Chapter 11
Location: Drum Kingdom
Time: Evening
The inside of the castle is a mess clearly having been trashed earlier in the fight with Wapol. Walls were destroyed, leaving rubble just about everywhere we walked and the castle itself was filled with snow and ice, which was only made worst by the fighting. Nami twirls a large key on her finger while she leads us to a pile of rocks with a hole above it and the top portion of what used to be stairs. Luffy sends his arm up and pulls himself up to the second floor before turning around, wraps one of his arms around Nami's waist, and pulls her up in a display of control I didn't expect from the rubber-brained idiot. I jump up and land next to the two who proceeds to lead me to a closed door and knock.
"Go away."
"Please come in."
Two separate voices call out one clearly annoyed and the other weak but familiar. Nami ignores the first voice and opens the door. We find Vivi lying in bed wearing a pair of Nami's blue pajamas and wrapped in think blankets but looking much better than she had before, considering she was awake and sitting up. Sitting across from her with their feet up and a large bottle of alcohol that they were knocking back like water was Doctor Kureha. She wore a white shirt with green sleeves and edges and five cherry blossom leaves that cut off above her belly showing off her gold navel piercing and emphasizing her generous bust. Tight purple leather pants with a pink zigzag pattern that widen out till it reached the bottom left leg making it completely pink, brown leather boots. She would be very attractive if it wasn't for her face. A long pointy nose, not Usopp long but who was, deep lines all over her face from excessive probably due to the Cheshire cat grin that show far too many teeth to not seem vaguely threatening. Oddly she wore a pair of shades over her eyes and used her real glasses like a headband to hold back her long grey hair.
"Hey look who's returned to the land of the living, the crew was worried about you, we going to have to replace the wood outside your door from all the pacing." We gather around Vivi's bed.
"I'm feeling much better now, sorry for worrying everyone."
"Ha, leave it to a princess to apologize for nearly dying."
"A princess huh?' whoops forgot she was there, 'might have to up my prices." Did Nami have heat vision too?
"How's the yeti?"
"His name is Chopper, he's a reindeer and he's fine though that ray of Wapols did a number on his fur." Nice, distraction successful. "That ray you were shooting around looked awfully similar." Not good.
"So how long till we can leave? We should get to Alabasta soon." I turn towards the Doctor.
"No chance of that, she'll need at least three more days before she's made a full recovery. She won't be going anywhere till I release her."
"I've been trying to tell her; we need to get out of here and get Vivi back home." Nami finally turns her glare onto the lounging doctor.
"And like I told you before little girl, she's not going anywhere." Nami looked like she was about to attack the doctor before something seemed to catch her eye and her smile became predatory before becoming painfully innocent.
"But what if we had an onboard Doctor to take care of her?"
"Yeah, old lady, join my crew." The bottle bounces off Luffy's head and shatters on the ground.
"Don't worry Luffy she's not the only doctor around, she isn't even the only doctor in this room isn't that right Dr. Chopper." She turns towards an open-door way where a small brown creature with a dark blue nose an impressively large hat with a pair of antlers sticking out the side. He was covered in bandages on both his torso and arms and seem to be holding onto the doorway.
"What's the tanuki doing?" I ask.
"I'm not a Tanuki! I'm a reindeer!" He shouts.
"He's hiding."
"Hiding what? His fingertips?"
"He doesn't have fingers he has hooves duh."
"Thanks, Luffy."
"Ignore the idiot's Chopper, so what do you say, want to be a pirate?" Nami smiles kindly at the small doctor. Luffy's face glows as he stretches and grabs Choppers legs freaking him out and sending him running in a panic.
"JOIN MY CREW!"
"NOOOO GET AWAY FROM ME!"
"Can't say I like how you're trying to steal away my assistant." Doctor Kureha seem to be smiling but it had a dangerous edge to it.
"Since when do I need permission to go after a man?" Nami's smile seems to match the doctors in intensity.
"Nami!" Vivi seemed shocked at the implication, though I'm not completely sure why.
"Kehihihihihi, fine girly your right you don't need my permission, but that does remind me of my fee. I'll be taking all the treasure you have on that ship of your as well as anything else I want."
"MY TREASURE!? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" If looks could kill Nami would be mass murder by this point. Two fought over pricing with neither budging an inch so I turn to Vivi who seems to be vainly trying to calm down the two she-devils.
"Hey Vivi, where did Dalton go?" I hadn't seen the large man since he entered the castle.
"Oh, he went back down the mountain to tell everyone what happened, and to bring the men injured during Wapols attack up for treatment." At this point, the fight between Nami and the doctor seems to have settled down enough for me to intercede.
"Hey Doc, what if I can offer you something of greater value than what we have on our ship?" That silences both women immediately as they turn to me with dangerous looks.
"You know where something more valuable than my treasure is and you didn't say anything." The woman has a one-track mind when it comes to money.
"Relax Nami, what I'm offering the doctor has no value to us, but someone like her' I turn to Kureha, 'would find it very appealing… probably."
"Speak up brat lets here what you're offering." I reach into my pocket and pull out my first card. An Eternal Pose I stole from Mr.3s ship, Vivi gasp and on seeing it.
"Relax it's not what you think." I turn it around to show them it is labeled 'Little Garden' at the bottom. "I'm sure you notice while treating her that she was infected by a very old virus."
"Piff 'old' try extinct I thought Kestia died out 100 years ago, and yet your friend seems to have been infected a day or two ago. The antibiotic was useful so I kept them around just in case."
"Yeah, well she got that while exploring this island' I motion towards the Eternal pose, 'Little Garden is and tropical island seemingly untouched by man, where creatures and plants thought to be long gone roam freely. I'm sure someone with your medical background could make use of the resource the Island can offer."
"Oh, and what makes you think that kind of thing matters to me, I have all I could want right here besides I don't sail leaving this island isn't something I'm interested in." She counters.
"No, but we saw some of the island as we made our way here it looks like you guys could use some new imports. You wouldn't have an issue convincing the islander to go to Little Garden that's only I day or two round trip to gather supplies for you. Not to mention you're a doctor living on a winter island I'm sure there are ingredients or regents you require that just don't grow in this climate." Two prong attack appeal to her better nature as a human by mentioning this would help the island and her inquisitive nature as a doctor by mentioning the possible new things she could learn.
"You're a smooth talker boy, fine I'll cut my fee in half' Nami goes to speak up but the doctor continues over her 'I'm still the one who has to do all the work just to get what I need, so fifty percent of the treasure on your ship is mine." I raise a hand to stop Nami from arguing with her, it's time to bring out my trump card. I look around the room before spotting a clean Petry dish I gesture for permission and once given by the skeptical-looking doctor I pick it up. I hope that I'm right about this because if not I'm going to look really dumb. I bite into my hand as hard as I can, and for a scary moment the skin holds before I taste blood, I sigh in relief about being right before dripping some onto the dish before the wound seals up. The women all look at me like I'd just grown a second head. I hand the dish to Kureha who looks at it and then back at me. "What's this supposed to be?"
"You're the doctor you tell me." I say confidently. She looks at me then back at the blood sample before moving over to some of her equipment. After a moment of setting everything up just right, she starts examining the sample.
"Yup just like I thought it's blood.' She starts sarcastically before humming '…hold on that's not right." She fiddles around with the blood for a while before pulling back from her microscope and rubbing her eyes as if to remove spots and going back to the blood. "Hang on that would mean." She moves around the room gathering different containers before moving back to the sample and adding different things to it while watching for a reaction. "This isn't possible." She sits back after introducing all the mixtures into the blood. "Your blood doesn't make any sense. No matter what I did I couldn't break or alter it in any way, hell from what I'm seeing it appears to be as fresh as if you'd just drawn it seconds ago even after going through all the tests. What the hell are you?" I chuckle.
"If you think that's weird you should see what happens when it's exposed to direct sunlight." She glances at me then to the window before moving the microscope so the dish was in the sunlight before peering back into the lenses. She takes in a sharp breath of air as she sees what's happening to the blood sample now. She finally looks up and stares at me like she'd just found the holy grail.
"Your blood… it…this could be the answer to-"
"Eternal youth, cure for all know disease yada yada yada, trust me I've heard all this before, all I care about right now is' I lift up a vial I filled with my blood while she was busy 'how much is it worth to you." Her are glue to the blood for a moment before she lets out a deep sigh and snatches it from my hands.
"Fine I'll wave the fee but she stays until she's healed fully." The doctor says with finality.
"Doctorine,' Nami gets her attention pulling out the key she was twirling around earlier, 'weren't you asking Dalton for the key to the arsenal earlier." Nami's smile is filled with far too many teeth. The doctor's glare could melt paint.
"You all have to be the most frustrating patients I've ever encountered.' She snatches up the key 'I'm going to leave you alone now I have something to take care of, if you go into the back, you might find one of my coats and I'm not exactly posting guards on you or anything but you better not leave that better you hear me." She turns and struts out of the room.
"You heard the woman let's go before she changes her mind." I sprint to the back and grab the coat for Vivi. "Besides I'm sure Luffy has convinced the little doctor to join." Once Vivi is fully dressed I pick her up and start running.
"I can walk myself."
"You're still recovering, so you better get used to being taken care of at least for the next two days." We make it outside passing by a large group of villagers that are carrying wounded into the castle. The rest of the crew were already outside Zoro dressed like one of Wapols men, Usopp looked to be building a snowman and Sanji stood nearby smoking, which changed once he spotted us.
"NAMI! VIVI! ARE YOU ALRIGHT NOW!" He immediately entered ero-cook mode.
"I'm fine Sanji sorry for worrying you all." All our attention is taken when Chopper appears out of the forest.
"Hey, let's be pirates together! Okay?" Luffy shouts towards the reindeer.
"It's not possible." Chopper bows his head the brim of his hat covering his eyes.
"Yes, it is since it's fun!" Luffy really doesn't seem to grasp what he means.
"Hey, you don't make sense." At least Usopp gets it.
"But… But I'm a reindeer! I have antlers and hooves! I even have a blue nose! It's true… that I wanna be a pirate, but… I'm not even a human! I'm a monster! I can't become your friend! So…! So, I just came to say thank you… I do appreciate you guys. Thank you for asking me to join you. I'll stay here, but… one day…if you feel like it, stop by agai…"
"Shut up! Let's go!" Luffy shouts at the top of his lungs while raising his arms into the air. It was then Chopper finally broke tears running down his large eyes, the other smiling at the little reindeer and I found myself grinning along with them.
"You don't ask people to join you by telling them to 'shut up." Zoro always ruining the moment.
"UUUUUUAAAAAAGGGHHHHHH."
POV: Doctor Kureha
"Oh? It seems there are some patients missing." I say to Dalton as we enter the now empty room.
"Looks like they escaped…disobeying your order." He comments.
"I see… What am I going to do with them…?" I move over to my desk grabbing the bottle and taking a long drink when I hear the Chopper.
"Doctorine!" He sounds so excited and I just know today is the day. The day I had both hoped and dreaded would come. "Doctorine! I have something to talk about with you!"
"Chopper, where have you been? Go downstairs and help them take the cannons out." I ignore his excitable tone fully aware of what he wants to say.
"Listen, Doctorine! I'm gonna be a pirate. I'm going with them!"
"What?!"
"I'm going out to sea. I'll join them as a ship's doctor and travel around the world!"
"Don't be ridiculous!" My shout startles him. "Now listen. You're my only assistant! Who do you think taught you medicine?! Or are you saying you don't feel any gratitude towards me?!"
"Th-That's not true! I do appreciate you, Doctorine! I also love this land where I met Doctor and you!"
"Humph! Then you can stay here. You can't live in a fine castle like this no matter where you go. Pirates are good for nothing! You'll end up dead in no time."
"That's okay!"
"Don't talk so cocky! I've never heard of a mere reindeer going out to sea."
"That's right. I'm a reindeer! But I'm a man, too!' His response shocks me, he's grown a lot from that scared little kid.
"You sure talk big… in any case, I won't allow it. If you wanna leave that bad you have to get through me first!"
"Doctorine…" He doesn't even have time to react to the large ax that embeds into the wall next to him. Only to scream and jump away after it lands.
"A crybaby like you is a man?!' I lift a second ax up and move closer 'Don't make me laugh!"
"Doctorine… But they… Understand-"
"Shut up!" I throw the second ax embedding it on the other side of him. I move to the nearby wall pulling down more weapons. "I won't allow you to have your way!" He stumbles out of the room as I launch more weapons his way. "Come back, Chopper!" I chase him down the hall throwing more weaponry towards him. "I won't let you escape! CHOPPER! Come back!" I chase him into the storage area where we keep the sleigh for supply runs and hang back a bit to let him strap in a pull the sleigh out. "What do you think someone like you can do at sea?! Are you gonna live in a fantasy just like that quack did?!" I know that probably hurt him more than anything I've shouted so far, I'm sorry Chopper but I'm hurt just as much. I chuck the last flail into the air at him missing completely but scaring the pirates. Then they are off heading down the ropeway, I watch the sleigh and am reminded of all the time we've spent together. "I must be getting old reminiscing on the 'good ole days."
"Was it okay to bid farewell like that?" Dalton asks from behind.
"Ha a pet I was taking care of is being taken in by someone else. That's all. I don't like…tears…" My vision blurs as I stare out after them. I turn and head past Dalton "come on we have to prepare a flashy send-off!" I lead him to the cannons and make sure everything is set. "Are you ready, young men?!"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Fire!" as memories of that quack hand me this dust flash through my mind the cannon fire.
"Dr. Kureha! What in the world…?"
"Shut up and watch." Shot after shot is fired into the night air.
"Dr. Kureha! We shot all of them!" one of the men shouts.
"Light them up!" I call back. Immediately spotlights shine into the sky lighting up the mountain top turn the white snow pink. "I can't understand what that idiot was thinking…" I just knew that Chopper was seeing this and bawling like a baby, with tears similar to my own. "Now, have a safe trip, my stupid son..."
Several hours later I find myself back in my lab, the villagers all fix up, and heading home I sigh and stare at the vial that boy gave me. Blood like this would be a godsend for and doctor, the things I could create using this. Diseases once thought to be incurable gone all thanks to this one vial. But it wasn't enough to help anyone I'd need far more than just his one vial. Which was why I holding another object along with the vial. I found it while going through the pantry. Dark purple edges getting lighter towards the center a green stem and what looked like a carnivore's mouth splitting down the middle. The Munch-Munch fruit had returned. I had never once entertained the thought of eating a devil fruit before too many downsides and far too limiting but now… now I wasn't sure with the power of the Munch-Munch fruit I could far more out of this one vial. It was then I heard it, like a whisper but I could recognize the tone even if I couldn't hear the words.
"Fine then you damn quack, but this is the last time I listen to you." I bite into the fruit and immediately regret it as the taste of sulfur and formaldehyde enters my mouth along with the sensation of sludge. A need to rid myself of the taste overtakes me and I knock back the closes thing I can, a metallic tang helps cover the taste of the fruit before I realize what I'd just done. The blood was gone before I could lament my mistake a strange sensation overtakes me and I collapse.
"Shouldn't have listened to that damn quack." I get out as everything fades away, but I swear before I faint, I saw that stupid grin.