Kae Membrana: A lot of those questions will be answered in this chapter! Not haki for awhile, though. Hmm, I wonder how zoans like Lucci would react if zoan users are affected by Lu? Wait to find out!

Wishfull-star: Aw, what a wonderful review, thank you! I changed things a lot due to personal opinions and wishes of how things were handled in canon lol. I had someone tell me I should stop putting my personal opinions in my stories and save the space for good story telling. It made me laugh honestly.

We're at the Drum arc in this chapter! Things are different from canon a lot, of course. Enjoy~

A bit later, they were having good food with the giants. Luffy wondered where Sanji was all this time. But he was tired and wanted to just enjoy some food. He looked at Zoro's ankles, angry. He saw this, and said he was fine. "You weren't. That was stupid, cutting your legs off?"

Zoro bristled. "We were going to die!" he said.

"You would'a died from blood loss, right? That would have been bad, and we couldn't reattach them! Unless you got two stumps, your time as a swordsman would have been that much harder!" Luffy shot back. The group was quiet as they argued. Luffy got up and left, heading back into the forest. He found a little alcove in a tree and sat there so no animals would bother him.

It didn't take long for Zoro to appear. Luffy looked away. "Are you really mad about my legs?" he asked.

"Of course! And then you didn't trust I would be there for you," Luffy said angrily. Zoro sighed, saying he wanted to be there for him. Escaping death was part of it. But he was scared about not knowing where he was. Luffy sighed, and looked back at his legs.

"It doesn't hurt, and I'm fine." Luffy was still angry. Then they both heard footsteps, but Luffy knew it was Sanji. When he came into view, Zoro demanded to know where the hell he'd been all this time. Sanji was shocked at the blood and soot on Luffy.

Sanji said he was talking to Mr. 0. He asked if they were okay. Well, he asked Luffy, but Luffy said Zoro was okay. Sort of. He tried to cut his legs off. "Huh?!"

"Maybe if you'd been there you would have known why!" Zoro shouted. "God, you're so useless!" Luffy had them stop arguing so they could just go to the others. When they got out there, everyone else was angry Sanji wasn't there. Especially Nami, whose clothes were ruined.

The giants were happy with how everything ended up. Luffy knew things could have been really bad if Dorry had drunk that alcohol. And Luffy was glad the circumstances were able to get him some blood. Vivi wasn't looking at him in fear, or ignoring him, which was good. He knew others wouldn't accept it, but so far his crew had. Maybe he could just somehow sense people that would understand.

He hoped Vivi might be able to stay once they save her kingdom. Nami finally has a female friend. If not, then they'd find another girl to take with them. That was for sure. When Sanji told them the news about telling them they were all dead, and getting a log pose, everyone was shocked.

Luffy started laughing about how things had turned out just fine! They had more food and booze with the giants, them telling the Straw Hats stories of their times, stories about their lives at Elbaf. Usopp was the most amazed. Luffy ended up falling asleep, food crumbs all over his mouth. The party was unusual, but really fun.

Zoro and Sanji had both brought their hunts back to the ship. Two dinosaurs. A t-rex and a triceratops. Both were almost exactly the same size, and nobody had the heart and bravery to tell them which was larger. They fought over it, but when Nami said, "They're both very nice, Sanji-kun! Why don't we cut up and load the useful stuff onto the ship?"

"Yes, Nami-swan~"

Luffy was a bit bummed they had to leave so soon, but time was of the essence now. Dorry and Broggy had a plan to help them get off the island as they followed the new eternal pose, bypassing the year long wait completely.

Then the water started to rise behind them, they were shocked at what they saw. A massive goldfish that tried eating them! "Keep going! Trust what they said!" Usopp called, though he was shaking violently. Luffy also didn't have any urge to try and run away out of the mouth until two bursts of powerful wind slammed into the beast, killing it and giving them a hollow path inside of it, the thing dying instantly as its body was mutilated.

"Thank you, brave warriors of the sea!" Usopp called, and both held up their broken weapons proudly.

When it was dinner that night, grilled dinosaur, Luffy having blood sauce, they asked Vivi what she thought about Luffy drinking blood. "Well, it must be some condition, right? One I've just never heard of. Things are strange on the Grand Line … though you didn't come from it, so I really don't know. I'm not afraid or anything."

Luffy felt confident he could tell her. "I'm not fully human… probably, most likely. Don't know what I am. It's not just appearances that are weird. You already know about my strong senses, and you saw me go really violent near the end of the fight. My blood is also acidic to enemies. Or just fishmen, I don't know."

"I forgot about that!" Nami exclaimed. "Arlong had terrible burns on his mouth and arms." Zoro nodded, remembering it. "And we've touched your blood before after injuries. So strange." Luffy agreed with that. Vivi asked if that was why Luffy's eyes were red, and he nodded.

She smiled. "Well, I'm not bothered or afraid. It's just unfortunate how bad things can get when you aren't able to have any. Dying without it, that's worrisome."

"Well, it's like when humans run out of water," Sanji said, cleaning up the dishes. "They die, too. Luffy just suffers much longer. Which is good, it gives him more time to get blood, at least from other people. He was comatose near the end."

Nami looked very ashamed, and quietly apologized. Luffy had told her over and over that he forgave her, and was never mad, but she still felt very guilty. He had a feeling she'd always feel that way, so he just simply said he forgave her without making any mention of the repetition of this topic.

-x-

Luffy was really hot and sweaty. His hair stuck to his face and there were sweat stains all over his clothes, so he was taking a cool bath, the feeling was really nice. It made him feel less hot, but also fatigued from the water. It wasn't deep enough to leave him immobile, but enough to make him a bit lethargic.

Once the water got uncomfortably cold, he left it and got dressed. When he stood in front of the mirror, he saw a rash on his stomach, right above his belly button. He scratched at it, but it didn't itch and it didn't go away. Well, he was fine. But everyone would get mad if he hid it. Only Sanji was awake to cook food, so he went in there.

But he was distracted by the beautiful berry pancakes! Luffy hurried to the table. "You sure are up early," he commented, serving Luffy because nobody else was awake (the girls) to get their food first.

Luffy nodded. "I didn't feel good, so I took a bath." Sanji was surprised, and asked if he was sick. "I dunno. Maybe. But I've never been sick before, so I don't think so. I have a mosquito bite on my stomach, though."

Sanji looked suspicious, and asked to see it. Luffy stuffed more pancakes in his mouth, standing up before he vomited it all back up. He'd only ever thrown up after he ate uncooked meat or when he heard Sabo was dead. The cook hurried over, and saw Luffy's face was green. "'M'a again," Luffy warned, and Sanji brought him to the trash bin to throw up again.

Luffy heaved until there was nothing left. Sanji got a glass of water and a napkin. Luffy used them, and apologized for the mess. He promised to clean it up, but Sanji refused, and told him to go to the infirmary. It was very rarely used since they didn't have a doctor or any real medical equipment but for first aid.

The older teen escorted the younger and helped him get onto the bed. But then Luffy threw up the water he'd just drank. Sanji got a bucket for him, and Luffy laid on his side, sweaty again. Sweaty and hot. Sanji took off his red vest so he wasn't as hot, and saw the red rash. It was small, but raised on his stomach. "Is this what you thought the mosquito bite was?"

The captain nodded. "I'm gonna go get Nami-san," the chef said and left in a hurry. Luffy's nose felt stuffy, and it felt like there were cotton balls in his ears. He couldn't hear or smell a thing other than what was in that room. That was scary. He felt vulnerable. And not just because he was sick.

Nami hurried inside, Vivi not long after. They saw how sweaty he was, the sheets soaked in it. "He couldn't keep the water down," Sanji said. Nami frowned, saying he would get dehydrated at this pace. "He has a rash on his stomach." Luffy felt they forgot he was in the room, but didn't interrupt, not having anything to say.

Vivi turned pale. "Um, Dorry mentioned bugs carried diseases on Little Garden." Nami freaked. She looked to Luffy, who looked so exhausted. She got a thermometer, and put it in his mouth. "103.8," she said grimly. "Though we don't know if this matters with his body. Maybe giving him blood will fix it," Nami said hopefully.

Sanji left the room and came back with a blood bag. Nami helped prop up the soaking wet captain and helped him drink the blood. She put the bucket in front of him, ignoring the vomited water in front of her. They were all horrified when he vomited up the blood. If he couldn't even keep down blood, that could be a death sentence.

"We need a doctor right now," Nami said firmly. Vivi worried, biting her nails. Nami turned to Luffy and asked how he felt.

"C'nt hear or sm'll," he said. Sanji swore. Luffy didn't like them being so openly scared, but he also was glad they were discussing it with him there and not in private where he couldn't hear. Vivi looked conflicted, wanting to get to Alabasta as soon as possible. Zoro then entered, looking confused.

After all, there was unattended vomit all over the kitchen table. Then he saw Luffy lying on the bed, soaked in sweat and face pink. "Luffy?! What's wrong?" Sanji said he was sick. "With what?" Zoro demanded.

Nami said they didn't have a doctor, so they didn't know. "It could be a disease or sickness from Little Garden," Vivi said. "He can't keep down any food. Or blood." Luffy weakly said he'd be fine. Sanji suggested Zoro feed him, but not directly in case the sickness is contagious. They'd be cleaning the vomit with gloves for sure.

Zoro cut his arm and dribbled it into Luffy's mouth. But even a mouthful, taking quite a long time to fill up, made him throw up, this time missing the bucket, and staining his shorts with Zoro's blood and Luffy's saliva. The green haired teen looked terrified. Nami quickly got a change of shorts from the boy's room, waking up Usopp, and Vivi wiped his skin with a towel.

Zoro and Sanji helped Luffy into new shorts, but it wasn't like he wasn't wearing underwear, so the girls stayed. Vivi offered to clean up the vomit in the galley, not sounding bothered at all. "There are gloves in that box. I'll take the one here."

"'M sorry," Luffy apologized. Sanji smiled kindly, saying it was no big deal. "I'm the capt'n. I shouldn' get sick." Zoro countered this. He may not be fully human, but he was partly human and that meant he would get sick.

"You were just lucky up until now," Zoro said, wiped the blood off of Luffy's mouth as he laid down on his back. They couldn't feed him anything without him throwing it back up. They started to ration blood bags, splitting them up into smaller amounts as testing if he could drink any.

He couldn't.

Nami and Vivi had not seen the last time he went without blood for more than four days, so they didn't know what to expect to see. Only that they knew it was bad. They had not hesitated to veer off course of Alabasta for any nearby island. He was the captain, he both needed to be there for the crew, but they also wouldn't let him die.

He got severely dehydrated, and they had nothing to make an IV drip of water for him. They were so screwed without a doctor. They could only beg the next island they went to had a doctor. Somebody skilled at least in medicine.

Luffy's temperature rose, and they put ice packs on his body to try and calm the raging fever. A good thing was that Luffy was so out of it that he wasn't scared. He slept most of the time. When he was awake, they attempted again to give him water or blood. Neither ever stayed down.

He wasn't awake or aware of the ship being attacked by some weirdo, and the crew said nothing about it. It was dealt with. They were all distraught about Luffy being so sick and them being able to do nothing. Any nausea pills didn't work, either. If only he could keep water and blood down, he might heal. It would at least alleviate the blood problems.

It took five days, with the blood deficit problems advancing with the addition of the rest of his illness and its effects. He had a blanket over him once they entered the winter climate. He was asleep. Slightly aware, but mostly out of it. His senses were also still blocked. When they docked, Luffy couldn't hear the troubles outside, or even the sound of Vivi being shot.

But the captain was allowed on the island. He was carried by Zoro, all of them bundled up. It was weird seeing Luffy with pants and not shorts. They wanted to keep him warm in the cold. They were actually Nami's pants, since he was about the height and build of Nami. she wasn't upset about it, just extremely worried. When they entered the village, they were glared at, and Luffy smiled in his sleep for the first time. Even when sick, there was an overwhelming, familiar and warm scent at the place the ship docked. Ace… Nobody noticed the smile.

When they ran into Dalton, the authority figure there, he narrowed his eyes at Luffy, making them all bristle. Sanji asked if there was a problem. But the man looked more closely at Luffy, the small captain who was clearly very ill, and his body relaxed and glare went away. They went to his home, begging him to tell them where a doctor was.

"Dr. Kureha lives on one of those mountains. There's no way to contact her, and she only comes down whenever she wants. Finds people to treat and then takes half of their belongings. Then there's some strange creature that travels with her." Zoro and Sanji didn't even need to share a look.

"Well, looks like we should get going, then," Zoro said. Sanji said nothing but stood up. He took Luffy's hat and gently set it on the bed. Vivi asked what they were doing. "Bringing Luffy up to the mountain. At this pace, he'll be gone in three more days. At most." His voice wobbled at it, but they all knew it was the truth.

Dalton asked if he really was that sick. "He hasn't eaten or drunk anything in over five days. He already has a health condition on top of that. His fever is nearing fatal temperature," Nami said. "I… it's dangerous for him, but I don't see anything else we can do about it." She took her jacket off and put it around Luffy so he was now wearing two. She also took the beanie off her head and put it on Luffy's.

Vivi didn't look happy with this, but knew herself there was no other thing to do. They couldn't just wait and hope to be lucky while Luffy was dying. Zoro tied Luffy securely to his back, and put a sword under his butt, holding that so Luffy didn't slip off. "Don't fail!" Usopp shouted as the two ran off, not saying anything as they climbed the mountain.

"I hate to say this, but you better not let anything happen to us," Zoro said, their breath letting out small puffs of steam in the chilly air. Sanji said he was protecting Luffy, not "mosshead", a new nickname after Zoro started calling him "perv-cook" or "dart brow". As they ran, the wind steadily worsened as the snow was deeper.

Luffy woke up during that time due to the heavy jostling. His eyes were open slightly, but he fell back asleep before either of them could notice. Halfway up the mountain that led to the rock pillars that looked nothing like mountains, some rabid bunny started to attempt to attack them. They ignored it as best as they could until it went after Luffy, and Sanji kicked it, throwing it up into the air with a shrill shriek.

Zoro said nothing, and they continued on their way. While they went, however, it became clear they were being watched and followed again, but by giant bear-bunnies. They made a complete mess of the situation. With them causing a damn avalanche, but both older teens getting a hold of a rocky outcrop.

The bunnies got caught in their own iditoic actions. Zoro grabbed Sanji's hand as he slipped away, losing his sword until Sanji grabbed it, hanging over the edge with one arm, holding Zoro's cursed sword with his other. Zoro lifted Sanji up with a grunt. Luffy had slipped a bit, and was panting now.

They needed to get there now. The jostling and intense movement was just making it worse. Neither thanked the other, and went back on their way. At least the snow was thinned now that so much of it had gone down the mountain, dooming the bunny bears. They were lucky they hadn't gotten swept away as well.

Though Sanji's arm was bleeding pretty badly after being slashed by the outcropping rock. They eventually made it to the mountain. It took way too long, though. Zoro put all his swords back in the haramaki loop. Sanji helped tie Luffy securely onto the other's back. They both looked up. "How high do you think it is?" Sanji wondered.

"Doesn't matter, we're getting to the top."

"I never said we wouldn't!" Sanji snapped. They both started to climb. The wind got worse, the snow blinding, but it didn't matter as Zoro could hear Luffy's ragged breathing in his ear. If he didn't need to be still, he'd be shaking. Up and up they went, saying nothing, not complaining or making any pained noises as the rough texture of the pole, whatever it was, cut their fingers.

It did hurt, but Zoro ignored it all. He was glad he healed fast and hadn't cut his feet off. Thinking about it, if he had, he wouldn't not be able to do this. Save Luffy. He had been right for getting angry at him. Sanji slipped near the top, and Zoro shouted his name in worry, unable to not. But Sanji caught himself, looking worried and scared by how close he came to falling.

"Are you okay!?" Zoro called over the wind. Sanji said yes, not making fun of Zoro or his genuine concern. They continued their climb until they saw the top. Finally, they clawed their ways up onto the snow, and saw the castle. It was shiny and seemed to be covered in a decorative layer of ice.

Sanji's left arm was trembling, and he held it with his other. Zoro knew he had that wound there, but had climbed the drum anyways. He looked more exhausted than Zoro, and was sluggish. Both were exhausted, but struggled towards the castle. Their legs hurt, they both clearly had burnt skin on their faces from the cold.

They had been wearing gloves and pants, but were still freezing. The hat on Luffy had been lost. "Shit," Zoro said, his legs failing. He was wrong. The wounds on his ankles were bleeding. His legs collapsed under the weight. Sanji was able to walk, and grabbed Zoro, helping him limp to the castle.

It was all for Luffy. After this, they'd go back to hating one another. When they made it to the castle, there was some furry creature there. "Help," Zoro begged. "Help Luffy." He didn't know what the hell it was, but it was wearing clothes and a hat. Sanji was shocked, too, but this had to be the creature Dolton talked about.

Dr. Kureha, the old lady, did not look her age. She had a crop top on, and looked at the bleeding and sick teens. "Chopper, take the two older ones. This one is hours from death." Zoro and Sanji freaked, and Zoro didn't want to be separated. "Calm down! You can come, too. Chopper, carry the idiot with the bleeding ankles!"

Chopper, the monster, picked up Zoro easily. Sanji followed, his legs trembling from exhaustion as he walked up the stairs. When they got there, Luffy was laying on a bed, face bright red and breathing quickly. The next problem would be how to explain Luffy's condition to strangers. Strangers that might refuse treatment to him if they knew.

Chopper got to work on cleaning Zoro and Sanji's wounds silently, both of them focusing on Chopper, who was showing signs of fear of Luffy, seeming to be part animal, after all. "He's not scary," Kureha said before they could. "I've met another fool like this. He ain't gonna eat you. He's a patient," she scolded the monster. Furry man, whatever he was. Chopper nodded. "Now, how long's it been since he drank?"

Zoro wanted to ask how she knew, but didn't. "Five days. He's been throwing up anything. Food, water, blood. He can't keep anything down and has a terrible fever." Kureha wondered where they'd been when he got sick. "A prehistoric island. Little Garden," Zoro said, answering every question immediately.

Sanji was holding his bandaged arm. Zoro had seen the flesh had been badly ripped open, yet he climbed the mountain that took over two hours. But he was more focused on Luffy. "Chopper, get some phenytal and capucius herbs. This sickness isn't usually this bad. This only has to do with the lack of blood mostly. And dehydration," she explained. "Though the fever is bad," she added.

A water bag was set up to help relieve the dehydration. He also got an injection of some medicine and had certain herbs pressed onto his tongue, but not forced to swallow. Chopper was small now, in a much different appearance. Zoro was curious, but not enough to look away from Luffy.

Food and pain medicine was given to both men as they sat quietly, Sanji the more openly curious of Chopper. "So, what are you?" Sanji wondered. Chopper didn't answer. "Is it a devil fruit?" he pressed.

Chopper remained silent, and Zoro shrugged when Sanji looked. After two hours, with Luffy's fever going down but the blood sickness continuing, Kureha finally propped Luffy's body up with some pillows. She got a blood bag from a freezer, checked the date to make sure, and then hooked it up to a feeding tube.

"The herbs help nausea well, but they create a horrifically bad taste when mixed with anything else. That alone might make him vomit again," Kureha explained. "Oi, Chopper, come here. I want to show you something."

The thing was cautious, but when he got a sharp look, he hurried over. The blood was pumped into his stomach. "Look at his tongue, what do you see?"

Chopper's look of fear turned into curiosity. "More tastebuds. A lot more!" he said. Zoro and Sanji were shocked he spoke, but said nothing of it. Zoro didn't like them looking at Luffy like this, but she was saving his life, so he wouldn't complain. She tilted his head up, and shined a light into his nose. "A lot more olfactory cells much lower than normal. What's wrong with him?"

Zoro growled. "There's nothing wrong with Luffy."

"Shut it, boy. You know Chopper didn't mean it in a rude way," Kureha said, making Zoro scowl. She pumped another blood bag in, and then carefully pulled the feeding tube out. Kureha told Chopper that Luffy was only the second person like this she'd ever encountered or heard of. "There's no name for what he is, sadly."

She opened his eyelid to show Chopper his red eye. "Wow. So… he's not dangerous?" he asked quietly.

"Not in the way you think. I don't know his personality. But he'll be weak for at least another hour or so."

"What?! An hour? But he was so injured and ill!" Chopper said in shock, but looked fascinated. Kureha nodded. Blood made him heal quickly. "Wow."

Luffy woke up soon, and opened his eyes to see he was in a place with a high, stone ceiling. He could hear and smell things, and winced as all of the sound returned. He weakly put his hands over his ears. Zoro was there, and a creature that wasn't human handed him ear plugs cautiously. Zoro put them in. He sighed, but couldn't help the smell of everything.

"How do you feel, kid?" an old woman with a bottle of booze asked. Luffy cleared his throat, and was given some water. He said he felt tired, but not dying. "That's cause you're not dying anymore. You're lucky I know what'cha are. Well not really, but I've met another like you," she said conversationally.

Luffy asked who she was. "Dr. Kureha, but you can call me Doctrine." Luffy looked at the creature, and asked what he was. "Chopper is a reindeer who ate the human human fruit. Chopper, we looked at him, we can at least give them a brief explanation," she said when Chopper looked upset.

"Heh… you look pretty cool," he said sleepily. "Hi, Zoro. Sanji. Wh-where are we?"

"Safe. Go back to sleep, you need a lot of rest," Zoro said softly. Luffy wasn't upset about going back to sleep. When he woke up Chopper was right in his face, looking inside his ear with a flashlight. Zoro and Sanji weren't there. They were outside. The sun was setting. It must be a lot later.

He also smelled his crew around, too. It was nice for some quiet. Chopper's eyes widened and he jerked away. "I'm not gonna hurt you." He was still so tired. He coughed and his stomach rumbled painfully. That's right, he hadn't had food in like, five days. Man, he hated being sick! He never wanted that to happen again!

Chopper left, but brought out some bread and slightly cold soup. He lifted the bed for Luffy and put the tray down before running around the corner to watch. Luffy ate slowly, carefully. The soup was good, and the bowl smelled like Sanji. So it was his cooking. He ate the bread more enthusiastically, glad for solid food.

"Hey… do you… attack people? For blood?" Chopper asked with a shaky voice.

Luffy was honest. "If necessary, but I don't hurt them, and it's not often. I usually drink from donated blood. Zoro gives me his blood. Shishishi, he really likes how it feels," Luffy said with a smile. Chopper glared at him. "Anyone I drink from, I knock them out first."

"So, you are a bad guy?" Luffy's face fell, and Chopper looked guilty immediately. Luffy just shrugged. "S-Sorry, that was mean…" Chopper said in shame. Luffy said he understood. It was weirder for people to understand he wasn't a dangerous, scary monster than it was for them to assume he was evil. "... People think you're a monster?"

Luffy said, "Well, I am a monster, technically. I accepted it, but it's different referring to myself as a monster than when other people say it. But everyone on my crew is okay with it. Sanji even makes blood food for me!" He beamed proudly about Sanji's understanding and offers to help Luffy with his personal diet.

Chopper's face relaxed. "People think I'm a monster, too."

"Is it a bad thing to be a monster? I think you look really cool! Shishishi!" Luffy said brightly. Chopper got mad and said he'd always been shunned and hated by humans. "Well, maybe you just haven't met good humans yet," he replied lightly.

"Humans are bad. I hate them," Chopper said harshly.

"Well, lots'a humans are mean. Not all of them, I think at least." He was interrupted when Nami and Vivi ran in. They called his name happily and Luffy waved. He still looked and felt a bit tired, but wasn't so he was uncomfortable. Chopper hurried out of the room. Luffy heard some teary sniffling from that direction.

Nami asked how he felt. "Tired, but I feel a lot better." He removed the ear plugs and saw they didn't hurt anymore. Both women sighed in relief. Nami wiped her eyes. He had really scared everybody, and apologized for it.

Vivi told him it was a disease from Little Garden after all, but it was so, so bad because of how long it had been there. He would have died from dehydration or the fever before the blood issues, but those only made it worse.

Luffy looked out the window. He wanted to play in the snow. "You can't go outside yet," Nami said, as if reading his mind. "Doctrine said harsh changes in climate can hurt you. At least for now. We're going to be leaving the day after tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, Vivi," Luffy said. "We're taking longer to get to Alabasta." Vivi said it wasn't his fault. "Hey, did anyone say something about Ace being here? My brother's scent is here! He must have been here not long ago." Luffy's voice shifted immediately into happiness. Nami and Vivi hadn't heard of anyone named Ace.

Chopper was back, and said a man with an orange hat and a trench coat had visited after the pirate attack on the island that drove Wapol away. "That's him!" Luffy then coughed from raising his voice. "That means he's close. Maybe we can meet up with him." He was so happy. "After Alabasta or at Alabasta maybe. But who's Wapol?"

Zoro walked in, and moved to the bed, sitting on the stone floor next to him, taking his hand in his. He kissed Luffy's forehead, asking how he felt. "Better. A lot better," Luffy said with a bright smile. Zoro looked so relieved. "Hey, who's Wapol?"

Vivi explained about the former "king" of the place. He attacked their ship while Luffy was sick. He was probably dead by then, somewhere. "I pulled no punches. He attacked the ship while you were sick. I cut him down without hesitation."

Neither woman looked upset with this at all. Nami had wanted to make sure he didn't come back, too. And Luffy wasn't bothered, either, if it was an enemy. "Hey, Chopper. These are my crew members. Vivi is a guest."

Chopper asked if they were bothered that Luffy was a monster. They grew angry at the wording before Luffy said it was okay. Zoro said he wasn't bothered. Luffy was Luffy, dietary necessities aside. "There's nothing wrong with him."

Nami said, "There's nothing wrong with being different. Some people may be rude, but not all." She said it knowingly. Luffy beamed and nodded in agreement. He openly said Chopper should come with them. He refused.

"Pleeeassseee," Luffy whined. Chopper shook his head again, and Luffy deflated. Well, he wasn't giving up, he was just tired and didn't want to argue. He yawned, and drifted back to sleep. When he woke, it was the next day, and Chopper was pressing on his stomach. Luffy noticed it was where the rash had been. Stupid rash. "Am I better now?" he asked. He wasn't tired anymore, and sat up. Chopper nodded. Luffy wondered why the other doctor wasn't here. But he didn't ask. He was so grateful for their help. They saved him.

Doctrine came in. "Man, you really are an old woman."

"Watch what you say. I usually ask for payment of half of your belongings, but this time, I'd rather take some of your blood. For medicinal reasons. That a good tradeoff?" Luffy nodded, glad they didn't need to give her anything important. She took out a small syringe and a large bag and filled it up with his blood.

It wasn't enough to hurt him, but he was given his own glass afterwards, Chopper watching in amazement as the little wound healed over. At noon, it was time to go. Doctrine was discharging him, keeping some blood she was excited to have. Chopper was gone. Luffy was dead set on having him. He was a monster, too! And so cool!

Even if he might be weak, Luffy still really liked him! So, he smelled the air for him and went chasing. "Reindeer! Chopper, be my nakama!" He followed him around the area for a long time, maybe cheating by being able to smell and hear him. When he gave him a break, he went to pout with his friends playing on the snow.

"Luffy, maybe he just doesn't want to come," Zoro said.

"No, it'll be fun!" Luffy protested. Zoro sighed, and leaned back against the rock again. Vivi and Nami were waiting in the snow, too. They were all ready to go, now. It was time to leave. They couldn't afford to spend too much time here. They had to get to Alabasta, they'd wasted a week already.

He was just happy he hadn't done anything to make himself sick. It wasn't some stupid thing that was all his fault. Luffy smelled Chopper and looked up. "Hey, Chopper! Come be a pirate with us! You want to, right?!" He was full of energy and his crew seemed so relieved with this.

"It's impossible," Chopper said.

"No, it's not! It's fun, you have so much fun!" Usopp said he wasn't listening to him.

Chopper lowered his head so his hat was shielding his face. "I really want to thank you…" They were all quiet now. Luffy wondered why. Then Chopper looked up with an upset expression. Showing anger but also hurt. "I'm a reindeer! I have hooves and horns! And a blue nose!" Luffy had a slightly sad face on as he listened quietly.

"Actually, I want to be a pirate too," Chopper confessed. "But I'm not human, I'm a monster!" Luffy was sure they went over this, but didn't interrupt. "I can't be friends with humans! That's why I came here just to thank you! Thank you… for asking me. But I will stay here. If you are bored, just come visit me sometimes."

Luffy just thrust his hands in the air and shouted, "Shut up and come with us!"

"Okay!" Chopper cried. It wasn't that hard to persuade him after all! They waited outside the castle for Chopper to say goodbye to Doctrine. Luffy really was grateful for her help. None of them would say goodbye or even thank you to her. Zoro was bothered by her taking his blood.

"Better than her taking half of the things on our ship, right?" Nami asked as Luffy and Usopp built snowmen. "We'll leave once Chopper says goodbye and we'll head straight to Alabasta. That alright with you, Vivi?"

She smiled. "As long as we have a doctor."

"Doctor?" Luffy wondered. Kureha was the doctor, Chopper was the helper or something. Was there another person? He was confused but didn't ask, getting distracted. Usopp offered to get the lift ready so they could go back down the mountain. Luffy helped him with it, so glad he gotta ride it. He didn't remember the climb up. Though he saw Zoro and Sanji's injuries from it, and felt bad.

Sanji had said, "Don't pity us, shitty captain." Zoro hadn't argued, feeling the same. Luffy tried to turn his guilt into appreciation. It was hard, but he felt he'd managed to do so. And he was amazed he and Sanji didn't kill each other on the way up, but didn't say that out loud.

Luffy looked up, and said he heard a lot of commotion from inside the castle. "Looks like somebody is fighting," he said casually. "And screaming! Oh, Chopper!" But the reindeer was running at them frantically. So he was the one screaming. Though he could hear Doctrine shouting, too. Chopper ordered them to get into the sled. "But the lift!" Luffy complained.

"Just get in, idiot!" Nami said, grabbing his jacket and yanking him inside. "Oof!" he grunted when he hit the floor of the sled. But this was way cooler! Chopper was leading them down the cable by himself. Like magic. Well, the lift would have been cool, but this was really awesome, too.

Luffy cheered when the sled hit the snow and hurried downhill, back to wherever the ship had docked. "Hey, let's do that again!" Luffy said.

"We can't! We have to leave, idiot!"

"Stop calling him idiot, witch!"

"Don't you dare call Nami-san that!"

"Shishishi!"

They ended up stopping the sled to look up as they heard a ton of booms coming from the kingdom. They all watched behind Chopper as the snow turned into a beautiful pink. Pink snow, gathered and thick over the place they had just left.

"So beautiful. They look like cherry blossoms!" Nami said in awe. Luffy stated they smelled like snow. But they looked really cool. Luffy was startled when Chopper started to wail and cry. Maybe something special was about the pink snow. They let him cry, nobody interrupting.

On the ship, Nami forced Luffy to go to sleep. "What?! Why?! We have a new nakama!" Luffy protested. Nami said he had been terminally ill! "But I'm all better, now!"

Chopper was shy and quiet, but he said Luffy should still be resting. "There, doctor's orders," Nami said. Luffy blinked twice and asked what she meant. They were still looking for a doctor. "Luffy, Chopper is a doctor."

"What?!"

She sighed in exasperation. "Go to sleep. Now!" Nami said, shoving him into the boys room through the hatch, making him fall on his head and bounce. She wanted him to rest yet rough handled him! Jerk. But he did what they said, and fell asleep fairly easily, even though he wanted to be part of the celebration under the cherry blossom snow.

My regular readers should not be surprised that I hurt Luffy. Hehe!