Chapter 14 – Zoan-Type Devil Fruit! Chopper's Seven-Form Transformation
"Do your worst!" Luffy laughed. "You can't break this flag." He stated forcefully just as the cannonball smashed into the top of the castle, bursting into smoke, flames and shrapnel.
"Luffy!" Sanji cried.
"Was he hit?" Kureha asked, worried.
"He was blown to pieces!" Wapol answered Kureha, a wide grin on his face, beginning to laugh. This laughter trailed off as the smoke cleared revealing a charred Luffy standing by the flag, holding it above the new hole in the top of the roof.
"I told you," he said in a low voice. "You can't break it! I have no idea who this pirate flag originally belonged to, but it doesn't matter. A pirate flag is someone's pledge to risk their life. It's not something to laugh at. It stands for something that you jackass' will never understand in a million years!" He shouted, face furious.
"It won't break ever, because the skull on it is a symbol of faith!"
"Hey reindeer!" Luffy called down, face lit up with a grin even as he held the shattered remains of the flag pole. "I'm going to kick these guy's butts for showing your friend's flag disrespect. You in?" He asked. Chopper stared up at him, eyes wide.
"Me?" He asked in a quiet voice.
"You idiot!" Wapol cut in, face scrunched in fury. "You just don't get it do you? Alright then, since you feel so strongly about that flag, I'll destroy you along with it!" He shouted, aiming his right cannon at Luffy and the flag. Sanji broke into a run towards Wapol, frowning slightly.
"I don't think so tubby," he said sprinting up towards Wapol. About half-way across the distance separating them a loud, painful crack echoed through the air and Sanji froze, body convulsing slightly as he began to fall to the ground, his face screwed with pain. Kureha frowned, eyes tight with worry.
"Looks like your backbone gave out. Your condition will continue to worsen if you keep moving," she pointed out as Sanji landed in the snow. She broke into a run towards him, voice darkening slightly in anger.
"So stop moving! Doctor's orders!" She shouted, driving her foot into his back with a huge amount of force. Sanji slid through the snow with the force, back sounding another horrific crack as Kureha jumped away from Sanji's prone body. Wapol broke out into laughter, grinning at the discord.
"If you two want to fight amongst yourselves, then please by all means do so. I hope you'll at least watch that flag get blown to bits." He chortled. His face turned back up to Luffy, expression darkening.
"Straw Hat! Say your prayers!" He called, his face breaking into a dark grin.
"Kaien," Sanji choked out from where he was motionless on the ground. "Stop him," he ordered waving an arm weakly in Wapol's direction. Kaien simply slid to the ground to sit cross-legged next to Sanji, pulling his scarf from his neck and placing it snugly around Sanji's face, protecting him from the snow.
"This is something Chopper needs to do." Kaien stated simply. Kureha nodded in agreement.
"Your friend's right blondie," she acquiesced watching Chopper run towards Wapol, crying out in anger. "Chopper is stuck in the past, and I think this is what he needs to be able to finally move forward."
"That's the spirit!" Luffy cried, slamming the flag pole into the rubble of the roof. "Go get him, reindeer guy!" Chopper raced forward, ducking under Wapol's stubby arms and leaping into the air in front of him, fist drawn back.
"Wapol sir!" His conjoined men cried, eyes wide as they dove in front of their king. Chopper's fist slammed into their braced arms with a dull thud.
"Well, would you look at that!" Kureha giggled, glancing at Kaien. "That fur ball's got more courage than a full grown man." She grinned, a proud glint in her eyes as Chopper jumped back carefully, leaving enough space between him and his opponents to dodge any attack, and yet attack himself with an opening. Chessmarimo laughed.
"You'll have to do better than that, freak! If you want to lay a single hand on Wapol, our King." They taunted. Chopper scowled, shrinking down to his normal size. Chessmarimo stared at him.
"Wow, there really are some strange creatures in this world. You must be that Yeti the villagers hate and fear. They tried to kill you, didn't they? Of course they would," they laughed. "You're a monster! I bet you spent your whole life alone, with no friends." They pointed at him. "No-body likes you, you're a monster, and yet you're still here trying to save this country. That has to be the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" They called.
"Shut-up!" Chopper screamed at them, shaking in anger. "Even if I don't have friends, I can still fight for something I believe in! As long as that flag flies, I will." He stated, glaring at Wapol and Chessmarimo.
"Hey!" Luffy called from above, dragging everyone's attention to him. "That's not true!" He yelled down to Chopper, flinging his body backwards to stretch his arms in preparation.
"You do have friends! I'm your friend, Reindeer!" He yelled, flinging himself forward, flying from the flagpole to land right in front of Wapol and Chessmarimo, and knocking both of them aside in a shower of snow.
"Oh no, Straw Hat!" Chopper called, leaning forward to try and see Luffy through the floating snow. The snow cleared, leaving a chuckling Luffy kneeling in the snow, one hand braced on his knee and the other holding his hat firmly to his head. Luffy grinned as Chessmarimo rolled back into his feet.
"Hey reindeer, can you finish of that two-headed guy for me?" He asked, pointed at the struggling duo.
"That one over there?" Chopper asked, glancing over. "Piece of cake." He said, face serious. Luffy's grin widened.
"Good. While you're doing that, I'll take care of this one," he said, turning to Wapol as he climbed to his feet, towering over Luffy.
"You dare to knock me, this country's monarch over?" Wapol exclaimed, slowly waddling closer to Luffy. "You'll pay for that insult!" He growled. Luffy and Chopper stood almost back to back, until Chopper took a step forward.
"I'm going to take you down," Chopper said, eyes dark. Chessmarimo laughed.
"Is that so?" They asked mockingly. "You and what army? Huh, you little freak?" They asked. A small smile spread over Chopper face as he brought his hand up. Clasped in his hooves was a small yellow ball.
"Listen up!" He yelled at Chessmarimo. "My name is Tony-Tony Chopper, and the whole world is going to know the name the greatest doctor gave me. He was a wonderful man, even if he forgave you for disrespecting his flag, I won't!" He yelled, face screwing up in renewed anger. Kureha smirked, pushing into Sanji's back until he yelled in pain. Kaien patted him on the head and Sanji groaned into Kaien's scarf.
"Why is it never a beautiful woman…" He groaned.
"The only one who'll show no forgiveness is me, I'll stomp you." Chessmarimo said as they walked towards Chopper. Chopper brought the ball closer to his face.
"Rumble Ball."
"Dalton, no!" Vivi cried, hands pressing hard against one of the many wounds in Dalton's chest as he lie cold and motionless in the snow. "Please wake up! Please Dalton, you have to!" She cried, as the others slowly surrounded her, grim looks on all their faces.
"Vivi," Usopp murmured quietly as he watched the distraught princess shaking the large man.
"Don't worry," a new, fragile sounded voice echoed from behind the group. Everyone spun to see around two dozen men, clothed in pink gowns and masks, and white plastic gloves. "He's not dead."
"The twenty MD's!" One of Dalton's men cried as they approached.
"He will be soon if we don't act quickly," a different doctor said. "He has severe frostbite."
"We should begin treating him immediately, if you'll let us," another said. Murmurs broke out amongst the villagers.
"Hey," Zoro began. "What do you know, there are doctor's here." He said, arms folded as he stared blankly at the men in pink. "That's funny, I thought I heard there weren't any in this country."
"There are a few doctors, but these guys are the twenty MD's. They worked exclusively for Wapol, so that makes them bad doctors." Usopp explained, watched the group warily.
"That's right!" A villager cried. "We can't trust any of you traitors! You expect us to leave Dalton with you? You all walked away without a fight and turned your backs on us!"
"Wapol probably sent you here to kill Dalton," another added, eyes hard.
"Please, if you want to save him do as I say," the first doctor begged. There was silence amongst the villagers. The doctor slowly removed his glasses.
"The twenty of us are still doctors, even though we were forced against our wills to serve only Wapol. We've always worked to advance our medical research, for the benefit of all the patients in this country. It was all because of a… certain quack who taught us never to give up. We can't afford to lose any more men like him. So please, let us help."
"The effect of the Rumble Ball lasts three minutes." Chopper said, glaring at Chessmarimo. "All the time I need to take you down," he said with a small grin.
"Three minutes?" Chessmarimo asked skeptically, laughing. "You couldn't defeat me in three years, let alone three minutes." They scoffed. Chopper tossed the ball into the air, catching it with his teeth.
"Rumble," he said as he broke it, clamping down with his jaw. Chessmarimo laughed, pulling out two bows with fire arrows ready on the strings.
"You aren't going to win, not against this," they said. "Fire the snow-melting arrow!" They cried, releasing both strings, sending the burning arrows flying towards Chopper. Chopper began running towards them, changing into the generic deer shape as ran. He sidestepped both arrows easily, continuing on to Chessmarimo.
"Just a transformation, eh?" Chessmarimo scoffed. "I was expecting something more. All you have to show are devil fruit powers?" They asked. "You're a zone type, just like Dalton. So you're a reindeer-human, huh?" They asked, grinning. Mid way through his stride, as he got closer to them, he changed back to his heavy-point.
"No! I'm a human-reindeer!" He retorted. Chessmarimo laughed.
"Well, I know all about the three form transformations you zone types use. You've got no more surprising to spring on me!" Chessmarimo shouted, pulling hammers out of seemingly thin air. "I've seen all three of your forms, and you're exactly like Dalton! So there's no way you can-" They started, raising the four hammers in the air. Mid-stride, Chopper transformed yet again.
"Jumping point!" He called, springing at least twenty metres into the air. As he began to fall, and Chessmarimo leapt up to meet him, he transformed yet again, into a giant ball of fluff, the impact of one of the hammers having no effect through his thick fur.
"What's going on?" Chessmarimo exclaimed, eyes wide as Chopper bounced backwards. "How is this possible? You zone types only have three forms! What the heck are you?" They asked. Chopper grinned.
"The Rumble Ball is a special pill that enhances the power of the devil fruit's transformations. Over five long years of research, I discovered four additional transformation points. Do the rest of the math yourself, you jerk." He growled. Chessmarimo stared at him with barely concealed terror, eyes widened in absolute shock.
"He had a seven form transformation?" They cried. "That's impossible, I don't believe it!" They retorted. Luffy eyes lit up and a massive grin crossed his face from where he stood watching.
"A talking reindeer who can transform into seven forms!?" He fell to his knees, crying. Kureha glanced over at him from where she was comfortably seated on Sanji back.
"Your friend, what's the matter with him?" She asked, watching Kaien as he slowly climbed to his feet.
"There's only so much happiness about a transforming reindeer a guy can take," Sanji replied, staring at his hopeless captain. Wapol slowly walked up behind Luffy, his face dark in anger.
"You bastard, did you forget about me?" Wapol asked, aiming both his canon's at Luffy's head. Kaien, Kureha and Sanji sighed as all Luffy did was continue laughing.
POPOPO
Okay. It's been ages. I'm a horrible person. But I've updated, which should redeem me slightly :). This is technically only half a chapter. I felt so bad at leaving you all hanging I published this. The other half will be next chapter, so that one will be a bit shorter as well. There wasn't much Kaien in this one, unfortunately. But it's Chopper's moment and we can't deny him this. Kaien will kick some ass later. Until next time, which should hopefully be much less time that last time -_-.