Chapter Text
The doctor’s office was large and spacious, a well let building with multiple rooms and full of a bustling staff and head doctor that was more than happy to share one of the smaller offices for Starrow’s checkup after finding out that Chopper was a doctor.
“I’ll let you have this room for now but only if you promise to come find me afterwards.”
The middle aged woman had said cheerfully after gesturing them all into the room, a stethoscope hanging around her neck and a chunky sweater beneath her doctor's coat.
“I always love getting a chance to discuss the latest medical trends and practices on other islands, I’m sure you’ve a treasure trove of data I just can’t wait to hear!”
After promising he would, she’d excused herself to go continue checking on her other patients, busy as they were with various injuries still from the night before. Once the door was locked and Robin had posted up a multitude of hidden sentries in the hallway, Nami had pulled out her notebook and pens and began sketching out a simple map of the entire island. She was sitting at the small bedside table while Starrow was sat on the padded examination table next to her, while the others had grabbed stools from the surrounding rooms to crowd in as well.
“The island is only about 25 miles wide-“ Starrow interjected, pointing at the map key she had just added to the side that had a measurement indicating a mile. “-The forests cover most of it and the main export is ore from the mines in the center of the island.”
She added a small x to indicate the mines where he pointed a finger at, giving a curt nod as she quickly established where the two towns sat, the one closer to the eastern coast that they were currently in, and the other further northwest and much closer to the center of the isle. Once she added those she marked a spot on the eastern coast further south.
“And this is where our ship is currently docked. So.”
She sat back and stared up at Starrow expectantly.
“Where are we gonna find that old man?”
She tapped the blank expanse to the east of town, her finger trailing upwards from the ship’s location on the paper.
“This is the path we took from the ship when we tracked Sanji down that night.”
A spare arm appeared from her shoulder now as Robin did the same, a finger tracing from town and out into the blank area.
“And this is the path Chopper and I took to do the same. We all wound up in that same empty field, apart from what I can only assume was the old man’s tree. We all made it to the Hollow that night Starrow. But when we tried to retrace our steps and return the next day, we couldn’t find it.”
“Well…” Starrow spoke slowly now, glancing every few seconds towards the door like he expected someone to come barging in. “I don’t know how it works really, but that’s because it moves. The old man can’t leave the hollow so the whole thing sort of, roams around. You can’t place it on a map.”
Nami looked dumbstruck while Chopper’s jaw hung open in awe.
“If I can’t map the way, then how are we gonna get there?”
Nami groaned, dropping her face into her hands.
Starrow gulped audibly and shifted uncomfortably on the cushioned exam table, flicking at a corner of the paper lining it.
“The only way to find it is to get lured there. By…A Turn Around.”
He snuck a glance over at Sanji.
“Mr. Cook managed to follow a Turn Around without letting it get the jump on him. Do that long enough and it’ll inevitably lead you to the hollow, wherever it is. The biggest problem is that other ones could hear you. He got lucky he didn’t get surrounded until the old man attacked.”
“I can see why you’ve been delaying your own expedition then.” Robin said calmly from where she was positioned by the door, her eyes closed as she watched the hallway beyond. “With how they react to your presence in particular, of course it’d be more dangerous than usual to try and make the trip. But if we go as a group and watch all our sides, I believe we can make it then.”
“Sanji you were really lucky they didn’t get you before you got there!” Chopper was looking up at their cook in awe as the blonde scoffed, pulling out his handkerchief to cough wetly into.
“Sure. Super lucky. Still got my ass handed to me and the Marimo and Luffy frozen into popsicles, but yeah. Luckiest guy on the ship here.”
“Lucky indeed.” Robin murmured lightly. “If you had been attacked on the way in, we may not have been able to reach you in time and you’d have been a dried out husk, dead and frozen under a pile of snow by the time we found you.”
Sanji faltered.
“O-of course Robin-chan. You’re right. I was out there for hours before you guys caught up to me. It wouldn’t have ended well for me.”
“So we’ll need shovels…” Nami was mumbling now to herself and scribbling on the side of her map. “We’ve got one or two on the ship, we’ll probably need to borrow a third. And we need more light. A lot more light. And then there’s the matter of burning up the remains, Usopp should have something for that-“
While Nami planned Chopper switched into his heavy point, coming over to Starrow’s side with a kindly smile on his face.
“Well since Nami is working out the details, and we know how to get there now, why don’t we get this check up over with? I wanna hear about how you’ve been feeling since we took so much blood yesterday! And then I’ve got a few tests I’d like to run…Would you like everyone to wait in another room?”
Starrow shook his head and began shrugging his heavy red coat off.
“No it’s okay. Everyone here already knows everything about my problems and laughs about them. It doesn’t matter if a few more people find out.”
Chopper paused, shooting a glance past Starrow’s shoulder at the rest of them sharing unhappy looks.
“Well… if you’re fine with it then…”
Starrow’s head shot up suddenly, his mouth falling open now.
“Wait! I just remembered. I was supposed to tell you something! It has to do with your two friends in the ice.”
Nami perked up, turning away from her paper of notes and leaning towards him.
“Yes? You did mention something earlier but you wanted to wait. Is it good news or more bad news?”
He shook his head as he pulled his coat off the rest of the way.
“Not bad news, or good news really. I was just. Earlier before the bird told me about her nest, I found a spirit. An older one.” He nodded to himself now as he spoke. “They have always been one of the nicer ones -so I asked about your friends and if they knew anything that could help you melt them out. Y’know. In case my idea…” He faltered now, clearly unsure about sharing.
Sanji stood up carefully now and stepped over to Starrow’s side, placing a warm hand on his shoulder.
“It’s alright. You can just tell us, there’s nobody to be afraid of here buddy.”
Starrow looked up at him anxiously and Sanji could almost not believe this timid, anxious young man was the same goofball that had been making terrible puns and had been brimming with excitement and energy just a day before.
Almost.
But Sanji knew the weight of carrying dangerous secrets and carefully hiding them behind smiles, so he understood. Talking about this overwhelming skeleton in his closet was clearly hard for the curly haired brunette, and frightening to boot. There were literally monsters in the dark that were constantly hunting for him, along with some maniac, and he was already at such a disadvantage with his condition. He looked over at Robin still standing sentry by the door.
“Robinchan, there’s nobody in the hall, right?”
“Still clear for now. Why don’t you go ahead Starrow, there’s no such thing as a bad idea you know.”
The young Dave seemed emboldened by Robin’s confirmation that they wouldn’t be overheard.
“Right. So. That’s what I was doing when the chickadee called out to me. I was in the park talking to the d spirit that was passing through and asked about people getting frozen stiff by the old man.”
“Didn’t your guardian John say it was something the Turn Arounds did to save meals for later?” Chopper interrupted before slapping a hand over his mouth. “-Sorry! Just. Keep going!”
“Well yeah that’s what it’s for. But I asked if there was maybe another way to undo it besides waiting for the sun to come up.” Starrow continued now. “But instead of giving me a answer, they just started talking about how ‘the old man came from across the sea and he and his minions can’t cross it again’ cause of how bad they are. I asked again but he just talked about the sea some more. They talk weird like that. But cause he brought it up, it made me start thinking.”
He held up his hands now in front of him and mimed picking something up and placing it down a few inches away.
“What if you put your friends in the sea? The Old Man can’t cross it, all the trees that have become Turn Arounds can’t cross it or even enter it. What if…his curse can’t enter it either? What if they melted?”
Nami’s eyebrows shot up into her hairline.
“We can’t just toss them into the sea! I mean! Yeah, ice floats, but if it worked -Luffy’s a devil fruit user! He’d drown! And Zoro’s not actually invincible.”
Chopper nodded along hurriedly with a frown on his face.
“If we submerged them in these temperatures they could die of hypothermia!”
“Now hang on a second guys.”
Sanji held a hand up to interrupt their sudden outbursts.
“What if we didn’t throw them directly into the ocean? We’ve got the laundry basins. They’re pretty wide and shallow. We could place them in those and fill it up with as much sea water as we can fit to see if it works.”
“There’s certainly no harm in trying.” Robin added. “Though we need to cut this conversation now. That doctor woman is coming back through the hallway-“
Chopper jumped to Starrow’s side anxiously and began speaking loudly.
“-So we’ll go ahead and get those tests started now Starrow! No need to be nervous! First let me take your vitals-“