One Piece: Grand Endeavours

Chapter Ninety-One: Optimism

Nova
What is even the point on even being happy? Being an optimist doesn't make negative situations less negative and doesn't stop the gnawing, nauseating feeling of guilt. I don't like nearly killing people, it seems. I look at the rainbow in the sky and don't feel anything. Normally rainbows are really pretty and make me happy but now? Nothing.
"Hey Nova," Usopp says, coming down and sitting by me. "How are you coping with the whole situation?" I shrug. "Want some chocolate? You look like you need the endorphins." I shake my head. "Really? You don't want chocolate?"
"Life doesn't revolve around sweets," I mutter. "Besides. How is chocolate going to make things better anyway? Kuro's probably going to die."
"The antidote is getting there," he argues and I huff.
"Yeah, a rough idea is getting there and we are yet to get to an island that has some of the ingredients," I point out and cross my arms, glaring at the rainbow as it fades away and the grey sky becomes even more so.

"Nova, we need to stay somewhat positive," he says and I roll my eyes. "Positivity is normally like your whole thing!"
"Normally I don't help to nearly kill someone," I retort. "That doesn't exactly inspire much stupid positivity. What 's the damn point of being positive anyway?" Usopp gapes at me with a shocked expression. "What?"
"It is just weird to see you being so bleak," he says, then sighs. "Honestly, I hoped that being with you would be less bleak: everyone is negative now and I wanted to pretend things were at least a little okay." Everyone does seem to be negative these days...So everyone has a sense of realism about this. For once positivity doesn't matter.
"Am I being more negative than everyone else?" I ask in surprise.
"About the same," he admits. "But it is more of a contrast with you." I just shrug again and carry on staring out at the grey sky and see a smudge of an island in the distance.

Yay. Another island that probably won't have the right stuff. We are scraping the deadline on having the antidote now since the last few islands weren't the right climate. It has been a week since the desert so it has been one week, five days since he got poisoned which means we probably have 48 hours tops. Yeah, optimism isn't exactly easy right now.

As we get nearer a snowflake lands on my nose and another on my hand.
"See!" Usopp says. "This is a step in the right direction. Chopper said the last ingredients are found on cold islands."
"Yeah, I guess," I mumble but don't point out that there are still the odds that they may not grow here specifically.

Like what happened on the last island we slit into groups to find the ingredients and I head off with Sanji. Given there are so many things to find we are splitting into pairs which doesn't add much optimism given if there are this many then odds are they won't all be here. I shove my hands in my pockets and we head off. The snow, admittedly, may be pretty but at the moment I honestly can't be bothered to care.

Sanji
This is an awkward silence. Actually, given Nova has shut up without there being sweets for more than a few minutes, it is a whole lot more than just awkward.
"So seen anything yet?" I ask to break the silence. He shakes his head and I sigh. "Wanna talk to pass the time?"
"About what?" he asks, flatly, kicking one of the snow poofs out of his way.
"I don't know? Anything?" I say. "As long as it isn't about the situation..."
"What else is there to talk about?" he asks, not looking up from the snow covered ground.
"I don't know. The weather?" I say. He looks up from the snow with an eye roll. "Okay, not the weather then... Look, there is a good chance we may be able to get all the ingredients and then Chopper can work on it."
"I thought you said you didn't want to talk about it?" he says and I shrug. "And yeah, true, but preparing for the worst is a good idea." He sounds like Robin...

Mosshead and I both killed the person who made us do this and, although neither of us have said anything I think our only regret is not making them feel at least a fraction of the pain he has caused.
"There's one of the things Chopper asked us to get," Nova points out. "I think anyway...plants don't look too different from each other." I chuckle slightly and look at the picture he gave us.
"Yeah that's it," I say and we head over to get it. "Was it the leaves or roots he wanted?"
"I think it was roots for this one and leaves for the similar one," he replies. "Maybe get both just in case though?"
"Good idea," I agree. "I'll do leaves, you do roots?" Since he doesn't get cold it makes more sense for him to dig in the snow. He nods in agreement and we get on with it.

The snow begins to fall even more heavily and I take some gloves out of my jacket an put them on. We're going to be out here for a while until we have found everything that Chopper asked us to find or until we have searched the entire island. He needs his best chance to survive.

Kuro and I get along quite well. Plus he, if I ever do need help which really is very rarely, that I would trust to help in the kitchen. Obviously me and Kuro getting along isn't the only reason that I'll go full out to find the ingredients but it does contribute to it. The fact that it would devastate everyone, especially as it was us who attacked him. I doubt if Kuro died any of us would forgive ourselves. Especially Luffy, Danni and arguably Usopp since the two do seem to be really good friends these days (which was pretty unexpected). Maybe Nova is right and we need to prepare for the worst but it can't hurt to prepare for the best.

Chopper
I rub my eyes sleepily but keep working, glancing over to where Luffy is sat. When did he last even sleep? He looks completely drained.

"Luffy, you can go get some sleep," I say as he again adjusts Kuro's fringe and blankets. "I don't think he'll d- I don't think anything will happen if you go nap for a few hours." He crosses his arms and huffs.
"I'm staying here until he wakes up," Luffy states, rubbing his eyes. "I need to be here for him." I sigh but don't push it. With other situations I may of argued the point but I am smart enough to pick my battles and argument concerning someone Luffy cares about would just lead to a dead end. "Besides. If he d-...you know...I want to spend the last time I can with him."
"Fair enough," I say, trying to push the worst case scenario from my mind so I can focus on the positive if the antidote works. "Shall I grab you a blanket so you can nap?" He nods sleepily so I grab one from the cupboard and pass it to him.
"Thanks," he says, wrapping it around his shoulders.

I add some more alterations to the antidote when Luffy breaks the silence.
"Chopper...do you think he is going to make it?" he asks.
"I hope so," I say. Kuro, even though he has been here a while, still struggles with opening up to people. In my case he actually does more than most people so we get along really well so I am doing everything I can to make this antidote and to focus on the more positive outcome. I can't lie to Luffy though and promise him Kuro will get better when it isn't a guarantee.
"That isn't really an answer," he murmurs, fluffing up Kuro's pillows somewhat. It is painfully obvious how much Luffy loves Kuro so I do not want to crush him with the fact that the odds are technically leaning towards the negative outcome.
"Luffy, either is a possibility," I say, honestly. His lip trembles but he nods and falls silent.

I sigh and go back to work. Ordinarily I love being a doctor. It means learning new things and being able to save lives. However, at the moment, the more negative parts are much more apparent. Someone's life being in the balance is never easy but it being someone I care this much about? That is a whole other situation. What is even harder though, in a way, isn't the medical part. It is being the breaker of bad news and letting people know that someone they care about is gone. I am desperate to not let that happen with Kuro.

Sanji and Nova come in and they are the last two back from getting the ingredients. I look up, hoping there isn't any bad news.
"We got everything," Nova says and I take a breath of relief. Now I can start the most complex part of the antidote which is a major step in the right direction. I just hope that I'm right and I have a maximum of 39 hours to do it.