One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 629: The Golden Light in Chopper's Palm!

The air at the bottom of the pit was murky. A pungent, acrid smell permeated the air. Hissing sounds came from above. Black water was corroding the stone walls above. Fist-sized boulders kept tumbling down, crashing into the water at the bottom of the pit. Mud splattered all over Chopper's face. He didn't bother to wipe it off. His small body lay sprawled on the frozen ground, his back desperately shielding him from the falling rocks. Beneath him lay the dying Zoro.

Zoro's right arm twisted grotesquely. Bones pierced the skin, exposed. Dark red blood soaked through his sleeve. Chopper gritted his teeth. His bandaged hooves supported Zoro's arm. His fingers moved swiftly, wrapping special bandages around the bloodied, mangled shoulder. Chopper moved with extreme caution. Zoro's muscles continued to twitch.

A dull thud came from the rocks. Sanji tried to move. Chopper suddenly turned his head.

"Don't move"

The voice echoes deep within the pit.

Your rib is still lodged near your lung.

Chopper's eyes were red-rimmed. He was breathing heavily.

"If you move it any further, the lung will be completely punctured."

The tone was an unquestionable command. This was the doctor's bottom line.

Zoro breathed heavily. An explosion sounded overhead. Franky's heavy cannon roared again. Then came Nami's scream. Zoro's one eye snapped open, bloodshot. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his right arm, he gripped the ground tightly with his left hand, his fingers drawing five bloody gashes from the frozen earth. With difficulty, he turned his head, his gaze locking onto the fallen Shusui.

Clench your teeth.

His left hand slowly reached for the hilt of the sword. The moment his fingertips touched the cold scabbard, a violent spasm struck. His fingers jerked back as if electrocuted. His five fingers twitched uncontrollably. His knuckles turned white from the strain. He didn't even have the strength to draw the sword. A low growl escaped his throat. He reached for Qiu Shui again.

Chopper lunged forward, using all his strength to pin down Zoro's wrist. His two hooves braced firmly against Zoro's forearm.

Stop

Tears welled up again. She quickly tightened the splint securing her right arm. The straps dug deep into her flesh. She had to stop Zoro from moving.

"The bones have already shattered into more than a dozen pieces."

Chopper's voice was trembling with tears.

"Forcing the knife to be held now will cause the bones to dislocate again."

Zoro stared intently at Chopper. His one eye was as fierce as a wolf's. He was unwilling to accept this. He couldn't just lie there and wait to die. His comrades were fighting desperately above him, while he couldn't even lift a sword.

"open."

His voice was like sandpaper being polished. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"I can still chop."

Chopper shook his head desperately, his hooves not loosening their grip an inch.

"I'm a doctor. I will not allow you to die here."

The wind pressure above the crater intensified. Black water cascaded down with a deafening roar. Nami's desperate screams echoed down. Sanji's brow furrowed. His knightly instincts overcame his reason. He slammed his leg into the ground. The muscles in his remaining left leg tensed instantly. He tried to force himself to his feet.

A wave of excruciating pain swept over him like a tsunami. Broken ribs pressed painfully against his chest. His lungs felt as if they were being ripped open. Sanji's face turned deathly pale. His body arched violently. A mouthful of dark red blood spurted out, splashing onto the rocks at the bottom of the pit. His body slammed heavily back to the ground. He gasped for breath, his chest making a whirring, bellowing sound. Each breath felt like swallowing razor blades.

Chopper released Zoro and charged at Sanji like a cannonball. He grabbed Sanji by the collar and forcefully turned his head to the side to prevent blood and foam from flowing back into his trachea. He pulled out the highest concentration of red hemostatic agent, pulled out the plug, and roughly shoved it into Sanji's mouth.

Swallow it.

The voice was almost distorted.

"No more wasting oxygen in our lungs!"

Sanji winced in pain. His Adam's apple bobbed laboriously. The medicine trickled down his esophagus. Chopper pressed hard against Sanji's chest.

"The broken rib was only two centimeters from the heart."

His eyes were extremely stern.

"If you dare to move another muscle, even a god can't save you."

Sanji spat out bloody saliva. A deathly silence filled the space between them.

Sanji's breathing stabilized slightly. Chopper ran back to Zoro's side, preparing to tie a knot in his shoulder again.

A sudden change occurred.

A sharp pain shot through his hoof. Then came an unbearable burning sensation. The temperature was astonishing. It felt like flames were burning beneath his fur. Chopper jerked his hand back, looking up in terror. Black liquid was spreading across the pit walls. Corrosive white smoke drifted down. He thought it was poison gas seeping in.

A frantic search of the medicine cabinet revealed that the hemostatic agent vial was intact, the spare syringes were clear, and the specially formulated blue ball was unchanged in color. There were no signs of corrosion or burnt smell inside the medicine cabinet.

Slowly, it raised its hooves. Its gaze fell upon the soles of the hooves. Its pupils contracted sharply. In the dark, deep pit, a pale golden light emanated from the soles of the hooves. The light flowed like ripples on water, soft yet clear, shimmering in the darkness.

The golden light grew increasingly blinding, flowing down his fingertips as if alive, seeping directly into the wound on Zoro's right arm. The bleeding from the exposed flesh stopped instantly, and the severed blood vessels glowed faintly.

A miracle occurred.

A deep tear, exposing bone, is visibly healing. Bone fragments are enveloped by an unseen force. Bone debris moves within the muscle, pushing back into place. Muscle fibers re-interweave. Necrotic cells are expelled. Pink new flesh fills the void.

Zoro's body stiffened abruptly. Veins bulged. Cold sweat poured down his back. He braced himself for excruciating pain. But when the power surged in, there was no pain. Only a warm, tingling sensation spread through his deep muscles.

He closed his eyes. Sounds emanated from within his body. A series of tiny clicking sounds came from the bone joints. The broken arm bones automatically pieced themselves back together. The dislocated joints were pulled back into place. The periosteum regrowth. Zoro opened his eyes in astonishment. This treatment had begun automatically without any intervention.

Chopper was so startled he fell to his seat, his hooves loosening. He gasped for breath, staring at Zoro's hands and right arm. Golden light continued to flow from them, drifting like threads in the air, seeping into Zoro's shoulder and arm through the gaps in the bandages.

He grabbed the stethoscope. The metal probe brushed against his clothes. He pressed it against Sauron's chest. The cold metal touched his burning skin. He held his breath and listened.

My heartbeat is steady.

Zoro's stethoscope was imbued with Observation Haki, probing the energy flow within his body. The chaotic Haki circulation slowly stabilized under the golden light.

The rampaging demonic energy was suppressed back into his dantian. His damaged meridians were reopened. His breathing became long and steady. Chopper's eyes widened. His hooves trembled. This was beyond the scope of conventional medical treatment.

On the other side of the pit. Sanji sniffed. The smell had changed. The burnt smell of his calves had faded, replaced by a fresh, vibrant fragrance.

The single eye stared intently at the left leg. The edges of the charred, carbonized skin peeled away. Dead skin shed like dirt, revealing tender, pink new flesh. The new flesh twitched slightly.

The necrotic muscle tissue regained its vitality. Fibers contracted again. Nerve endings reconnected. A strong tingling and itching sensation washed over. Cells proliferated and grew wildly. The toes twitched tentatively.

He pressed down on his knee. He tried to give command to his ankle. His completely useless left leg bent. The sole of his foot scraped against the gravel. The broken bones set. The ribs that had pierced his lung retreated back into his chest cavity. Sanji sat up abruptly. His eyes were filled with shock.

Zoro looked up. The bleeding on his right arm had stopped. His fingers were slightly bent. He locked onto Chopper.

Sanji turned his head. His left leg could support his weight. He stared at the glowing little reindeer.

The injuries reversed in a short time. This wasn't due to the body's own regenerative abilities. The two spoke simultaneously.

"Chopper, what's wrong?"

There was no relief in his tone; only worry. The power was unsettling.

Chopper knelt down, examining his hooves. Golden light gushed forth, illuminating the darkness at the bottom of the pit and the terrified face.

"I have no idea"

The left hoof pressed down hard on the glowing spot on the right hoof, trying to suppress the light. The knuckles turned white. Stop, stop! A desperate prayer rippled through the mind.

The golden light was completely out of control. It grew increasingly dazzling, climbing upwards along the forelimbs. The brown fur turned a pale gold at the roots upon contact. The light spilled like mercury, covering most of the body in the blink of an eye.

His body trembled violently. An internal volcano awakened. His body temperature soared. The air seemed to distort from the heat. His mouth gaped open. His chest heaved violently, like a bellows. Large beads of sweat dripped and evaporated. His strength was being drained away. The price of healing was his energy and body temperature.

Staring intently at the glowing hoof. My mind is in chaos. I'm trying to explain it using a doctor's logic.

"I didn't eat any Rumble Balls. Nor did I use any drugs. This power comes from within my own body."

Images flashed through my mind: Enies Lobby swallowing three Rumble Balls, transforming into a giant, berserk monster, consumed by insane fear, and now this pale golden power—eerily similar to that berserk state.

wrong.

Rampage brings destruction. This power brings life. Pupils constrict sharply. This isn't the effect of medicine. Desperation has forced out hidden power.

"Human Fruit"

He muttered to himself, recalling the legend of Devil Fruit awakening. Could it be a new form forced forth from the depths of the fruit? But why is it completely out of control?

The black water roared and approached from above the pit. The golden light on Chopper's body grew increasingly dazzling. He felt the power spiraling out of control. An unprecedented sense of the unknown completely enveloped him.