Hello everyone! I have returned with the hopes of helping you escape the reality of this world. I hope to be moving with my other projects, but those updates will be announced on my tumblr page.
HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER!
Sanji was able to divert Luffy's attention from Sakura, by luring him and Usopp away with the dessert he set in the kitchen, while he brought the girls theirs personally. They huddled under the mast. Vivi was staring at the eternal post with a distant expression, her eyes hazy as the needle trembled ever so slightly.
Her yearning for home was clear, and Nami comforted her, reassuring her that they would make it to Alabasta now with no further delays. The eternal pose would make sure they had a one-way journey. The girls still didn't mention to anyone, what they read in the newspaper about Alabasta, but it filled them with a sense of urgency.
They also agreed not to let any of the boys in the know.
'With such a large number of the kingdom soldiers defecting, a large battle is bound to be brewing, and since it's a civil war this could mean danger for citizens as well,'
Sakura knew that time was more sensitive than ever, but worrying Vivi wouldn't make the ship move any faster than the winds allowed.
"Sakura you're not having your dessert?" Nami noticed she hadn't picked up the cream tart and Sakura made it known that she had a sweet tooth.
Normally, Sakura loved the desserts and treats Sanji made, but the thought of putting the sweet pastry in her mouth at this moment made her tongue feel bitter and heavy. She glanced around the ship, and then back to her friends.
"No, I'm just not feeling up for anything sweet right now. You guys go ahead and split it," Sakura stood up and walked towards the cabin.
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At first, she thought it was just a spurring wave of nausea, after returning to the sea in such a rough manner but Sakura hadn't been able to shake the growing fatigue and fever. Slinking down into the cabins, she nearly slipped on the stairs, clutching the side of her head. Feeling the throbbing in her temples.
As a medic, Sakura already knew that she was falling ill. The reason she couldn't' deduce yet but her temperature was increasing steadily.
'I can probably make something for fever,' Despite Little Garden's diverse plant life, Sakura could only identify a handful of medicinal herbs. The ecosystem was set back to a time when humans didn't even roam the earth, but Sakura didn't know that. And she couldn't risk the safety of the crew by guessing what plants may be safe to use. She also didn't have the equipment to deduce that herself.
Determined to make do with what she had, Sakura borrowed a microscope from Usopp and some dishes from the kitchen. She hid in the storage room to start working without disturbance.
Flexing her fingers, the joints began to feel stiff and heavy with movement, as if she was getting arteritis. Her back and neck were starting to give a dull ache as well.
Sakura's analytical mind sprang into action as she assessed her symptoms, seeking a remedy for the mysterious affliction that had befallen her. With practiced precision, she expertly drained a small amount of her blood and infused it with her chakra, scanning for any anomalies.
'Symptoms show this might be a bacterial infection,' Now, how was this transmitted? Everyone else seemed to be in good health, and although she was just starting to feel sick, it was happening too rapidly for her to stay calm. It was likely on the island, something happened to her that didn't happen to the rest of the crew.
'The bug bites,' Sakura examined her arm, touching the blotches of red on her skin. That was one way to get a bacterial infection.
As she scrutinized the sample of her blood under the microscope, her expression furrowed in concentration. Her heart sank as she discerned an odd, spore-like substance permeating her bloodstream. Although she couldn't be certain, it was highly probable that this was the root cause of her illness.
"It's too slow to be poison, so it must be a bacterial infection," Sakura deduced, her voice laced with concern. "If it's transmitted through bites, then it won't be contagious to others," she added, the gravity of the situation becoming increasingly apparent.
'I might just have to wait this out,' Shinobi were more resilient in handling poisons than the average person, and they also trained to know flora and fauna to avoid situations like this. But some of the animals and insects in Little Garden were creatures Sakura had never seen before in her life and she was more well-versed in these topics than most due to her specialty as a medic.
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She decided not to mention anything to her crew mates about her condition, to avoid unnecessary concern. They were already racing against time to get back to Alabasta, and just barely got to feel things were going steadily in the right direction, she didn't want to dissuade their disposition with something like this. She wanted them to smile and relax a little longer. Because a sinking feeling in her stomach told Sakura that they were in for rough seas in the future.
Sakura sat at the end of the long wooden table in the galley, her focus on chopping up some herbs into fine pieces. The steam rising from a pot of water on the stove beside her was barely visible, as the herbs slowly made their way into the pot. She couldn't create anything specific for her infection, but she could at least do something about her fever and pains with what she had collected from Little Garden.
Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulders and turned to see Luffy hanging his chin over her shoulder. "What are you making, Sakura? Does it have meat?" he asked, curiosity shining in his eyes and a bit of hunger.
"Just grinding up some herbs," she replied, her fingers working deftly as she focused on her task.
"I've got something you can use for that," Usopp chimed in as he rushed out of the room. He returned a moment later with a pestle and handed it to Sakura with a grin.
"Thanks, Usopp," She breathed.
Luffy's weight was starting to feel heavy on her shoulders, and she felt smothered. She patted his head and told him to move off her, but he just pressed his head into her neck.
"Sakura, are you getting hot?" he asked.
"No, no, I'm fine," she replied with a smile, giving him a harder shove to get him off.
As she worked, the aroma of the herbs filled the air, and the sound of her chopping filled the room. It was a comforting sound. Luffy, Usopp, and Nami gathered around her, watching in fascination as she brewed her medicine.
"Why does it smell so weird?"
"That's because it's medicine," Usopp said.
Sakura smiled as the crew watched, she finished the last of the herbs and added them to the pot. She stirred the mixture, the aroma growing stronger, and a sense of satisfaction in the looks of awe over such a mundane task.
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The remainder of the day transpired in relative peace, aside from the sudden tycoon that the Grand Line offered under its unpredictable weather package. With Nami they were able to easily sail out of danger.
Sakura resolved to keep her companions in the dark about her condition. If she could do nothing to remedy the affliction, she refused to burden others with her troubles. However, when Sakura took her temperature and it registered a scorching 40 degrees Celsius, it became apparent that her infection was not a natural one.
"I must endure until we reach Alabasta," she murmured with determination.
Tsunade had once remarked on the irony of those in the medical field, who dedicated their lives to preserving the well-being of others, but who often disregarded their health. A reckless conviction persisted that one could not succumb to illness, even when fatigued to the core. She speculated that such professionals feared that their infirmity could imperil the lives of those in their care, as no one would be available to administer medication or heal them.
As she continued to serve as a medic, she began to understand the truth of Tsunade's words. When she tended to the wounded during the war, she was unwavering in her commitment to treating patients until their last breath, with little regard for her own well-being.
Sakura, on the other hand, concluded that it was futile to apprise the others of her predicament, particularly since the illness did not seem to be contagious. Furthermore, without the necessary equipment to examine the issue and create the required medication, she would have to wait until they arrived in Alabasta anyway.
'It's better not to raise alarms before any real trouble starts,'
Sakura was cautiously optimistic that with proper rest, she would eventually recuperate.
However when she went to rest in the girl's cabin, falling asleep on the sofa she had slipped into a heavy slumber, and she didn't wake up.
Sakura thought the blanket on her felt heavy, as looked around the cabin, listening to Nami and Vivi breathing softly, her eyes followed until they reached the futon where the girls were sleeping together. Usually one of them would take the bed, the other the futon, and Sakura would rest in the hammock. But they were both close to the edge of the bed.
As she tried to make sense of her surroundings, the pain overwhelmed her senses. She felt an intense ache throughout her body, with her joints seemingly disintegrating, her head heavy, her mouth parched, and her tongue feeling like a fish stranded on dry sand. Every heartbeat felt like a two-inch pin being driven into her chest from within, and her fever had undoubtedly spiked.
It was no surprise, then, that a cold pack had been placed on her forehead. The girls themselves were shivering, despite wearing winter coats. Seemed they had given her the warmest blanket. Thus, she covered the duo with the bed's blanket before exiting the cabin.
'Seems they realized I'm a bit off now,' She thought, leaving the cold pack behind on the dresser.
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As Sakura stealthily crept out of the cabin onto the ship's deck, she was greeted by the sight of the first light of dawn breaking on the horizon. She realized with a start that she must have slept for several hours, a much-needed respite from the constant battles she had been fighting.
The weather had taken yet another drastic turn, as evidenced by the gathering snowfall that blanketed the deck. As she gingerly placed her feet on the cold wooden planks, Sakura felt a rush of relief as the chill slowed her overheated body's circulation.
However, her steps were unsteady, and her vision was still slightly impaired. She knew that someone was likely on watch, and she didn't want to draw attention to herself. Thus, she decided to slip behind the kitchen on the upper deck and lean against it until she regained her bearings.
Sakura couldn't afford to let her condition worry her fellow crewmates, so she tried her best to put on a healthy expression. However, a glance in the mirror as she left the cabin told her that this would be a challenge. Her cheeks and forehead were flushed, her skin gaunt and pallid. She had sweat so much that her hair was now curled, with the short ends sticking to her face and neck like broken spider webs. Despite having slept for over ten hours, she looked like a ghost that wanted to be put to rest.
The snowfall helped to temper her appearance somewhat, as the cold seeped through her clothes and into her body. Her nose turned red, and she began to shiver, but she lacked the strength or presence of mind to lift herself again.
As Sakura lay in a near-slumber, she was abruptly jolted back to reality by the sound of muttering. Before she could react, she felt herself being hoisted up by her arm and yanked out of her daze.
"What are you doing!?" the voice demanded.
Her annoyance gave her the strength to painfully gather chakra, and she swiftly pulled the source of the disturbance into a heap of snow next to her. She heard a grunt and a stream of curses. As she looked closer, she could make out the distinctive green hair and realized it was Zoro.
"I was sleeping," Sakura retorted, irritation in her voice.
"You shouldn't be out here when you're sick, right?" Zoro asked, dusting off the snow without appearing fazed by the fact that she had just dropped him in it.
"I'm alright, just waiting for the sunrise," she replied, trying to sound convincing.
"Yeah, right," Zoro scoffed, tugging at her wrist and pulling her down towards him. Each sudden movement caused her body to ache, and her forehead collided with his. "It's freezing out here, and I can still feel your damn fever. Get back into bed!"
She knew that he was right, but she didn't want to give in so easily.
For some inexplicable reason, the mere thought of listening to Zoro caused her skin to crawl, prompting her to defiantly turn her head away.
"No," she muttered stubbornly, bracing herself for whatever was to come.
Zoro's jaw clenched at her defiance. Despite Zoro's imposing presence as he loomed over her, Sakura refused to back down. She met his gaze head-on, her own eyes blazing with defiance. She could feel his breath hot on her face, but she refused to be intimidated.
"Why didn't you tell anyone you were sick?" Zoro's unexpected question caught her off guard, and it showed on her face. "Nami and Vivi went crazy when they couldn't wake you up and said that you had a high fever. And then Luffy, Usopp, and that idiot cook wouldn't stop panicking, even the damn duck wouldn't stop flapping about the deck. What the hell were you thinking?"
Sakura huffed in response. "There's nothing anyone can do for me here," she explained, determined to handle this on her own. "I just have to wait until we get to Alabasta, where I can analyze the infection and create a cure."
Zoro tightened his grip on her wrist but quickly released it as he realized the pain it was causing her when she winced. For all that strength she displayed before being taken away by a sickness, was pitiful and a harsh reality check.
"What do you take us for?" he demanded, "We're your crewmates, Sakura. You're supposed to let us know when you're in trouble."
Sakura tried to brush off his concern. "I can endure it," she insisted, though she knew deep down that this illness was like nothing she'd ever faced before. "I'll make it to Alabasta, and then I'll take care of myself."
Zoro glared at her, his frustration mounting. "You don't have to go through this alone," he reminded her.
Sakura was about to retort when Sanji's footsteps interrupted them. With a swift kick to Zoro's head, he demanded to know what was going on.
"What are you doing, you algae bastard?"
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After Sanji and Zoro's scuffle, the whole ship was woken up, and Sakura could not find a moment's peace. Vivi and Nami berated her for keeping quiet about her condition, while fussing over her to stay warm and in bed and so on.
Sakura winced in pain as the ear-piercing shrieks of Vivi and Nami jolted through her ears. Despite her discomfort, Nami gently wrapped a blanket around her shivering body and urged her to recline.
Sakura showed the inside of her arm, revealing several red marks that were visibly inflamed beneath her skin. "I believe I contracted an infection on Little Garden," she explained. "I managed to gather some herbs for fever medicine, but they haven't been effective. I need the right herbs and equipment to create a cure, and I don't have access to them here."
"Why didn't you tell us?" Vivi questioned, her tone laced with concern. "Do you realize that your fever could be life-threatening?"
The commotion in the kitchen escalated as Sanji, Luffy, and Usopp flailed their arms and ran around, exclaiming their distress over Sakura's illness. Sakura gave Vivi a pointed look, silently conveying her reluctance to share her condition with the others.
"No, Sakura can't die!" Luffy cried out.
"SAKURA CHAN,"
"I'm not dead yet!" Sakura exclaimed.
"The island was stuck in the age of dinosaurs, and its prehistoric environment had other animals that had gone extinct. Our bodies aren't used to fighting infections caused by them," Vivi reasoned, acknowledging the unusual circumstances.
Zoro chimed in, holding an ice pack over the bump on his head that Sanji had caused earlier. "Is your situation that hopeless?" he asked, his sharp eyes scrutinizing Sakura.
Sakura hesitated, not wanting to divulge her concerns until she had more information. "As a medic, I learned not to stress patients without cause," she replied, avoiding Zoro's question.
"We might be able to find an island before Alabasta and get you the medicine you need," Vivi suggested, trying to offer a solution.
"No," Sakura interrupted firmly.
"What do you mean, 'no'?" Vivi pressed.
Sakura repeated herself, her throat burning with the effort. "I can wait until we get to Alabasta. We don't need to make any detours."
Nami's voice rang out, her tone resolute. "If your fever continues to worsen, you might not have the chance to create an antidote."
Zoro slammed his hand on the table, causing Sakura's head to throb painfully. "Don't you value your life?" he demanded.
Sanji immediately reprimanded Zoro and Usopp rubbed his chin, pondering their options.
"We'll have to hope we get lucky and find an island, as the eternal pose can only lead us to Alabasta," Usopp suggested.
Sakura let out a deep breath and gave Nami a pointed look. "Get the paper," she said firmly, indicating her need to analyze her symptoms more closely.
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She hadn't missed that hesitance in Nami's expression when she got up from the table and disappeared for a few minutes, returning with the paper from a few days ago before they had landed on Little Garden and just after they had left Whisky Peak. This was the best chance of pleading her case against her crew who were outvoting her.
"Read the headline on page 3, and you'll understand why we can't stop,"
This had been a hard-kept secret between her and Nami since she was usually the first to get a hold of the paper and no one else on the crew was concerned with what was going on in the world beyond the sea. That's how they were able to keep this quiet.
Vivi's eyes were trembling when she read the news about her country, and how 300000 royal soldiers had defected to the resistance. With the previous number, it had been a cold war but now they had lost half their army to the rebels and this would insight further conflict.
"Sorry Vivi," Nami said, "We couldn't change our speed, and didn't want you to worry,"
"But this should put things into perspective. Taking a detour to help me, could put millions of lives on the line." Vivi bit her bottom lip hard enough to make it bleed, but Sakura reassured her. "I'm more than willing to wait and for the sake of your country, you have to be willing to put your duty above your personal feelings right now,"
Sakura knew she was preaching the opposite of what Kakashi had taught her. She was telling Vivi to put her mission above her friend's life, above Sakura's. And the kunoichi wouldn't tell them how likely it was that this infection was life-threatening but at the same time, she was taking this as her mission to get Vivi to Alabasta and as a ninja, she was determined not to fail that mission. The people on this ship were not ninja and Vivi was a princess with millions of lives in her hand. Sakura also knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she was the reason that Vivi didn't make it in time to stop this war.
She didn't want Vivi to see her home destroyed the same way Sakura was. Even now she could see that Vivi was silently in agony. It was hard for her to compartmentalize. Sakura was doing this with her own life at stake, but she wasn't suffering as much as Vivi right now. There were too many times her life was on the line for the sake of a mission, by now she could accept death if that was the hand she was meant to be dealt. Of course, dying of an infection as a medic was a bit embarrassing. She'd rather be stabbed through the head. But if she could hold on to Alabasta and get a chance to examine her infection she would be able to create medicine for this.
Vivi looked at Sakura her eyes gleaming with determination and a hint of pain, "So you've made up your mind?"
The princess nodded, "Yes, we need to get to Alabasta as soon as we can,"
Sakura nodded, "Good, then-
Vivi looked at the crew, "So everyone, let's please hurry and find an island so we can cure Sakura,"