So, yeah...I decided to just go ahead and jump on the bandwagon. I just LOVE stories like these; ones that tell of the Straw Hats' bonds and routines and little things as a family unit. It's just...euphoric and heartwarming, I guess you could say.

So anyway, these will be completely random. There will be some minor ships, and there will be spoilers in some of them, so yeah...read at your own risk.

That being said, please enjoy!

One Piece Prompts

Sickness

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi © Me

Summary- In which Aika is sick and the Straw Hats do whatever they can to take care of her.

Chopper's ears twitch at the sound of raspy breathing behind him. He puts down his pen, which he used to scribble down notes, as he turns and sees the little six-year-old girl on the bed, a familiar lump of cream-colored fur curled up at her side. Her face is flushed pink and beads of sweat fall from her brow. She goes into a bout of coughing, thick with phlegm, before she rests her head on the pillow. Her long hair, once straight and flowing, is now tangled and messy with sweat and the drips of water coming from the damp rag on her forehead, used to lower her fever.

Chopper stares sadly before he turns back and continues his work.

Yesterday seemed to start out so normally…until they realized Aika did not show up for breakfast that morning. Luffy was the first to look for her, and he nearly panicked when he found his half-sister in her room, curled up under the covers with Kumi at her side, and hear her speak in such a weak, hoarse voice- a deep contrast to her normally cheery tone- he almost outright panicked. Nami managed to calm him down though before going to get Chopper, and Luffy stays with Aika, petting her head in assurance and trying to comfort her as best he could.

When he got her to the sick bay, Chopper gave her a quick checkup and found symptoms such as a sore throat, a fever of 102 degrees, wheezing when she attempted to breathe, and when she coughed, she managed to get out a bit of mucus, which was yellow, a sure sign of an infection. The doctor diagnosed her with acute bronchitis, telling the crew to let her stay in bed and rest for about a week.

When Luffy made that face of heartbreak and worry, Chopper felt his heart sink.

Speaking of Luffy, the Straw Hat Captain sat nearby on a chair he pulled in, watching his sister sleep. He reaches his hand out, his fingers brushing aside some strands of hair and sweat from her face.

"…Big…Brother…" she says in barely a whisper, and Luffy feels his heart clench. It hurt him, seeing his younger half-sister look so frail like this. He missed how the little wolf-girl would run around on the deck and frolic around on snowy islands in her animal form, laughing and yipping with delight as her faithful Akita puppy ran alongside her. Instead, she lies here, sick and in pain…and he hated it.

"Luffy…I gave her some medicine," Chopper told him. "I know it's hard, but you have to let Aika rest as best she can."

"…I want her better," Luffy spoke.

"I know you do," Chopper answered, "and I promise, she will be."

"Hey."

The two turn and see Sanji entering, holding a tray with a saucer in his hands. He remembers to put out his "cancer stick" before entering the room, knowing that Chopper prohibits smoking in the sick bay, especially with Aika's current condition.

Yesterday, Zoro was about to quip about how it might've been Sanji's smoking habits that caused Aika to fall ill in the first place, but he decided against it, knowing it wasn't the time or the place.

It didn't stop the swordsman from saying it in his thoughts, though.

"I got soup for Aika," Sanji said. "There's salt in the broth. It should help to soothe her throat." He then turned to the captain. "And you should eat something, too. You skipped dinner yesterday and I know you skipped breakfast this morning, too."

"How can I eat when my sister's sick?" Luffy asked, looking at Aika.

"I understand how you feel," Sanji said. "Still, you shouldn't starve yourself out of worry."

"Big Brother…" Aika rasped. "Please…go eat."

"But Aika-" Luffy started.

"I'll be okay," Aika reassured with a weak smile. "Just go and eat something…if you won't do it for Sanji…will you do it for me?"

Luffy paused as he stared at the child…until an angry rumble soon emitted from his stomach. The captain sighed, realizing his own hunger, before looking down at Aika and smiling.

"Sure, Aika," he said as he got up. "I'll go eat…for you."

With that, he headed out of the kitchen and into the galley. Sanji sighs and shakes his head before glancing at Aika and setting the tray down in front of her. Then, the cook promptly helps her sit up in bed, one hand rubbing comforting circles on her back as she coughs.

"Easy, there," Sanji tells her before he spoons some of the soup, blowing on it gently to cool it down just enough so it wouldn't burn her tongue, before he begins to feed it to her. Aika hummed a bit in an attempt to savor whatever tastes she could get from the broth before she swallows, and with her sore throat, it felt a bit painful. Still, Sanji helps her eat as much as she can and stops when it seemed like she was about to throw up, and when she finished the whole bowl, the cook would praise her.

"Well…I know you don't like it when people waste food," she told him, and Sanji feels his heart melt at how adorable and thoughtful she is.

He takes her plate out to wash it, but leaves her some water to drink, and he also leaves something for Chopper, and for Kumi, he leaves her food and water dish, knowing the pup would not leave Aika's side for anything. She was too loyal to think of anything else…not even her own well-being.

As Sanji goes out the door, he unwittingly steps on a white-furred tail, prompting a surprised and pained yelp from the Straw Hats' resident wolf-dog.

"Whoops!" Sanji cried. "Sorry about that, Blizzard."

Blizzard groans as he lies back down again. Normally, stepping on the canine's tail would cause him to engage in a chase, but now was not the time for one. For now, the white wolf-dog lies by the sick bay door to stand guard in case of any approaching threats, be it Marines or otherwise. Crew members were the only ones who were allowed access.

After lunch, Luffy attempted to return to the sick bay to sit with Aika again, but upon entering, he finds Zoro sitting in his place, instead. Luffy opens his mouth to speak, but the swordsman glances at him with his single eye. Not a single word is uttered. Instead, Luffy smiles and nods his head.

"I'll be back later," the captain said before walking out.

Zoro looks back at Aika, whose eyes are shut as she breathes. A few coughs causes her to unconsciously shift between her human and animal forms, but one more brings her back to her back to her human self.

"How're you feeling, Little Wolf?" Zoro asked.

"My throat hurts…and my chest does, too," Aika answers.

"I bet they do," Zoro said. "Still…you're a good kid, toughing it out and not complaining about it too much."

"Thank you," Aika smiled. "I try to be strong like Big Brother is."

Zoro can't help but chuckle, and Chopper and Kumi also crack smiles of their.

'She really is Luffy's sister,' they all think.

After a while, Aika falls asleep, and Zoro leaves the sick bay to head outside, only to find that it is already sunset. He sees Luffy and Usopp sitting on the railing, fishing for supper, while Franky steers the ship. The sniper notices Zoro before nudging his captain gently and pointing to the swordsman. Luffy looks before setting down his fishing rod and running over to him.

"She's sleeping now," the swordsman tells him. "Leave her alone for a bit."

"Okay," Luffy said.

"I know you're worried about her, captain," Zoro started, "but she'll be fine…she's got us."

"…Yeah, I know," Luffy smiled, causing Zoro to lightly punch him in the shoulder, earning a laugh from the captain.

XXX

"Turn hard to port!" Nami's voice could be heard shouting. "Furl up the sails!"

The crew scrambles around the deck, following the navigator's orders as Franky tried to steer the Sunny away from some very dark clouds…that rained scalding hot water.

"How the hell is this even possible?!" Usopp questioned.

"Don't question it!" Nami shouted. "It's the New World, idiot! NOW SHUT UP AND HELP LUFFY FURL THE SAILS!"

You couldn't blame Nami for yelling louder than usual. After all, such weather was extremely dangerous, especially now that one of their members is ill. As navigator, Nami had to do everything in her power to stay out of any dangerous weather conditions and islands, for fear that they would only make Aika's condition worse. Franky also knew that sailing into any harsh waters would only cause more stress for Aika, which is why he took on steering duty.

"Franky, turn the ship away from the clouds!" Nami shouted. "Turn the ship 45 degrees to port!"

"I'm trying, but it's not shifting!" Franky cried.

"Sanji, help him!" Nami ordered, but even before she shouted, the cook was already on his way to the helm to help the shipwright. They grunted as they tried to push the wheel as hard as they could, and just as it seemed they were about to sail right into the storm, the ship creaked as she began to slowly turn to the left, away from the clouds. Everyone felt their breath hitch, thinking the storm might follow, but as the distance between them and the clouds grew, it was at that moment that they all heaved a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"That was way too close," Zoro said.

"Good job, pointing that out, Nami!" Luffy called.

"Yeah," Nami said as she turned to see Chopper coming outside.

"How's your patient, Chopper?" Robin asked.

"She's still resting," Chopper said. "Her fever hasn't gone down yet, but the medicine I gave her should help."

"Good to hear," Luffy said. "We're counting on you, Chopper."

"S-saying like that won't make me happy, you dumb-ass!" Chopper said, wriggling about happily. Of course, this caused everyone to smile.

Nami, meanwhile, made her way to the sick bay, where she found the youngest member asleep on the bed, Kumi still curled up beside her. The pup raised her head, causing Nami to smile as she pet her head gently, then looked over at Aika.

"Hi, Big Sis Nami," Aika said, her voice still quite hoarse.

"Hi," Nami greeted softly.

"What was going on out there?" Aika asked.

"There was a storm that rained hot water," Nami answered. "We were about to sail right into it, but Franky and I managed to get everyone away from it."

"That's good," Aika said. "You're a great navigator, Big Sis Nami."

Nami smiled and ran her fingers through Aika's hair.

"Thank you, sweetie," she whispered. "Do you need anything?"

"Uh…I actually have to use the bathroom," Aika answered. "I've been holding it in for 30 minutes."

"Really?!" Nami asked in surprise. "O-okay, hang on, lemme get you outta here."

She then gently picked the six-year-old up and carried her off to use the toilet. About 10 seconds later, she was out, washing her hands, and then back in bed. Luffy was in the sick bay to sit with Aika not long after. Nami gives the captain a light kiss on the cheek before heading out to keep watch.

After a while, Luffy falls asleep in his seat while Chopper continues to work. Usopp enters as the captain snoozes before he sits on the bed with a smile, and Aika smiles back at him in greeting. As Luffy sleeps, the sniper regales the younger D. carrier with tales of his time on the Bowin Archipelago (leaving out the fact that he had grown rather…corpulent when he got there), how he fought off and tamed giant insects, such as a Hercules beetle and a tarantula, and braved jungles with carnivorous plants with his mentor Heracles. Aika listened with wide eyes of whimsy, and even Luffy and Chopper, the former having woken up, listened with awe, possibly because these were honest truths coming the usually lying sniper.

By the time Usopp had finished talking, Aika had fallen asleep, her mouth upturned in a dreaming smile. The sniper chuckles before he tiptoes out of the room. Blizzard still sits outside, guarding the sick bay door.

Outside, Brook softly plays the tune of Binks' Sake on his violin, the melody ringing throughout the ship, causing everyone to turn to the direction it came from.

"Just because young Miss Aika is ill," the skeleton said, "it should not mean she cannot enjoy a song. Yohohohoho!"

XXX

Nighttime again. Everyone lies in bed, sleeping the night away…except one.

Robin stands in the Crow's Nest on watch duty, keeping an eye out for any danger. In the sick bay, her clone sits on the bed, holding a book in her hands while Luffy stills sleeps in his chair and Chopper snores against his desk. The historian looks down at Aika, who is still sleeping, before she smiles and gently pets her head. She puts a red ribbon in between the pages of the book before closing it gently and getting up to put it back in the library. Once that's done, her clone disappears in an array of flower petals.

XXX

"Gum-Gum GATLING!"

Several pirates fall from the deck and into the ocean below. Luffy glares, dusting his palms before he senses another opponent. Turning around, he decks another pirate with a fast punch, knocking out a few teeth. All around him, he can hear the sounds of battle cries, gunshots, and the clanging of blades clashing.

One minute, the Straw Hats are enjoying breakfast, and the next thing they knew, they hear the all too familiar sound of a cannonball whistling through the air, followed by a humongous splash. Luckily, it didn't hit any part of the Sunny, but the Straw Hats knew that they had to hurry and fight off the encroaching threat.

To these pirates, anyone not flying their flag was an enemy, and they'd take any one of them out…even Aika should any one of these scoundrels reach her.

A pirate screams as Zoro leaves a deep gash on his stomach, causing him to stumble over the railing before he falls into the ocean. Two more attempt to attack from behind, but several arms suddenly appear on their bodies, entangling them before they snap their spines in half. Zoro glances over at Robin, who winks at him with her arms crossed, causing the swordsman to nod at her gratefully before he rushes off to find another opponent to fight.

Nami grunts as she manages to push back another foe, and as one lunges at her from behind with spiked boxing gloves, the navigator turns around and, with her Sorcery Clima-Tact black with Haki, she slams him in the jaw and sends yet another pirate over the rail.

"Impact WOLF!" Usopp shouted, sending a giant, bushy wolf at some more pirates, which are sent flying after touching the bulb on its nose, and Franky stands with his back against the sniper's own, shooting other pirates with his Weapons Left attack.

"Blizzard SLICE!" Brook shouts as he sheathes Soul Solid, leaving a frigid slash on a rather burly pirate wielding a spiked ball mace, and not too far away from him, Sanji kicks the brute off the ship with a blazing kick. Chopper, in his Kung Fu Point form, cries out wildly as he leaves a hoof-shaped bruise on the neck of his opponent, knocking him out within mere seconds.

As everyone fought their hardest outside, one had to wonder…who is guarding the sick bay?

In the kitchen, one lone pirate, who is either brave enough or stupid enough to sneak in here while the battle went on, snickers as he begins to make his way to the sick bay door. Although, he mistook it for some sort of storage room, and he was somewhat right. Either way, he was going to get whatever was in there…at least that's what he believed, but he was about to discover that he was dead wrong.

As the pirate was about to open the door, a deep growl suddenly sounds off behind him. As he turns…he soon screams as he feels a set of sharp fangs sink deep into his arm, snapping right through the bone. Had they gone any further, he was certain those fangs would've cut off his arm like a pair of scissors through paper. He is then tossed out like a rag doll, landing on one of his comrades. Luffy looks up at the kitchen, where he sees a familiar white tail slink back into the shadows within.

Blizzard growls in his throat as he licks the blood off his lips before he sits down against the door.

'No way are those assholes gonna get passed me,' he thought.

In the sick bay, Kumi listens with pricked ears before she glances over at Aika, who continues to sleep, holding her favorite gray wolf plush, Timber, in her arms. She notices that the flush on the girl's face is of a lighter shade, now, and the Akita smiles warmly.

'She's getting better,' she thought. 'It's only a matter of time, now.'

When the fight was over, Chopper went back to give Aika a quick once-over…and imagine the crew's relief and joy when they heard that her fever had gone down, and that the worst was practically over.

XXX

Luffy yawns as he wakes up that morning, but as he looks over to the bed, he sees that it's empty. Gasping in surprise, the captain jumps to his feet and runs outside…only to stop when he is welcomed by a warm sight: Aika, in her wolf form, running around the lawn in a playful game of chase with Kumi while the Straw Hats sit around and watch them, smiling warmly.

Luffy sighs, his heart swelling with great joy as the sounds of Aika's jubilant laughter fills his ears, her voice now clears as a little bell and no longer congested and hoarse. He then puts on his signature grin before heading down the stairs to the deck and running to the wolf girl, who chirps as she runs up and jumps into his arms, thus causing him to fall on his back, and soon after, Kumi, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Blizzard, and Brook soon join the pile-up while Franky, Zoro, and Robin stand idly by with their amused grins.

Everything is alive again…now that Aika is well.

Review, please!