A Dragon's Priorities (A SaboxKoala story)

Part 9: Mortality

Once everyone was on the ship, Luffy ran to the nearly lifeless body of Sabo, with tears in his eyes. Grabbing Sabo's collar, he shook the man over and over again, hoping he could get a response despite knowing it was impossible. Zoro and Sanji eventually managed to pull him back and restrain him while Koala rushed him to the medical room, trying her best to conceal the immense worry she was feeling at that moment.

Chopper looked horrified as he saw the condition of Sabo's body. He was bleeding from at least 7 different places, and burns were present practically everywhere on his body. Even if his Mera-Mera no mi powers managed to heal the burns, they would need his heart to function properly, which by now it definitely wasn't.

"I need to start surgery right away!" Chopper concluded.

"Let me help! Please!" Koala was trying her best to help somehow, but Robin sensed it and eventually led her outside, though tearful. Robin herself had become more used to helping out Chopper in the medical room, to the point that she was assisting in surgeries on Luffy, Zoro, and Law after the raid on Onigashima. The next 14 hours were of extreme worry to Koala, who only had one thought in her head.

"If you don't survive, I will kill you."

(Sabo POV)

I could feel the explosion shooting me downwards. Oh, and I felt the 4 seconds of absolute torture my body was going through, but then I blacked out. I opened my eyes to find that I was more of a specter, my body being translucent, but with a blueish tint. Analyzing my appearance, I began to wonder if I was... dead. Damn. I'm too young for this, and I have a brother, and- oh wait. I knew this when I jumped into the water with a bomb.

"Damn it, keep yourself going, will you?! I've been performing surgery for the last 13 hours, don't give up on me now!"

"I honestly doubt he can, Chopper. He's survived way too much to die from a bomb."

"I bet nobody said that when Pedro and Ashura died."

I spun round to see Chopper operating on my body, almost making me hurl. I stood and watched, as my body slowly began to give up, knowing I couldn't do anything. I could give him advice, but he wouldn't hear me, would he? I held my head in my hands, thinking that it was a shitty idea to try and pull off that stunt. Now I'm going to die, and Chopper's going to have wasted 13 hours of surgery on a dead guy.

"Hey, man."

That voice... it couldn't be. If I was really hearing that guy, I was well and truly dead.

"Long time no see, Sabo."

"Same here, Ace."