll let me." He started to sniff again sadness creeping back in.

Zorro looked at Chopper out of the corner of his eyes, the little ball of fluff wriggled and squirmed under the gaze never making eye connection. With a deep throated sigh he stood up and began gather his swords and haramaki.

"Some things are best kept secret."

Zorro tucked his swords into his haramaki and walked off to begin his brutal daily workout routine.

Chopper watched after the half naked sword wielding haramaki wearing man and thought.

If Chopper was a poor liar with words, maybe he would be a better liar about his actions. Because secrets never had to be told if nobody ever asked about them.

He stood up on all fours and gave his body a healthy shake to ride his fur of the water that hadn't dripped out. Standing up he rubbed down his belly fluff and headed to his infirmary to begin work.