Chapter 55
"The search for a doctor in a nameless, cold country"
We're now stuck in one hell of a deadlock. Nami is very sick, her condition is worsening at every passing second and she needs urgent treatment… but Vivi also has to hurry to stop a senseless carnage at her home country! Grrrr… what are we to do?
"Hey, folks! Come to the deck right now! We have stuff to do!", I had to interrupt my thoughts when I heard Zoro screaming from above. We quickly left the women's quarters to check the emergency.
"Adjust the sails to catch the wind coming from port!", Zoro commanded.
"Huh? If the orders are coming from you then I'm not moving, get it?", Sanji complained.
"Nami… what's going on?", I asked.
"The wind… I got this hunch… telling me that a very powerful wind's gonna hit us head-on…", she announced.
Usopp: "Even if the weather's currently this calm?"
"I know my stuff… please, hurry…", Nami asked us.
Sanji, worryingly: "Oi, Nami-san… I know this is all for Vivi-chan's sake, but if you force yourself this much…"
She: "I told you I'm alright! I can't let myself go down because of a simple fever… now move!"
"Nami-san…", Sanji was still concerned.
Me: "Well… guys, for now, let's stop wasting any more time and go take care of the route, ok?"
The guys were still obviously concerned, but they nodded agreeingly at me and we ran to our positions. Sanji and Zoro went to pull the ropes. Usopp, Carue and me went to steer the helm correctly. We then left the cabin to check if the route is already corrected.
"Yeah… we're already heading… in the right direction again.", Nami confirmed. She should be very weak now, having to fight a high fever this whole time… and having to steer the ship as well…
"Guys! I have a favour to ask you."
Vivi came dashing from the bedroom to the railing of the cabin and seemed like she had something important to say.
"I know it's rude to ask this of you just because you gave me a lift, but… my country has sunk in a deep crisis. Therefore, I want to get there as soon as possible and I won't tolerate delays!"
"Of course… we promised that… didn't we?", Nami replied.
We were silent. That wasn't really what we were hoping to hear at this point, but… let's just let her continue.
"However… our main priority right now is… to find a doctor to cure Nami's disease. After that we can head to Arabasta at full speed. Right, captain?"
Luffy, cheeringly, agreed. "Of course! Besides, this ship won't go any faster than this!"
Whew… reason and courage at the hardest of times are the qualities of a good leader. That only means we have to hurry even more! The lives of 1 million civilians and our navigator are at stake!
Only that… just like that, out of the blue… the sky starts to get dark… and right behind us…
"LOOK, GUYS! A CYCLONE!", Luffy pointed, scared out of his wits.
The thing was simply colossal! It was right in the direction we were heading! Holy frickin' cow… look the danger we just happened to avoid!
"Stunning… cyclones are next to unpredictable in the Grand Line… yet she was able to accurately spot a huge one like this…", I thought to myself while grinning in relief as the ship was sailing away from certain doom. My heart was racing… yeah… little details like these are the line between life and death.
…
Scary moment over, Nami got right back to the bed and is now receiving makeshift treatment. Vivi, Sanji and Carue are responsible for her medical care. We were tasked with keeping an eye in our surroundings. As we sailed on, the weather was getting colder and clouder… until it started snowing in the middle of the sea. I had to fetch a blanket to keep me warm for the time being.
"Hey! Guys…", Zoro screamed from the crow's nest.
Luffy asked him: "Can you see any doctors up there?"
"In the middle of the sea? Fat chance, dumbo.", Usopp said.
"Zoro, what's up?", I asked.
He: "Oi… do you think anyone can walk on the sea?"
Me: "Huh? What the heck's with that question of yours? Zoro… what are you seeing?"
He then pointed forward. "So… what's that?"
Yeah… well… I don't really know how I should put it but… either I'm seeing a mirage (?) or… is there a person standing over the sea? The three of us rubbed our eyes, but it was no stinking hallucination.
Usopp: "Guys… are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Me: "Beats me… Luffy, pinch me."
He did so. "Ow! It hurt… Ok, I'm awake, it's no dream."
"It's really cold today…"…wha! The thing spoke!
We got startled… and he as well. We then stood there… silent… until… something came emerging from underneath our ship! We were going up for a few meters before being thrown down back in the sea… that got violent, throwing us further away. I had to get a hold of myself until the waves calmed down. Ahead of us… a frickin' huuuuuuuuuge fortress!
It was then revealed to us that it was a submarine metal cover that opened itself to reveal…
Usopp: "A pirate ship! Oh crap…"…dammit… right when we have no time for this?
Me: "It's chock full of soldiers…"
"Maaaahahahahahahah! Are you surprised? This is my most advanced giant submarine vessel, the Bliking! Maaahahahahaha!"
Me: "Who's it? If you're a man, show yourself!"
"You won't need to say it twice…"…suddenly, just like that, the situation changed… for the worse. We were surrounded… out of nowhere, dozens of soldiers trapped us at gunpoint.
"Fuck… say hello to my big mouth!", I said.
"Guys, what the heck's going…", I looked behind me and I saw Sanji dashing from inside the cabin… for him only to get surrounded by soldiers pointing his guns. He then only stopped, lit a cigarette, analyzed his surroundings and asked: "Hmmm… let me guess… we're being attacked, right?"
"Yup.", Luffy replied.
However, the most unsettling thing amidst all of this…
"You're… you're pirates for real? But only five?"
…was a really fat man wearing a metal armor on his chest and a coat made of polar bear fur that appeared aboard our ship… eating a piece of meat, chomping even the freakin' knife and everything else! Owowowowowowowie… my tongue…
"No matter how you look at it, five aren't enough for a pirate crew!", he said before… before, well, eating the rest of the goddamn knife!
"What the hell's wrong with this guy? He's eating a knife!", Luffy commented.
"Uhyaaa… it hurts just by looking!", Usopp stated while doing funny faces.
"Omnivore detected…", I thought to myself.
The fat man then asked: "Look, we're going to the Drum Kingdom. Don't you guys have an Eternal Pose or a Log Pose or something like that to give to me?"
Sanji: "Well… nope. We don't even know about this place you're going to."
Me: "Now, if you don't mind, can you politely leave?"
Luffy: "We're in a kinda hurry so we have no time to waste with you."
"Haaa… haste makes waste, you know? Ok, if you have no compass, then what am I gonna do? Oh, wait, I know. The only thing reasonable for me to do now is to take this ship and its treasures.", proclaimed the eat-it-all fatso. "But first and before all else… I'm still hungry, so, I'm gonna make a little snack."
Ah… alright, a little snack, it's harmless… then he's gonna le-OI!
Usopp: "WHAT THE F**K IS WRONG WITH THIS GUY?"
Luffy: "DON'T YOU DARE TO EAT OUR SHIP!"
The soldiers started their threats: "Do not interrupt our Lord Wapol's meal!" Luffy didn't give a damn and hit them both.
From then on, all hell broke loose and the shooting started.
"Haaa… can we get rid of them now? We should have done that from the start!", Draw the pencil out and let's get 'em!
"New weapon: Enpitsu Dagger!"
Finally, my new artistic masterpiece for combat purposes will have a worthy test-drive! It's go time!
"Brrrrring it!", then three guys started rushing against me. As they were unarmed, I had to kick and punch them. They were defeated quite quickly.
"You'll soon gonna know your place!" The next were armed with swords and they came rushing down trying to connect a slash. I had to sort it out and stop his sword with my dagger to then punch him straight in the gut! Right against the wall! Another one tried his luck at slashing me, but I could evade and scratch him! Then I kicked and punched those coming to fight me. In a matter of minutes, all of those who were brave enough to fight us collapsed!
"What? It's over already? No one's coming anymore?", as they wouldn't, I decided to call it a day and turn my new dagger back.
"Done! Although I wanted to have more time to test it out…"
"DAMN… YOU… GET LOST!"…I was finished just in time to see Luffy sending the fatso right to the sky with his powers! He flew so far away that we could only see a tiny light in the sky.
Alright, problem solved with a smile! When I stopped to look around me, everyone in the bigger ship were gawking! Vivi as well… Soon after, the troops didn't waste time to retreat.
"Remember what I tell you! Sooner or later, we'll get back at you!", said one of the fat man's subordinates, that one who "walked on the water".
"Wha… who the hell was that guy? 'Wapol' or something like that…", Usopp said, still puzzled with all of this.
"Who cares with the name… he's just another weirdo. Forget that.", Sanji said.
Hmmm… I have this feeling that this won't be the last we will hear of him.
…
Hours passed after that small incident that cost us part of the wood in a side of our Merry. The sun was already setting and as the night fell down, the weather was getting even colder. Therefore, 'twas time to break out my winter clothes! Long-sleeve shirt underneath my sweater and a navy blue winter blazer, paired with warm pants and shoes… and I'm ready to face the cold weather!
Vivi and Sanji, with Luffy to provide smiles, resumed the makeshift treatment to our little sick comrade. I and the others were tasked with overseeing the route. The cold night finally came so we had to stop. Without Nami's navigational guidance, sailing at night is next to impossible.
We all decided to go sleep in the women's quarters so as to not leave Nami all alone, except for Sanji who got "stuck" in the crow's nest, gazing at the full moon. I was a little insomniac, so I decided to get something to read and make me fall asleep. Amidst that, I saw the "patient" waking up slowly and breathing heavily.
"Can't sleep?", I whispered in a low voice.
She got startled but talked back: "Eek! You were awake? I… Nah… it's nothing… it's just…"
Me: "It's just…?"
She: "It's just… that your snores are loud. Though… thank you for staying with me."
Me: "Don't mention it. We'll always be at your side. Now stop trying to force yourself, lie in your bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll find a doctor to cure you, ok? I'm sure of it!"
She nodded and went to sleep. Ok… the book had done its job. My eyes are already heavy and I'm sleepy, so I let myself "rest in the arms of Morpheus".
The next morning came about and… brrrrrrrr! It was pretty frickin' cold! I woke up and as I was heading out of the cabin, I stumbled across Usopp working on repairs in a side of the ship.
"Waaaaaaahh… Good morning… Ah! Usopp-kun… did you fix the damages?", I asked, still half-asleep and stretching.
He: "Yeah, I'm on that… I just can't lounge about and let them wreck my ship. I'm gonna do whatever I can."
Me: "Ok… Sanji-san! G'Morning! How's the weather up there?"
He: "Ah… no good. I let myself sleep… it's goddamn cold…"
Usopp: "We're on the Grand Line, so this crazy weather's no surprise to me anymore…"
"I think we're witnessing the opposite effect…", Vivi said while exiting the cabin.
"Good morning, Vivi-san!", I greeted her.
She greeted me back. "Hello, Dan-san."
Usopp: "Vivi, what do you mean by that?"
She: "If you haven't noticed, the climate's been stable since a few days ago. That's a sign that we may be close to an island."
"Really?", I asked.
She nodded confirming and asked: "Sanji-san… focus your sights in our horizon. We may be arriving at a winter island."
Me: "Winter island? What's that?"
She then told us that, in geographic terms, there are four types of islands: Winter islands, Autumn islands, Spring islands and Summer islands. And each of those islands has its own winter, summer, autumn and spring.
Me: "That means…"
She: "That means we have a total of 16 different seasons, from the summer in a summer island all the way to the winter in a winter island."
"Geh! All of that!", I said, surprised.
She: "Yup. And there's more to it: there are also islands whose climate doesn't fit in this scale."
Usopp: "Now I get it… that can explain why the weather between islands is so crazy."
Me: "Islands with clashing climates, by being close together, end up causing severe weather changes in the space that separates them… hmm… now it makes sense…"
She then concluded: "If the climate stabilizes, that means we're close to an island."
"Guys, I'm seeing land ahead!", Sanji confirmed! We're arriving in solid land!
"ISLAND! WE'RE ARRIVING!"…yeah, speaking of that, Luffy's super-sharp ears detected the message. He then came dashing from the cabin to his favorite seat, saw the island in the horizon…
"WAAAAHH! It's snow-white! Beautiful!"…and got dazzled by it…
Sanji tried to remind him that we're not going to an adventure. "We have to look for a doctor to cure Nami and then leave immediately, capiche?"
He didn't even care… "Snow… so cool… so white-y…"
Me: "Forget it, dude… he's not even listening. Let's just prepare ourselves for the landing."
As we got close to the island, the white was dominant in the landscape. Everything was covered in a white mantle of snow. Far away we could see the enormous mountains that looked like tree trunks… but something was still odd and kinda unsettling…
"Luffy… aren't you freezing wearing only that?", Usopp asked.
"The current temperature's around 14º F! It's a temperature in which bears hibernate!", Vivi alerted.
"Dude, please, go wear a jacket! Just seeing you with small clothing in this cold hurts like hell!", I advised.
He thought for a few seconds…
"Wah, it's freezing!", he said.
Us: "YOU'RE SLOW!"
He then rushed to the room to get appropriate clothing. Meanwhile, Usopp was concerned, as always, with our landing. Will we meet monsters? Or the… abominable snowman?
"Oh god… my 'I-can't-land-on-this-island' disease is striking again…", he, while coughing.
"Oh man, just cut it out, will you?", I said.
We were already entering the island's rivers. After finding a small waterfall that poured out water resulting from melted snow, we decided to park the ship there.
Zoro promptly asked: "Ok, guys, who's gonna search for doctors? Or should I say, for people…"
Luffy and Sanji soon voiced their availability. I also volunteered, but I think we're not gonna move an inch out of our ship…
"Freeze right there, pirate scum!"
Well, looks like this island is inhabited after all… Dozens of men were around us, all of them armed… and looking ugly…
"Oi, oi… they look all but happy to see us…", Usopp commented nervously.
One of the citizens then stepped ahead to say: "I order you to leave this island immediately."
We tried to explain ourselves. "We're only looking for a doctor…", Luffy said.
Vivi: "We have an ill person aboard."
"We're not falling for your same dirty tricks again, you stinking pirates!", another citizen shouted at us.
"Oh goodie… where did I see something like this again…", I thought to myself.
"We barely have met each other though…", Sanji complained.
"Don't talk back at me!"…one of the citizens shouted before shooting!
"You bastard…", Sanji got pissed off and wanted to beat the tar out of him… but Vivi stopped him… and got shot!
"VIVI!", Luffy screamed… "YOU… BASTARDS!"
The citizens promptly readied their weapons, we did the same… however…
"Wait, Luffy-san!"…Vivi got up again and stopped him. "Fighting them now is not the best option! I am fine… the bullet only scraped my arm…", she then kneeled before the citizens and begged: "Very well, as you wish, we will not land on your shores. But we beg of you, please call a doctor… Our comrade is suffering right now… I beg you, please!"
"Vivi…", I whispered. She sure knew her stuff…
She then turned to Luffy and scolded him: "You're a failure of a captain… Just acting recklessly at everything solves nothing! If you came to win this fight… would that do any good to Nami-san?"
Vivi… really… she's a great diplomat. Luffy then stopped to think for some moments and came to a conclusion. "I deeply apologize… I was wrong. Please, I ask you… call a doctor… to save my comrade.", he then kneeled with his head all the way down.
The citizens were all silent, trying to assess the situation, I think. After some moments, a man looking like the crowd's representative, a very large man in a green winter coat stepped forward to say: "I'll take you to the village. Follow me."
Oh, thank goodness… they understood. Sanji volunteered to carry the ill Nami on his back and all of us headed to the village in group. We walked past areas where the snow was up our knees.
During that, the man in the green coat talked to us. "I just wanna say this. Our island has only one doctor. A witch."
"Witch?", Usopp parroted.
Sanji: "Only one? How weird… Anyways, what country is this?"
The green coat man: "This… is a nameless country."
Vivi: "Nameless? Is there such a thing?"
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH! A bear! Guys, play dead!"
A bear, walking just like us (!) was coming by. As soon as he saw it, Usopp laid in the ground, but the green coat man explained: "Ah, that's a hiking bear. It's harmless. It likes to be greeted in the manner of the alpinists." We kept walking but spent a moment to salute the "fellow" bear alpinist, that greeted us back. Well, as for Usopp…
"Um… Usopp-kun…"
No go. Still lying down.
"It's gone already. Stand up and let's go.", I pulled him and we walked to the group again.
We walked for quite a while after that… until we arrived at Bighorn, this country's main village, it seems. People were walking around its white streets, some of them walking their animals. Goats, sheep, bison… all part of a rudimentary but civilized environment.
"Guys, thank you for the company.", we could listen the man talking to the other citizens.
One of them asked him: "Don't you need our help with those pirates, Dalton-san?"
He: "I think they won't cause harm. It's my intuition by experience… believe me."
Hmmm… looks like this man has influence among the people… and he seems like a good leader…
The citizens trusted us to him and left.
"Luffy! Look, another hiking bear!", I heard Usopp's warning.
I then saw him together with Luffy bowing to… a large lady coming by… I just giggled with their little screw-up.
Later, the man… uh… whose name I can't quite recall right now, invited us to stay at his house for the time being. We accepted his invitation, and as soon as we got there, we laid Nami in the bed, covering her with a sheet. He then formally introduced himself.
"Sorry for the lateness. My name is Dalton and I'm the Captain of the Guard in this island. I apologize for our hostile reception."
"Ah… don't worry 'bout it… we're already getting used to… more unwelcome… receptions.", don't tell that to me…
"Lady…", he then stared at Vivi. "Just one question… have we met each other before?"
She tried to wave it off and changed subject. "Ah… n-no… I think you're mistaking me with someone else… But, anyway, can you please tell us more about this doctor called a 'witch'… Our comrade's fever is worsening… it's already in 107º F!"
"What? 107 degrees?", Sir Dalton reacted, surprised.
"It's been like this since three days ago…", Vivi said.
"If it goes up just a little more, it's gonna be the end!", Dalton alerted.
"It's true, but we don't know the cause of her disease nor how to treat it…", Vivi lamented.
Dalton then pointed outside the window: "Can you see those mountains far away?"
"Yeah, those huge-ass moun-", Sanji was saying but stopped as he got startled when he saw a face outside…
"Behold my Mr. Snowman!"
"Shiroraaaaa! The white dragon!"
"I'm gonna kick you both!", Sanji got fed up, left to wreck their snowmen and bring them inside. After this minor interruption, Dalton explained:
"In the top of the highest mountain, there's a castle… without a king."
We searched until finding something looking like a palace in the top of the mountain.
"Wah… I can barely see it…", I said.
Dalton continued: "The doctor and so-called 'witch', her name is Doctor Kureha, and she lives there."
Sanji: "What? Of all the places, why there!"
Me: "By any chance does she have any sort of emergency hotline?"
Dalton said: "No. We have no means of contacting her."
Sanji, annoyed: "What kind of doctor is she?"
Dalton then explained that her medical prowess is unquestionable… but she has her eccentricities.
"She's a 140-odd-year-old lady."
Vivi: "Eeeh?"
Me: "Hundred n'… forty? How can a person live this long?"
Dalton: "Says the legend that she likes very sour plum."
Ok… I heard that sour plum can prolong your life, but that's just scandalous!
Vivi: "What happens to the sick and wounded?"
Dalton said: "This doctor comes on her own. She roams the town, searches for patients, treats them and then grabs anything she wants from them as payment."
Usopp, while drinking hot tea: "Hmmm… looks like some mean oldie!"
Me: "How does she get down the mountain?"
"It's only hearsay but… it's said that she flies through the sky in a sled. That's why they call her a witch. It's said that a creature never seen before follows her as well…", Dalton explained.
Usopp jumped in fear: "I knew it! I knew something like that would be here!"
Dalton continued: "She's the only doctor here, but she doesn't want nothing with us. We can only wait for the next time she comes down the mountain."
Vivi: "Oh dear…"
"It means she can take days as she can take years to come down again!", I complained.
Sanji: "We can't just lay and wait…"
"Oi… Oi, Nami, are you listening?", we turned to see Luffy slapping lightly her face… what the…?
Us: "What are you doing?"
Me: "Luffy! Don't wake her like this!"
She woke up. He then told her: "Look, if we don't climb the mountain, no doctor to you. So, we're going up."
What? Up? Up as in climb?
"You mean… you wanna climb that… gulp… huge-ass mountain?", I swallowed as I was asking.
"You're nuts! Are you trying to get Nami to do that!", Sanji reacted really fast. He wouldn't let his lady risk herself in her state… understandably.
"I can do it!", Luffy said.
Vivi warned him: "Maybe so, but that's gonna be tough to Nami-san!"
"If we fall down, we won't go past the snow for sure!", Luffy continued.
Sanji: "Fool! Any healthy man would die anyway!"
"But, guys, if we look closely at what we have… maybe this is our only hope…", I said.
"Dan-san, that's still too risky! Nami-san's body may not resist.", Vivi alerted.
"I know… it's gonna depend on her spirit.", I said.
"I gotta… I gotta get better… soon… for Vivi's sake…", Nami tried to talk even breathing hard. "It's up to you… captain…", she then raised her hand.
He smiled broadly, high-fived and said: "Leave it to me!"
This sealed a contract of trust between the captain and the navigator before the tough mission that is climbing the mountain. Please Luffy… don't let Nami die!
Luffy and Nami agreed to head on a very risky mission that, if successful, may pay off with a chance for them to see the mysterious doctor and "witch". The climb itself may be dangerous, but the road to there promises unwelcome surprises!
Let's see what will happen on the next chapter! Don't miss it!
