Chapter 7: Road to Drum Island

It had been two days since the sound assassins attacked… Nami's condition grew steadily worse… but they continued on their way… they still had 5 days… fortunately mid day on the 3rd day the weather began ot stabilize… meaning that were reaching an island… Vivi had explained the weather of the islands of Grand Line… how each island is categorized at Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter… and summer on a summer island is different on a winter island… Drum Isalnd was a winter island. Everyone had dressed for the weather… except for Luffy.

At that moment Luffy and Usopp were having a snowball fight as it currently snowing. Tashigi who was nearby polishing her sword who annoyed at the two… mainly because it seemed that they didn't care about Nami…

"Hey!" she yelled as she couldn't take any more.

"What?" asked Luffy, "You want to join in too?"

"No… I was wondering how you could be so calm when your navigator is sick… aren't you worried at all?" she asked.

Luffy thought for a moment, "I am… but… there's right now… nothing I can do… so for now all I can do is wait…" said Luffy.

Tashigi sighed… then a snowball hit her in the face.

"Bark!" barked Akamaru pointing to Usopp (Translation: He did it!)

"Oh no! Don't blame me! You were the one who threw it…" said Usopp.

Tashigi wiped the snowball from her face, got up and decided to do watch in the crow's nest… with Zoro.

"So decided to join me?" asked Zoro with a smirk.

"If I knew you were up here I wouldn't have joined…" said Tashigi.

Zoro glared at and continued watch using binoculars he had. After a few minutes he began to rub his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"There's some guy standing on the water…" said Zoro.

"How much booze have you had today?" she asked.

"I really see him see for your self!" yelled Zoro.

"Tashigi looked though the binoculars and saw… a man in a strange checkered outfit standing on Thwe water.

"Okaay…" said Tashigi with a sweat drop.

That's when the sea got rough all of a sudden and a giant ship appear from underwater.

About 10 minutes later Sanji came out of the girl's cabin.

"What happened out here?" she asked.

Luffy who was building a snowman replied, "Oh this fat guy came on ship with a giant crew and tried to eat me!" said Luffy.

"He took a bite of the ship…" said Usopp fixing a piece of the ship.

"Okay…" said Sanji with a shrug… it was best leave things at that…

When Luffy finished his snowman he went over to the ram's head.

"That… eaten… I… re-seal…" said a voice that Luffy heard… but he couldn't fully understand it… it was like static… Luffy cleared his ears and looked around… but saw nothing.

"Hey Zoro did you just hear someone talk?" asked Luffy to Zoro who was the nearest person.

"No why?" asked Zoro.

"Oh… okay…" said Luffy.

That's when Luffy saw the island "Hey! Is that it!" yelled Luffy pointing to the winter snow covered island with very tall… strange mountain that looked like drums.

The Vivi and Ace came to check.

"That's the island alright…" said Vivi.

"So that's the island where that doctor is at…" said Luffy.

"Hey Luffy… are you cold?" asked Usopp joining them.

"Why do you ask?" asked Luffy.

"It below freezing and your wearing sandals, a vest, and shorts…" said Usopp.

After about a minute of being reminded Luffy realized "It's cold!"

"You just realized?" asked Tashigi with a sweat drop as she joined them.

They slowly approached the island… when socked it seemed no one was around.

"I guess we should find someone…" said Luffy.

"There's people here…" said Zoro preparing on of his swords, "Come out now!"

That's when many people came with weapons.

"Lave right now pirates! Or else…" said a very large man dressed in green.

"We don't mean any harm! Our friend is sick and we need to find someone named Dr. Kureha to make her better!" yelled Luffy.

"Dr. Kureha… what would make you want to see her?" asked the man.

"Because this guy Jiraiya recommended her…" said Luffy.

"Jiraiya?" said the man.

"Dalton… this could be a trick…" said one of the other men.

"I doubt it is…" said the man named Dalton, "I believe you…"

"Why would he believe us so easily?" asked Usopp.

"Maybe it was something to with Jiraiya…" said Ace.

And so the men that almost fought them led them to a village, Zoro and Carue stayed back to guard the ship. Dalton always glanced at the pirates wondering why Jiraiya told them about Dr. Kureha. Dalton lead them to his house where they put Nami in a bed.

"Really… Jiraiya told you?" asked Dalton in disbelief.

"Yeah…" said Ace.

"Why did you ask?" asked Luffy.

"Well… you might find this hard to believe but everyone on the Island knows Jiraiya… mostly due to his peeping at the local bath houses and… his "relationship" with Dr. Kureha…" said Dalton.

"What do you mean "relationship"?" asked Sanji.

"It's not uncommon to find him half conscious in the woods… beaten up by Dr. Kureha… there's many rumors about the two… that they go way back to when Jiraiya was one of the Legendary Sanin of the Hidden continent… that they knew each other well some how… and that she doesn't like to be seen around him for unexplained reasons… and not because he's the world's biggest pervert…" said Dalton.

"I take it you know him well…" said Ace.

"I do… I saw him last month…" said Dalton.

(Flashback)

Dalton was ridding a horse to a place where a strange crash happened less then before… he had arrived to the site to find a half concouis Jiraiya in a huge crater…

"What happened to you?" asked Dalton already knowing the answer full well…

"She punched me off the mountain…" replied Jiraiya, "Can you help me get up… I can't move…"

(End of Flashback)

"Over the passed year… I became the guy who bailed him out…" sighed Dalton.

"So where is this Doctor?" asked Luffy.

"You see those mountains… Dr. Kureha lives on the top of those mountains in a castle.

"Is she a witch?" asked Usopp.

Akamaru rolled his eyes… "Bark…" he barked (Translation: Idiot)

Usopp glared at the dog… it was best if he pretended to not understand in front of Dalton.

"Actually… that's what they call her…" said Dalton, "One more thing… the only way up there… is to climb…"

"What?" said everyone else.

"That's right…" said Dalton.

"I'm going to get her up there!" said Luffy.

"That's crazy…" said Tashigi.

"What else can we do… there's no other way…" said Luffy.

"I'm going too…" said Sanji, "After all we can't leave Luffy in charge of Nami is her condition…"

Luffy just laughed and rubbed the back of his head.

Elsewhere… in Braque Works secret HQ, Miss All Sunday had just left a room and entered a hallway after closing a set of double doors.

"So have both you accept my invitation yet?" asked a voice.

Miss All Sunday was startled as she saw Akumi seemingly appeared by her.

"How did you get here?" asked Miss All Sunday… though a part of her didn't really wasn't to know.

"I'm a ninja… then again that answer really doesn't cut it… it's one of my three blood line limits… it's called I.L.D.T… it stand for Instant Long Distance Teleportation, my father created it when he made me… using his own genes…" said Akumi.

"You can teleport…" said Miss All Sunday.

"Yes… as long I know where I'm going… or if I know where a person I met is… just by homing in on that person's charka signature…" said Akumi, "That's how I got here… by homing on you… I know I could use this to kill our enemies… but I haven't because their on to me… and I haven't awakened one of my other blood lines yet… the one created by my Great Grand Father… Kabuto… oh but I'm just going on and on about me… I believe you haven't answered my question…"

"I haven't told him yet…" said Miss All Sunday.

"Really… I minds as well…" said Akumi walking towards the double doors.

She opened them and entered the room where Crocodile was sitting… she saw the young ninja enter the room and got up.

"Who are and what are you doing here?" demanded Crocodile.

"My name is Yakushi Akumi… don't worry I only come in peace… I'm here to offer and alliance between Baroque works and who I work for…" said Akumi.

"Who do you work for?" asked Crocodile right when Miss All Sunday entered the room.

"I guess you haven't heard of the Village Hidden in the Sound… I am the right hand woman of Lord Orochimaru…" said Akumi taking out a scroll, she tossed to Crocodile who caught it.

"What this?" he asked.

"I guess scrolls aren't common on the Grand Line…" said Akumi with a sweat drop, "May I see it again?"

She walked Crocodile who handed back the scroll, he watched her open it… which handed back. Crocodile began to read… he smirked after he finished was read.

"So you wish to kill Princess Vivi and those pirates too…" said Crocodile.

"correct… so you wish for an alliance…" said Akumi.

"Of course…. What a perfect way to gain strengths…" said Crocodile.

"But Sir Crocodile… this man… Orochimaru…" said Miss All Sunday, "I read a lot about him… he has been known to make alliances and…"

"That was years ago… 98 years ago to be exact… a lot of things have changed…" said Akumi, "Orochimaru is a changed man… in many ways… sure he has quite a few bodies since then… and gained quite a bit of bloodlines… even a devil fruit or two… but he now knows not to kill the person he made an alliance with now…"

"I'm sorry All Sunday… I have made my decision…" said Crocodile, "Tell your boss that I have excepted…"

"Very well…" said Akumi who disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Crocodile…" said Miss All Sunday.

"If he tired anything… I will stop him…" said Crocodile.

Miss All Sunday kept quiet… it was best to wait to tell that Orochimaru was far from something human.

Back on Drum Island, Kaya and Vivi helped tied tie Nami to Luffy back.

"Before you go… I should warn you… climb the other side of the mountain… this side is ran by the Lapahn… rabbits…" said Dalton.

"I'm not scared of any rabbits…" said Luffy.

"Okay… she's all set…" said Vivi, "Be careful you guys…"

"Ready!" yelled Luffy.

"Ready…" said Sanji.

And so the tow Nami on Sanji's back set to the castle… not knowing what twists and turns will happen…

Next Time: After some things happened that renders Sanji's severally injured... Luffy must climb a giant mountain while carrying both Nami and Sanji... during this climb something happens... involving a certain fox... is it a good thing or a bad thing? Will Luffy make it to the top? Is this preview only describing the first half of the chapter? Find out next time...