One Piece: The Best of All Things

                                                                  The Best of All Things

It’s been a few hours now since they escaped from Enies Lobby. Chopper’s sentenced Luffy to bedrest until he can move again, and though his captain protests at first, says he wants to help and be on deck with everyone else, the little reindeer won’t hear of it. After all, he reasons, what use would Luffy be if the Marines came after them? The rest of the Straw Hats would just worry about him, focus on protecting him instead of defeating the enemy.

And, well…Luffy can’t think of anything to say to that. The truth is, his doctor is right. He’d be utterly useless to his friends if he went out like this. The only way he’ll get better, Chopper tells him, is if he rests. So, with no other choice, Luffy does as he’s told, occasionally testing his limbs to see if he’s getting any feeling back.

In the few hours it’s been since then, he’s regained sensation in his hands and feet. It’s not much, but it’s a start, at least. He can still talk, laugh, and smile, too, which was more than enough to calm and cheer his anxious crewmates when they barged in the second Chopper’s examination was over.

And really, he loves them all the more for that. He really, truly, honestly does, with all his heart and soul. The fact that they were so worried that they eavesdropped outside the door and charged in the first chance they got...

He wouldn’t trade a single one of them for anything in the world. If it somehow ever came down to a choice between them and the dream he’s spent ten years fighting for…well, it’s not exactly a difficult choice. When he pictures them both, when he looks back on everything that’s been and then ahead to what it could be…what other choice is there?

His nakama, his precious treasure, is worth more to him than anything else in the whole entire world. If keeping them safe and happy and whole means that someday he’ll have to cast away everything he’s ever dreamed of, that promise he made to Shanks’ crew, to his idol and Father figure, to himself…then so be it. He wouldn’t have even made it this far without his friends. There’s no way he could ever, ever abandon them just to fulfill some stupid dream, even his own.

He’d fallen asleep a bit after they left for lack of anything better to do, and it seems he can move his lower legs and upper arms now, so that’s pretty great. Noticing he’s getting pretty hungry, he wonders what time it is and tries to lift his head. Triumphant, he grins and glances at the door to see there’s no light shining underneath it anymore. That must mean it’s after sunset, so Sanji should be calling everyone to dinner any time now—

And speak of the devil, not five seconds later, Sanji walks in with a bed-tray of food and leaves the door open a crack behind him. Luffy beams and raises a hand in greeting. “Hiya, Sanji!”

For a moment, the cook looks mildly surprised to be received so cheerfully, especially by someone who’s temporarily bedridden. But then he remembers precisely who the patient is and allows a warm smile to paint his features as he makes his way over.

“Hey yourself, captain,” he drawls casually, bending to deposit Luffy’s tray on his lap and take up a chair beside him with a practiced flourish. “You look like you’re feeling better!”

“I am!” The boy takes a huge whiff of the food on his plate and practically has stars in his eyes. “Oh, Sanji, this smells so awesome! Thanks a lot for the food!”

The blond laughs out loud. “Well, good! You’re welcome! I figured everyone could use my best pick-me-up tonight, especially you. You really saved our asses back there.”

And if he’s expecting anything else, he shouldn’t be. This is Luffy, after all.

The seventeen-year-old cocks his head to the side and arches an eyebrow. “But you always give us your best, Sanji! And I wouldn’t have made it out alive today without you guys! If anything, I should be thanking all of you!”

The cook’s eyes start to burn without warning, and he can feel a lump forming rapidly in his throat. He blinks back the tears as best he can and clears his throat, chuckling a bit as he reaches out a hand to ruffle his captain’s hair and simultaneously force his ever-undivided attention on his food.

“J-just shut up and eat before it gets cold, idiot,” he orders, trying his best to keep the tremor from his voice and turning away while he wipes his eyes.

Luffy is none the wiser as he stretches his wrist to reach for a spoonful and then steer it toward his waiting mouth. He takes a gigantic bite and hums happily as he chews, though the sound soon drifts into uncertain territory, and he begins chewing slower before swallowing at last.

Sanji, now fully composed and immediately taking note of his charge’s sudden mood swing, is on edge at once. “What is it, Luffy? Are you feeling okay?”

He snaps up with a tiny gasp as if he’d momentarily forgotten Sanji’s presence. “Yeah, I’m fine, and this is really good. It’s just…” he rests the spoon on the plate with a light clink! and looks almost sad as he continues, “…it doesn’t taste the same without everyone else around to enjoy it, too…”

Sanji stares at him for a few seconds before sighing heavily in relief and lifting a foot to knock his captain lightly upside the head. “You really had me worried there for a minute, you know that? Don’t scare me like that again.” Luffy whines in understanding, and then Sanji grins mischievously. “But as for your little problem…” he wanders over to the door and raps on it twice in succession, “…I think I have the perfect solution.”

He steps back exactly three paces, and suddenly the rest of their shipmates are piling in one after the other, plates of food in hand. Luffy laughs delightedly. “Haha! You guys are going to eat with me? How’d you know I was missing you?”

Nami winks at him. “That’s simple, Luffy.” She ducks a bit to kiss him on the cheek. “We missed you, too.”

Robin nods in agreement and surges forward to hug him as tightly as she dares, mindful of his numerous injuries. “Very, very much,” she whispers close to his ear, and there’s a certain tone, a…a weightlessness to her voice he’s never heard before, but decides he likes a lot.

He copies Nami’s wink and squeezes her hand when she pulls away, sporting an impish, never-say-die grin that only a rapscallion like him could pull off with innocence fully intact. The sheer amount of love in the smile she sends back leaves him fighting for purchase in his mind.

A familiar golden glint snaps him back almost immediately, however, and it’s only then that he spots Zoro leaning against the far wall…and wearing his hat…? He cocks an eyebrow and points.

“Hey, Zoro, what are you doing with my hat?”

The swordsman mirrors his captain’s expression, and Chopper speaks up from beside him. “Don’t you remember, Luffy? You gave it to him for safe-keeping right before you fell asleep!”

The boy thinks for a moment before his eyes light up. “Oh, yeah! I remember now!”

Sanji steps up to elbow Zoro pointedly in the chest. “Yeah, and he hasn’t taken it off or let anyone touch it since,” he half-teases, and the swordsman growls.

“Of course I didn’t,” he responds stubbornly, eyes closed. “This is my captain’s most prized possession. As his first mate, letting any harm come to it would break practically every pirate code known to man.” At this, he reaches up to finger the rim of the old straw hat fondly, and then sends it sailing with even more care than any besides Luffy thought possible to land squarely on his best friend’s head. He smirks wildly and opens one eye. “There you are, captain!”

Luffy flashes a thumbs up and births a beam fit to rival the sun. “Thanks, Zoro!”

The man returns the gesture without hesitation. “Any time!” Sinking to the floor, he settles his plate on his lap and begins to dig in. “By the way, Luffy,” he says between bites, “you feelin’ any better? You look like you are. You’re sitting up, anyway.”

The captain glances down at himself and realizes it’s true. He reaches down to poke his chest and stomach excitedly. “Hey, cool! You’re right! I can feel my middle again!” He throws both arms in the air and cheers. “All right!”

Those around him smile, too, glad to see him so happy with something so small. Their captain’s a child at heart, but they wouldn’t have him any other way.

“Are you sure, Luffy? Even with most of your body free from the paralysis, your other injuries were still pretty bad. Are they hurting at all? I’d be happy to reapply your bandages for you,” Chopper offers, climbing up onto the bed with Nami’s help to fix Luffy with a worried gaze.

Beyond him, the others are waiting just as anxiously for their captain’s answer. He really did outdo himself today, to the point where he nearly got himself killed, so if he’s hurting anywhere, if he’s in any degree of pain at all…they want to know now.

But their beloved child-leader just picks Chopper up and hugs him tightly, sporting a grin as blinding yet soft as sunlight through clouds.

“How could I possibly be hurting when I have the best doctor and most wonderful friends I could ever ask for?” he says, and his voice is the gentlest, most loving, thank-Gan-Fall-for-you he’s ever used.

The Straw Hats sigh in relief as one, and Chopper, now drenched in his own happy tears, returns the embrace one thousandfold. Slowly, one by one, the others get up to do the same, not a single one of them ashamed of the tears he sheds.

As long as their captain is safe and happy and whole, it’ll be enough for them.

More than enough.