The next day, Usopp and Kaloo are busy repairing the ship with stacks of planks nailed together, clearly Usopp is not a carpenter.
"Island straight ahead!" Sanji yells from the crow's nest. Indeed, a winter island with large stone columns can be seen in the distance. Hearing Sanji, Luffy walks out of the room and goes to stand on the figurehead.
"WAAAAH! An island all white! It's probably snow!" Says Luffy happily.
"Luffy, I want to make it clear that we are here to find a doctor, not to go on an adventure." Tries to remind Sanji but Luffy doesn't listen to him at all. Meanwhile, Usopp panics in his corner talking about abominable snowmen. The temperature drops more and more as we approach the island, even with my jacket I feel the cold.
"It's -10°C, that's the temperature at which the bears will hibernate." Says Vivi looking at her thermometer. Everyone is shivering from the cold, wrapped up in their jackets, except Luffy who is in his usual outfit.
"Uh huh... Luffy? Aren't you cold?" Usopp asks as his nose starts to freeze.
"Huh? Uh..." Luffy begins to think. "HA! But we're freezing our asses off!" He finally replies and rushes inside to grab a jacket. I shake my head, obviously when Luffy is worried he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings.
We quietly make our way up the river until we come to a half frozen waterfall that prevents us from moving forward.
"I think we can moor the boat here." Says Vivi as she looks around us. Scanning the area and I sense a group of men hiding in the fir forest. Once again, I erase my presence and disappear under the tangerine trees.
"Okay, who wants to go looking for a doctor?" Zoro asks.
"Halt there! Pirates!" About fifty armed men emerge from the trees.
"Well, now we know the island is inhabited." Said Luffy.
"Hmm... They don't look very welcoming... " Replies Usopp. A man with a stern face steps forward, obviously he is the leader of the group.
"We order you to turn around and leave this island immediately. "I grit my teeth. If we ever leave the island, we will have no chance to heal Nami.
"We're just looking for a doctor!" Luffy shouts with a worried look.
"Yes! We have a sick person on board!" Adds Vivi. But the men display a scowl and angry face.
"SHUT UP, LIARS! This kind of trick doesn't work with us!" Shouts one of the men, obviously they hate pirates. They must get attacked a lot to be so hostile. "This is our home! And we don't let any pirates land on our island! Do you understand?! So pull up the anchor and get the hell out! Otherwise, we'll turn your ship into a pile of wood!" Threatens the inhabitants. Sanji inhales his cigarette before exhaling the smoke.
"Why are you going on and on like this? We have only just met." The man who yelled at us aims at Sanji and shoots, luckily Sanji was able to dodge the bullet.
"WE TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!"
"HA! They are shooting at us!" Usopp shouts. Zoro grabs the hilt of his sword, ready to use it. Luffy gets into a fighting stance and Sanji looks hatefully at the man who just fired.
I rub my temples, if this keeps up we'll never get a doctor.
"How could you DARE?!" Sanji threatens as he approaches the shooter but Vivi steps in and tries to block him.
"Sanji! Wait!" A gunshot is heard. It echoes in the mountains. Dead silence ensues and my eyes widen as Vivi collapses to the deck, shot in the shoulder. I grit my teeth and grip the grass tightly to keep from slicing the gunman, who seems surprised to have hit the blue-haired girl. Calm down, it's just the shoulder. And to think that I promised Igaram to look after her, I'm really lame. Why do I lose my temper so often lately? Is it because of Nami's condition? I can't stand to see someone being sick in front of me, but I'm not used to reacting like this.
" VIVI!" Luffy yells. Sanji's eyes go wide, realizing that Vivi has taken a bullet for him. Luffy steps forward to destroy our enemies.
"AT GUNPOINT !" Shouts the leader.
"LUFFY! Wait! I'm fine! It's okay, it's just a scratch!" Vivi yells saturating Luffy as he walks past her. Luffy stops looking at Vivi with wide eyes. Seeing that the captain has stopped, she lets go of him, turns to the leader of the soldiers and drops to her knees, forehead to the ground. "Since this is what you want, we give up landing on your island! But I beg you, send for a doctor! Our friend is sick! We need help!" I watch as the princess of Alabasta begs strangers to save a friend. A soft smile forms on my lips, if she is able to do this for someone she met only a few days ago, then she is worthy to rule her future kingdom.
"Vivi?"
"Your attitude is not worthy of a captain Luffy, you need to set an example. Think before you act! Violence is not the only answer to problems! What will happen to Nami... If you decide to fight these men?" Said Vivi as she kept her head against the deck. Luffy looks at her with a serious expression and watches the blood dripping from Vivi's shoulder. He clenches his fists and turns to the leader.
"Yes, sorry... I shouldn't have acted like that!" He gets down on his knees in turn. "Please, get a doctor. Help us save our comrade!" The others look at each other before bowing in turn.
"Help us! Please!" The soldiers and their leader look at them in surprise. After a few seconds, the leader lets out a sigh.
"Alright, we will lead you to the village, follow us!" Everyone smiles at this news, we will be able to save Nami.
"However, I warn you... We don't have a doctor in our country. There is only a witch who can heal the sick." I frown. An island without a doctor? Why? At least the people we call witches are competent most of the time. Sanji goes to get Nami and comes out with the sailor on his back. Luffy, Usopp, Vivi, Sanji and Nami follow the group of men leaving Zoro and Kaloo to watch the ship. Once they are gone, I emerge from under the trees.
"You finally came out of hiding?" Says Zoro with a smirk. I roll my eyes and climb the railing.
"I'll follow them from a distance, I'll leave you!" And I jump off before Zoro can answer. I land in the snow and start following the footprints. Eventually I come to a village with pointy roofs. Scanning the town, I detect the presence of the crew in one of the houses. Once in front of the door, I knock three times. There is a small commotion and the door opens on the leader of the soldiers. Without his hat on, I see that he has a square face with black hair and a small goatee.
"Uh... Hello ? Who are you? I've never seen you before." He says with a frown. Sanji popped up from behind the man.
"Stella-chan! You've come to join us!" Said Sanji as he twirled around. He grabbed my arm and pulled me inside, to Nami's bedside. " Nami's fever is up to 42°C, we tried to bring it down but it's not working!" I put my hand on Nami's forehead and indeed the temperature is very high.
"Excuse me, but who are you?" I look at the man and hold out my hand.
"Sorry for the intrusion, I'm Stella and I'm a passenger on this crew." The man looks at me with a raised eyebrow and shakes my hand.
"I am Dolton and I am in charge of protecting this island." I nod.
"Nice to meet you Dolton, you mentioned a witch who could heal our friend. Can we see her quickly?" Dolton points to the window.
"See the mountains over there? There's a castle on top of the highest one, the middle one. That's where the only doctor in the whole country lives, the one the villagers call 'the witch'. His real name is Dr. Kureha." Hearing Kureha's name, a big smile appears on my face and excitement runs through my veins.
"You said Dr. Kureha?!" Dolton blinks at my change in attitude.
"Um... Yes, I did say that" I start jumping around.
"She's an old woman who must be about 140 years old? But who wears young and fashionable clothes?"
"Uh... Yes, yes. But how do you know that?"
"Do you know her, Stella?" Usopp asks. I turn to the others with a bright smile that could rival Luffy's.
"Of course I know her! She's my..." But I realize I'm starting to say too much. I place my hand over my mouth to stop myself from finishing my phrase. Everyone blinks and tilts their heads to the side.
"Your what?" I cough into my hand.
"It's not that important, the main thing is that we can consider Nami healed! I don't know anyone else who has better knowledge than her!" Luffy jumps to his feet.
"But that's great! It's imperative that we call her so she can heal Nami!"
"I'm sorry but we have no way to contact her. Dr. Kureha comes down from the mountain whenever she feels like it. She heals patients and leaves, taking what she wants with her." Explains Dalton.
"But how can a woman that old come down from that mountain?" Asks Vivi.
"There's a strange rumor about her, several villagers say they've seen her flying through the sky on a sled on full moon nights. That's where her nickname of witch comes from. Others say they saw her with a strange animal that no one could identify." Upon hearing this description, Usopp rolls around on the floor saying it's the Yeti. I can't help but chuckle into my hand. This is totally the kind of outlandish rumor that Kureha loves.
"The only thing you can do is wait for her to come back down to the village." I rest my chin in my hand and start thinking of a way to contact Kureha or go to the castle. Luffy walks up to Nami and starts to give her little slaps.
"Oh, Nami! Nami! Can you hear me?!" Of course, the others ask him to stop right away. Who slaps a sick person, seriously? Nami blinks slowly and looks at her captain with difficulty. "Listen to me Nami! We need to go up to the top of a mountain to see a doctor. We're going on a little hike!" I nod, even though it's dangerous, it's the fastest way.
"NO, BUT IT'S NOT GOOD! You can't force her to do something like that!" Sanji begins.
"It will only make her worse! It's out of the question!" Continues Vivi. Luffy tilts his head to the side.
"We still have to examine her as soon as possible, don't we?"
"Have you seen those mountains?! They're way too steep and way too high!" I frown at Vivi's response. She doesn't think Luffy will climb that mountain?
"At worst, the snow can always break his fall!" Says Luffy with a big smile. I facepalm, understanding that Luffy really intended to climb the mountain.
"No, but are you two serious? Or are you just stupid?" I say with my arms crossed and a serious face. Everyone looks at me.
"What do you mean by that, Stella-chan?" Sanji asks. I let out a sigh while rolling my eyes.
"We're going to the top of a mountain that has a castle on it, do you seriously think the former king and his subjects were going to the castle by climbing?" Everyone blinks before they finally understand what I meant.
"So you think there's something about climbing to the castle?" Says Vivi. I look at her, raising an eyebrow.
"Well obviously, it could be an elevator, a platform or even a staircase to climb the mountain." I turn to Dalton. "Do you have any information?"
"Huh... Well... I know there were cable cars in every town on the island." I clap my hands.
"Perfect, let's take Nami there and get carried to the top!"
"But... When King Wapol left the kingdom, he put the cable cars out of commission, to prevent us from reaching his castle while he was gone." I click my tongue in annoyance.
"Obviously, it couldn't be that simple." I cross my arms and think. Kureha is able to get down and back up from the castle easily, people have seen her fly in a sled, so either she has acquired an ability from a devil fruit or it's the sled itself that allows her to fly. My face frowns more and more.
"Wait, did you say King Wapol?" Vivi asks Dalton.
"Yes, I did, why? Do you know him?"
"Let's just say we ran into him yesterday. He attacked us while we were sailing quietly." Declares Sanji while lighting a cigarette, Dalton frowns.
"Really, are you sure?!" We nod our heads.
"There's one thing I don't understand. Why would a king leave his country to play pirates?" Vivi asks.
"It's not by choice, a year ago the country was attacked by a group of five pirates, named Blackbeard, and like a coward he fled the kingdom without even trying to defend it." Said Dalton as he collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands. "Wapol simply abandoned his country without the slightest hesitation! That scoundrel then took off as fast as he could!"
"How can a king behave in such a cowardly manner?!" Vivi exclaimed, totally outraged. "It's too heinous! You can't abandon your people when you're king..."
"You are right... But it allowed us to get rid of this tyrant. Now this island is in the hands of its inhabitants. We are rebuilding everything little by little, we are united to build a new nation to live in." I nod, it seems that this country is not going to collapse on itself.
"That's all well and good, but it doesn't solve the problem of having to take Nami to the doctor." Says Usopp, looking at Nami with concern. I let out a sigh.
"I know I shouldn't be helping you, but... I'm willing to make an exception and take Nami upstairs. Besides, I was going to see Kureha anyway. So what do you say?" They look at me with big smiles.
"Are you serious, Stella?! You want to do this for us?" Vivi asks as she takes my hands in hers. I smile at her and nod my head.
"Obviously, I've been trying to heal Nami so far, so I have no intention of letting her die now."
"You heard Nami! Stella is going to take you to the doctor!" Said Luffy as he gestured excitedly beside Nami's bed. The navigator manages to flash a small smile.
"I'm counting on you, Stella..." I approach her and tenderly stroke her head.
"Trust me, I'll get you to safety and you'll be on your feet soon." Everyone helps me put Nami on my back, strapped in tightly to keep her from slipping during the ride. I look at Hisui's bag that I'm holding in my hand, since Nami is on my back, I can't carry her. Of course, I can't take it out to attach it to my belt because Nami might touch it.
"Everything is in place Stella, be careful when you move. The slightest shock can be fatal! " Vivi warns me, I nod and give her a little smile to reassure her.
"Don't worry, there's not much I fear on this island. I turn my attention back to Hisui and let out a sigh before handing it to Vivi.
"Can you carry her until I get her back? " Vivi looks at me with round eyes and looks at the bag like it's a bomb.
"Are you... are you sure?" She asks, staring at the bag.
Yeah, anyway it's not like I can wear it or anyone else can touch it." She swallows before taking the strap. I let go of it and see Vivi get swept away by the bag because of its weight.
"Haaa! But how much does it weigh?" She says as she carries it with difficulty. I shrug my shoulders.
"A few dozen pounds." She looks at me with her mouth open.
"Is this a joke?"
"Hmmmm... No." Vivi makes a face.
"What is it?" Luffy asks as he walks around Vivi.
"It's my sword. Don't ever open the bag and you'll be fine." I say as I head for the door. He shrugs his shoulders.
"Ok let's go to the top of the mountain!" Luffy says as he walks past me and opens the door. I look at him with round eyes.
"Wait! Are you planning to come with me?!" He turns around tilting his head to the side.
"Well yes! I really want to see the castle! And the witch too! I've never seen a witch! Do you think she can cook?" He finishes with drool at the corner of his lips. I pinch the bridge of my nose.
"Luffy... I'm not going to stop you from wanting to go to the castle, but it will be without me. I can fly to the top from here."
"Ha never mind, you'll come and get me when I get to the bottom of the mountain then. Shishishi!" I roll my eyes in exasperation. What does he think I am? A taxicab?
"Excuse me, but did you just say you can fly? " Dalton asks. I turn to him.
"Yes, that's right, why?"
"Well... There is a lot of strong and unpredictable wind in this area. So I suggest you start flying when you get to the foot of the mountain." He suggests to me. I give him a flat look. That' s just my luck...
"Well, that's settled! I'm coming with you!" Says Luffy with his hands behind his head and a big smile.
"Wait! I'm coming with you too! There's no way I'm letting Luffy be your only protection!" Says Sanji as he lights a cigarette and takes a big puff. I let out a sigh and start to move forward.
"Alright, follow me. But if we get attacked on the way, you guys figure it out."
"Yoch! Of course!" And we start to leave, but are intercepted by Dalton.
"Wait! I advise you to take the other way. The road you want to take is crawling with snow rabbits, which are ferocious carnivorous animals. If you encounter one of their groups, I advise you to flee." We look at each other and I wait for the others' decision.
"Any rabbits? We're in a hurry, we should be fine..."
"Yes, if we meet any, we'll make fur coats out of them." Seeing that the captain and the cook want to continue straight ahead, I start walking. I am quickly caught up and we pick up the pace.
"Come on, let's hurry before it's too late for Nami!". Says Luffy as he runs ahead of me.
"Don't say that, bird of ill will! You'll jinx her!" Sanji yells at him as he chases after him. I roll my eyes with a mocking smile and pick up the pace.
We have been walking for a while and the snow is getting deeper and deeper. On my shoulder, Aoi takes pictures of the frozen landscape and of the two idiots who are entangled in the snow. As for me, I float on the surface of the snow, leaving almost no trace. But I slowed down my walking speed, because the two other boys are lagging behind. Besides, I can hear Aoi laughing at them.
"It's getting colder and colder since the wind picked up..." Says Luffy as he looks around.
"How about you stop walking around in sandals instead of complaining! My feet are getting cold just looking at you."
"I never wear shoes, That's just my police !"
"Police?! It's called 'Policy', you moron!" I roll my eyes at this conversation and hear a small noise ahead of us. As I focus on it, I see a little white bunny with big teeth. Is that what snow bunnies are all about? That's not very impressive... I think to myself, raising an eyebrow. Surely there's something behind this.
"Did you know that people in snowy country never sleep?" What kind of nonsense should we not hear...
"Really? Can I know why?" Don't encourage him Sanji...
"Because if they fall asleep, they can freeze to death!" It's true when you're not in a shelter, but you shouldn't make a generalization about it...
"This is absurd! No human being can do without sleep!" The little rabbit comes at us, its mouth wide open. I could scare him but he doesn't seem to be a danger to us.
"Yes, I assure you it's true. Someone told me that a very long time ago." Who told you? Your idiot grandfather?
"Who? Usopp?" The rabbit misses Sanji and sinks head first into the snow.
"No, I heard that story in my village tavern." So the story of a drunkard...
"In that case, can you tell me why Dolton had a bed in his house?"
"I hadn't thought of that... Yes, I know! It must be a death bed!" You're getting creepy, Luffy...
"You really have too much imagination!" The rabbit rushes at Luffy this time, who takes his head and stretches it to the side to dodge the rabbit, which goes to bite a fir tree to death. Fir tree which is cut in two and falls on us. We dodge it easily and we continue our way. This rabbit is cute, but it starts to hit the system.
"By the way, do you know why the women of the snowy regions have the so smooth skin?" Oh no... Luffy contaminated Sanji with his stupid questions...
"No, why?"
"The answer is simple. Because it's cold, they constantly rub their faces, in order to warm up. That skin so smooth and creamy." The rabbit turns to me and jumps on me, ready to tear my head off. I give him a dark look that stops him and he plays dead in front of me. I let out a sigh and we continue on our way.
"Hmm... And do you know where this whiteness comes from?" Luffy continued, completely ignoring the motionless rabbit in the snow.
Of course, what a question! See those snowflakes? They are the ones that, by penetrating deep into their epidermis, give them that clear complexion." Said Sanji with a heartfelt drawl.
"Well, I thought you were less stupid, Sanji."
"You're not in a good place to talk to me like that, Luffy!" Please, kill me... Aoi sneers at my exasperated face.
We continue our road which becomes more and more difficult, the wind blows violently and big flakes block our sight. I glance at Nami to check if she is okay.
"Nami? Are you still with us?" She doesn't answer but she's still breathing. Better hurry up. It'll be faster if I fly, but with this wind and visibility, I'll get lost.
"Holy cow! The snow layer is getting deeper and deeper, you're cheating Stella. You can stay on the surface... " Said Luffy with a sulk.
"Oh, Luffy! Don't yell at Stella-chan, she's doing her best not to shake Nami-chwan."
"Thanks Sanji, I appreciate your intervention. And Luffy, maybe you can do it once you master the haki." I sense the presence of a large group of animals in front of us.
"Buuuut ... your training is hard. I'd rather fight than get hit with a stick. "Several large masses are beginning to stand out in the snowstorm.
"The goal is to dodge the stick, not sit passively." Luffy puffs out his cheeks.
"I know! But it's not simple..." I stop and look at the gathering of giant snow bunnies. I see the little bunny from earlier hiding behind the shoulder of a larger bunny with a scar on the side of its head. So these are real snow bunnies. I understand Dolton's warning better. I look at the little bunny who disappears behind his shoulder when he meets my eyes. So he went to find his buddies, because he couldn't beat me. Clever boy.
"Where are they from?!"
"They're big and white, they're probably polar bears!" I roll my eyes.
"No, they are the famous snow bunnies. The one we met was just a baby. I can easily scare them into leaving us alone." I say as I glare at the leader of the rabbits, who contracts his eye but looks at me anyway. Obviously, without the haki, it's not enough.
"There's no need Stella, we'll take care of it. We can evaluate our training. Right Sanji?"
"Yes! Stella-chan just concentrate on dodging. Take Nami straight to the doctor. We'll cover you!" The leader of the rabbits jumps at us, bringing out his claws. We dodge it by jumping to the side and I rise into the air.
"I'm counting on you, especially don't get killed!"
"OI!" The two men shout as they face the fifty or so rabbits. I rise high enough in the air to be out of reach of the enemies, but not too high for the wind to carry me away. I start to run but I underestimated the rabbits. One of them jumps higher than the others and comes at me with its mouth wide open. I can easily dodge it on the side but Nami will be shocked because of my sudden movement. I don't really have a choice. I put my arm in front of me and cover it with haki, making it completely black. The jaw of the rabbit closes violently on my arm. Its teeth break and blood spurts out of its mouth, staining my white coat with red drops. He falls back on the ground rolling with pain, his two paws on his mouth. The other rabbits look at me with anger. I don't linger any longer and continue on my way to the mountain, but obviously the rabbits are not going to let me go easily. Every rabbit that managed to reach me ended up with broken teeth, claws or legs. Their group gradually dwindles, until they finally give up. I let out a sigh and finally land on the ground. Luffy and Sanji have been out of sight for a while, I hope they will be okay.
"They're really sticky these bunnies." I say out loud. Aoi nods his head in approval, during the whole chase he took a multitude of pictures. I have a feeling I'm going to have to do a lot of sorting through the shots. The sleeves of my coat are red with blood and have holes in several places. "Damn. I loved that coat!" Disappointed, I resume my walk.
I continue on my way, checking on Nami's health. A thud shakes the mountain, the noise comes from the right and moves quickly to the side. With my haki of observation I know that it is not alive. From the noise it must be an avalanche, fortunately I am not in its wake. I continue my ascent until I find myself at the foot of the mountain.
"Hang on Nami, we're going to do some climbing!" Nami groans for only answer. I look at Aoi.
"You hang on too, if you fall, it will be quite a fall." Aoi looks at me with squinted eyes, in "Are you going to let me fall maybe? "I roll my eyes and start climbing, leaning on the cliff so I don't get blown away. It takes me an hour to reach the top. In front of me, there is a huge castle covered with snow and ice. Does Kureha really live there? I arrive in front of the doors of the castle which are wide open, inside the snow and the ice covered everything. I scan the castle looking for Kureha, but I can't find her.
"Is this a joke? Is she absent or does she not live here?" I go upstairs and try to open the doors one by one, but they are all locked. I get to the second floor and finally find a door that opens. Inside it's hot, the walls are covered with bookshelves, the decoration is gloomy and I can smell the distinct odors of dried and simmering plants. A big smile appears on my face.
"This is totally Kureha's style, she is definitely here!" I close the door and see the bed right in front of me.
"Here we are, Nami! Kureha will be here soon." I untie Nami from my back and settle her into the bed. Her face is red and she's having trouble breathing. I rummage through the cabinets until I find an empty ice pack and a thermometer. Nami's temperature is 41.6°C, I click my tongue and go out to fill the ice bag. I look at the snowy plain and start to put snow in the bag, until I detect the presence of two people coming in the plain.
"Well, well, well, but what have we here? " I hear a creaky, elderly voice that I would recognize in a thousand. I raise my head with a big smile. Before me stands Kureha, accompanied by a reindeer pulling a sled. I can't hold back and run at her
"KUREHA!" I jump up and grab her in koala mode, knocking her into the snow.
"HA! DOCTORINE! BUT IT'S NOT OKAY!" I turn my head to the reindeer, who has grown to look like a gorilla. Oh, I didn't know Minks could do that?
"DROP THE DR. KUREHA IMMEDIATELY!" !" I blink and turn to Kureha.
"Since when do you have a Mink with you Kureha?"
"May I ask who you are? " I look at Kureha with wide eyes. Did the shock make her lose her memory? Or has she forgotten me with age? Tears appear in my eyes.
"If this is a joke, it's not funny Kurehaaaa!" I start to cry with concern.
"You are a stupid girl! If you showed me your face, I might know!" I stop crying and give a nervous laugh as I blush.
"Ah yes... it's true you've never seen me in this hat." I take it off and let my white hair fall freely around my face. Kureha looks at me before giving a big smile and starting to laugh.
"Ha ha ha! I should have known it was you! Only you would be crazy enough to tackle me! Ha ha ha!" A big smile appears on my face again. "Ha ha ha! It's good to see you. But can you move? The floor is getting cold." I stand up and help Kureha do the same. The little reindeer wiggles around her to check if she's okay. "So, what's the news?" She asks me as she heads towards the castle.
"A few things have happened in the last 6 years, you could have given me your Den Den Mochi number or at least your address!" I say with a sulk. We enter the castle and start climbing the stairs.
"Ha ha ha! But if I needed to talk to you, I would have called you." I roll my eyes and look at the reindeer.
"Hi, what's your name?" The reindeer looks at me with big eyes and goes to hide behind Kureha, except he's really bad at it. He stares at me but says nothing. I raise an eyebrow and look at Kureha. "Is he shy?"
"Sort of, go introduce yourself to Chopper, she won't hurt you." The little reindeer looks at Kureha before turning his attention back to me.
"I'm Tony Tony Chopper, you fucking human!" I blink and give him a flat look.
"Didn't your parents ever teach you to be polite, Chopper? You're probably the first Mink to insult me by introducing himself." The little reindeer looks at me with wide eyes.
"What's a Mink?" I blink and point at him.
"You're a Mink from the kingdom of Zou, aren't you? And you're specifically a reindeer Mink." His eyes widen again, and he steps closer to me.
"I'm not a Mink, but... You mean there are monsters like me and they live in a kingdom?" I tilt my head to the side, trying to understand his train of thought.
"If you're not a Mink, then what are you?" He looks at me apprehensively and swallows hard.
"I... I am a reindeer... And I ate the human's fruit. That's why I can talk..." Ah! That's why he can change his shape.
"Well... Sorry for the misunderstanding. I really thought you were a Mink, a little small but I thought you were a child." The little reindeer blushed and began to do a little dance.
"The fact that you think I'm a Mink doesn't make me happy at all, bitch! OI! I'm not a kid! I'm 15 years old I'll have you know!" He finishes by yelling at me. We open the door to the apartment and see Nami in the bed.
"Ha! A sick person! Quick, we need a doctor! A doctor! A doctor!" Starts to say the reindeer, waving in all directions. Kureha raises an eyebrow and points at Nami.
"You explain." I look at Nami with big eyes, I was so excited to see Kureha again that I totally forgot about Nami.
"This is Nami, she caught a disease on a prehistoric island. She has a high fever and a bug bite on her stomach." Kureha rolls her eyes and hits the back of my head as she walks past me.
"Seriously, you should have started there, instead of jumping on me." I puff out my cheeks and pout, arms crossed.
"Sorry if it's been a while since I've seen you." I mumble in my corner.
Kureha approaches Nami and starts checking her out, the little reindeer doing the same with a serious look on him face.
"So Chopper, what's your diagnosis?"
"She has a high fever, presence of a bite on the belly that comes from a Keschia. The disease acted very quickly after the bite, it is due to a bacteria. But we need blood tests to determine the bacteria." Said Chopper as he brought the equipment to take the blood.
"Indeed Chopper, you are right. But it won't be necessary to draw blood because we know she was bitten in a prehistoric jungle. With this new information, what can you conclude?" Chopper rests his chin in his hoof and thinks, mumbling for 30 seconds before answering.
"The five-day disease!" Kureha nods her head in approval.
"Exactly, go get some phenicol, cardiotonic, ticarcillin and the antibiotic. I must have some left somewhere." Reindeer nods and leaves for the next room. Kureha turns to me.
"So, are you finally going to tell me who this girl is? Last I heard, you're still traveling alone." I roll my eyes.
"You'd think that was a flaw. I'm the one who should be surprised, since when do you have an apprentice with you?"
"There's an old friend who managed to get me to promise on his deathbed to take care of Chopper's training. How about you?"
"I promised Shanks to watch and train his protege while he crossed the Grand Line, the girl is part of his crew."
"Ha ha ha! This little one can make you do anything! Even be a babysitter!" I display a scowling face.
"What is it with you all thinking I'm a babysitter?! Besides, it's not even true! I'm perfectly capable of saying no to him!" Kureha rolls her eyes and rests her elbow in her hand.
"Of course... It's absolutely not because you think of Shanks as your..." Before she can finish her phrase, I grab a book and throw it in her face.
"SHUT UP!" She easily grabs the book and gives me an amused look, especially at my flushed cheeks.
"You can tell me to shut up, but it's still true."
"Gnagnagna..." I turn my back on her and pout, crossing my arms. She giggles until Chopper returns.
I hear her giggle until Chopper comes back.
"It's okay, doctorine! I've got the antibiotic, do I have to..." He stops talking when he sees the scene before him. He sees Kureha, fist in front of her mouth to stifle her laughter and the strange white-haired girl pouting, her cheeks puffed out like a three-year-old. "Uh... I..."
"Ah Chopper! You found it, can you apply the treatment?" Chopper nods and approaches Nami.
"Come on Stella, let's go talk in the living room." I look at Chopper before following Kureha.
"Is he going to be okay?" Kureha drops onto her couch.
"But yes... I trained him. So tell me more about the crew you joined. Especially about your Shanksou's protege ~ " I look at Kureha with a flat look and let out a sigh.
"You're not going to give anything up, are you? " She gives me a big smile.
"Nop! Come on, tell me the highlights." I lean back on the couch that's in front of Kureha.
"First of all, you should know that I found my godson a year ago."
"Wait! You mean your godson that Garp took away from you 20 years ago?!" I nod.
"Yes! I have to say, this is quite a surprise. I met him by chance in the crew of Whitebeard."
"Wo! Indeed, it's a real stroke of luck. And is he okay?" I look up at the ceiling.
"Well... When I met him, he wanted to kill Whitebeard and he hated his father... But now he's much better. He ended up joining his crew. Which became his family. And he has me too."
"I'm happy for you. And so, who are these kids?" I chuckle slightly.
"I don't know if it's karma, but the captain of this crew is Garp's grandson." Kureha looks at me with round eyes.
"No... You're serious!"
"Alas... I'm pretty sure Dragon is his father, so by inference Garp is his grandfather." I say with a disillusioned look.
"Well, well... And what does he look like?" A small smile appears on my lips.
"Smiling, playful, joking, a real powerhouse running around and eating like ten."
"I see... I can't wait to meet them then." My smile widens.
"Don't worry, they'll be here in a minute..." My smile drops right away. Shit! I leap to my feet and start walking out.
"Hey ! Where are you going?" Kureha says as she watches me leave.
"There are Luffy and Sanji who came with me to take care of Nami, but we were attacked by snow bunnies. I told them I would go look for them later." Kureha gets up and follows me.
"Luffy and Sanji? I take it they are part of the crew." I close my eyes and focus on my observation haki.
"It's the captain and the cook." I feel them climb the mountain. "Those idiots didn't wait for me." I walk out of the apartment, then out of the castle and look at the emptiness before me. I let out a sigh, thinking to myself that this is going to be one hell of a ride.
"Before you decide to jump, can you sign a contract for me to use your body for science?" I look at Kureha with a raised eyebrow and Aoi squints her eyes.
"Your jokes are getting creepier by the minute." She rolls her eyes and throws me a rope.
"Sorry, but I'm not the one standing on the edge of a cliff several thousand feet away." An amused smile appears on my lips and I wrap the rope around my shoulder.
"Thanks for caring, you didn't have to."
"Jump before I push you off myself." I chuckle before jumping.
"Make some tea and cookies!" I yell to her before I get too far away, of course the wind and distance didn't allow me to hear his response.
I let myself fall until I feel Luffy and Sanji about two meters below me. I slowed my fall until I saw Luffy climbing the cliff with Sanji on his back. Luffy's hands and feet are totally flayed and bleeding profusely. His body is icy and several areas of his body are blue from the cold.
"Get a doctor...a doctor...a doctor..." I hear him repeat this phrase over and over like a mantra. He walks past me without seeing me and continues to climb the wall. I turn my attention to Sanji who has a pale face. Turning around them, I see that Sanji's belly is red, some drops of blood stain Luffy's coat. Shit... They took more damage than I expected. I float next to Luffy and gently put my hand on his shoulder.
"Luffy... Can you hear me?" Luffy stops moving and turns his head towards me, blinking.
"Ste... Stella?" I smile at him.
"I'm here, Nami is out of danger. I'll take you to the top." I unwind the rope and begin to tie it around my waist.
"Is that... is that true? Nami is healed?" He says with bright eyes and his smile reappears on his face. I nod my head and start tying Luffy and Sanji up.
"Luffy, I am going to take Sanji in my arms. You show me on my back. Okay?" I ask him as I get behind his back and place my hands on the knot that holds Sanji in place. He nods and I begin to untie the knot, holding Sanji against my chest so he doesn't fall out. My movements are gentle and calm to avoid moving Luffy who is hanging on the wall. The knot is finally removed and I move Sanji in my arms, his blood has already stained my hands red and adds blood on my coat. I stick to the wall with my back to Luffy.
"Your turn, Luffy." Luffy moves and lands on my back. He wraps his arms around my neck, holding me tightly without choking me. "Are you holding on tight?"
"Yes! Are you okay Stella? We're not too heavy?" I smile and instead of answering, I speed along the wall. The cold wind whips across our faces.
"Yeah! " Luffy laughs as we climb. 45 minutes later, we are at the top. Chopper is waiting for us. He is startled when he sees me appear in front of him. "So cool! It's huge!" Says Luffy as he points to the castle. Obviously, he has forgotten about the frostbite eating away at his body. But no sooner does he finish his sentence than he collapses into my back as he releases his grip, causing him to fall into the snow.
"Luffy? Are you still there?" But the captain doesn't answer. I look at Chopper who has taken on his gorilla appearance.
"You can carry him please. " For all answer he nods and takes Luffy in his arms then heads towards the castle. I follow him and we enter the apartment.
"Ho! You're back, I thought you would come back faster" Kureha says with a mocking smile and a beer in her hand.
"Yes, yes, yes... I know, I'm getting old. I'm getting rusty. I'm sorry mom." I say in a mocking tone. She rolls her eyes.
"Stop talking nonsense, I'm too young to be your mother. Come, follow me." We follow Kureha into another room with several beds. "Put them wherever you want." Once the two boys are in their beds, Kureha and Chopper attend to them right away.
"Significant frostbite is present on all extremities, there are also cuts. We need to disinfect, apply ointment and bandage the feet and hands." Said Chopper professionally.
"Alright Chopper, you do that while I sew this one up." Said Kureha as she removed Sanji's clothes. Seeing that they are well taken care of, I go back to the living room, put Aoi on the coffee table and lay down on the couch using my jacket as a blanket. I close my eyes and fall asleep, reassured that the kids are okay.
The crew has finally arrived in the kingdom of Drum! The next chapter will develop more the relationship between Stella and Kureha.
If you see any big mistakes in the translation, don't hesitate to send me a message, it's always a pleasure for me!