The Calm Before the Storm

Chapter 6

a/n- I am finally back. This chapter focuses more on another aspect of the story and it ends on kind of  a cliffhanger but I hope you like it.

Another day on the seas and another day closer to the next island. This would be the last Island the crew would stop at before they would be one the way to the famous sea restaurant the baratie and sanji's childhood home. Well, the only one that ever mattered. Everyone had just woken up and was gathered in the kitchen sitting down to a nice breakfast that Sanji had just finished cooking. Everything seemed like it was going to be another typical day on the Sunny, as normal as a day on the Thousand Sunny with the Strawhats could be. That was until they noticed the absence of one of their crew members. The spot at the table where the little reindeer doctor usually sat was empty. This slightly worried the crew. He was always there at the same time with them to all eat together. Zoro, Being the closest to the little reindeer, looked over to his fiancė, both thinking the same thing. He got up from his seat and excused himself from the table to check on the ship's doctor. As the others ate, the green haired swordsman made his way to Chopper's office. As he made his way to the door he gave a small knock before announcing that he was there "Chopper it's me Zoro, are you in there". It didn't take long for the little doctor to frantically respond "Y-yes i'm in here, everything is fine, go back to breakfast" he said trying to hide his research before the swordsman decided to enter the room anyways. "Chopper, what are you hiding?" he asked as he entered the office to see Chopper trying to stuff papers and books in a drawer. "I-i'm not h-hiding anything" he said with a nervous smile. The swordsman sighed "Listen it's early and the crew was worried when you didn't come to breakfast with everyone else, So for right now i'm gonna pretend you're telling the truth. Now, let's go eat ok? He half stated half asked as the tiny doctor let out a sigh and jumped down from his chair and followed the swordsman back to the kitchen where everyone was waiting. "I found him" Zoro stated as they entered the kitchen as he went back to his seat and chopper sat down across from him. This prompted Sanji to get up and make the little reindeer a plate but was stopped by his finacė placing a hand on his shoulder and getting back up saying "You've been cooking for hours let me get it" he smiled thanking the swordsman with a quick kiss and a small blush across his face. The swordsman fixed the doctor a plate as the others began to talk again. He noticed Chopper yawning at the table and realized he must have stayed up all night again. Just what was he researching that was so important? That was a question for another time as he was still fairly tired himself and just fixed the plate and walked it back over to the table placing it down in front of the small reindeer. With a yawn and almost half asleep Chopper thanked Zoro as the swordsman gave him his food and began to sit back down. However, with him being sleep deprived things didn't exactly come out right if that's how you want to put it. Yawn "Thanks dad" the little reindeer said, rubbing his eyes and beginning to eat his food. This caused the whole crew to stop their eating and talking and stare at the doctor. They were all taken aback by what they had just heard the reindeer let slip out of his mouth. Especially Zoro who was in the middle of taking a drink when he heard and processed what Chopper had called him and began to choke, spitting out his drink everywhere in the process. This caused the small doctor to look up and come out of his sleep deprived state. He noticed Sanji trying to help Zoro calm down and quit coughing while the others were staring at him shocked. Yes, the swordsman and the doctor were close but they never really knew that Chopper saw him as a father figure. "W-why is everyone staring at me" he said confused. This is when Usopp decided to speak up "um, Chopper do you realize what you just said?" he asked, only causing the reindeer more confusion. "Y-yea I t-thanked him for my food, why?" he asked, still staring back at everyone who was staring at him. Well, except for luffy that is, who had already finished his breakfast and was taking this opportunity to steal the leftover food from his crew members plates. Robin gave a small smile before chiming in and informing Chopper of what he had let slip "Chopper you called Zoro dad". By now the swordsman had stopped coughing and could breath again and was also staring at the little reindeer with a slight blush on his face. "W-WHAT NO I D-DIDN'T I JUST THANKED HIM FOR THE FOOD" Chopper said starting to blush as well as freak out. "No, you definitely called him dad. I believe your exact words were 'thanks dad'"Nami said now, also slightly smirking. Chopper felt mortified as the crew began to laugh. The only ones not laughing were Luffy, who was still stealing food off of people's plates, Zoro, who was blushing like a mad man, and Chopper who was trying to hide his face in his little hooved hands. As the laughter died down the crew began to notice how embarrassed the little reindeer was and tried calming him down "It's ok chopper, we all know you and Zoro are close. Its ok if you see him as a father figure. He does act like one when it comes to you" Robin said, patting Chopper on the head only making him more embarrassed and the swordsman blushing even harder. However, the swordsman also felt a smile begin to form on his face. "Chopper, you don't have to be embarrassed. I'm flattered you think of me like that" Zoro said without missing a beat causing Chopper to look up from his place behind his hooves "R-really... you're not mad" he asked now showing his face again. "No its ok. Now let's all eat before Luffy takes all of our food" The swordsman said, having known what luffy was doing this entire time. The crew all turned to look at luffy with varying degrees of annoyance shown across their faces. Law had been trying his best to just stay quiet and out of the situation but that didn't last very long as he noticed his rubbery boyfriend had been stealing off of his plate as well. "Sigh.... Luffy How many times have I told you not to steal our food" Nami said, bashing the young captain over the head with her fist. This finally broke law and he couldn't help but burst out in laughter which was very unusual for the normally stoic surgeon. This came as another shock to the crew but also made them all laugh and smile as well. It seems Law's time with the straw hats has started to soften him up a bit. With the food now being gone everyone began to excuse themselves from the table and go about their daily activities aboard the Sunny. Nami was going to tend to her tangerine trees while Usopp helped, Franky was headed off to his workshop to continue on a new weapon he had designed, Robin had picked up a new book on the last island that she was going to sit on the deck and start, Luffy was going to fish, and Zoro was gonna help with the dishes and then train. This left only Brook, Jinbe, Chopper, and Law at the table. Brook and Jinbe eventually got up after finishing their tea t9 do who knows what leaving Law and Chopper alone at the table. "Um Law.... Do you think I could Talk to you in the office for a second" Chopper said in a hushed tone so the swordsman and cook could not hear them. "Yea is something wrong?" Law asked as he got up and followed the little reindeer to the medical room. "Well, I don't really know yet," he said in a worried manner. This gave Law some concern as he has never seen the other doctor like this. "How do you not know?" he questions, his voice laced with concern as they entered the office and both took a seat. "Chopper, what's wrong?" Law asked in a serious tone. "Well I mentioned before that I was doing some research on the effects of Devil Fruit on the body after they are eaten or if someone's DNA is affected by it, and I can't be 100% sure this is true yet but...... I found something weird and wanted a second opinion" He said, beginning to bring back the research he had been trying to hide when zoro had come to find him. After getting his notes in order he handed them over to Law and continued speaking."Remember when I asked everyone for a small blood sample?" H asked as law started to go wide eyed as he read the little reindeers research. At this point all Law could do was nod his head. "Well I studied those samples of the crewmembers who have devil fruit abilities or have had devil fruit affect their DNA to those of the crew who haven't and well this is what i've found but I would need to keep studying it to really confirm my findings" He said, Law now completely at a loss for words from both shock and slight panic. He shot up out of the chair he was sitting in still looking down at the research before uttering only 2 words "Holy shit".