I sleep quietly on Kureha's couch. The last few events have made me particularly tired, especially watching over Nami all last night. But it seems that sleeping is too much of a luxury.
"HAAA! YOU CAN TALK!" I wake up with a start and nearly fall off the couch as I hear Nami scream with the loud crash that follows.
"CHOPPER! WHAT THE HELL!" I rub my eyes, yawning loudly.
"Sleep well?" Kureha smiles at my scowling face.
"I don't like your new alarm clock." I yawn again, running my hand through my hair to comb it back, tears in my eyes.
"You can go grumble to your little proteges." She leaves for Nami's room to go tend to her sick little one. I blink to wake up and wipe away my tears. Chopper enters the room, probably to get away from the screaming redhead.
"Is everything okay, Chopper?" The little reindeer flinches and turns to me.
"You... You're awake." I nod, yawning again.
"Yes... But I was awakened by the scream of a hysterical redhead." My mocking tone wrings a small smile from the little reindeer. "How long was I asleep?" I ask as I stretch and put my hat back on.
"A little over an hour." Chopper watches me put my jacket back on and Aoi on my shoulder.
"How are the others doing?" He trots over to a closet.
"The males are still sleeping and the female is awake, as you may have heard." An amused smile plays on my lips and Chopper looks at me, squirming.
"Do you have a question? You can ask it." He looks at me with wide eyes then stares at the floor.
"Well... You... You seem to be very close to Dr. Kureha... So I was wondering..."
"What is my connection to her?" I finish Chopper's phrase. He nods his head. "Well... Since you're her apprentice, I'm willing to tell you." He walks over to me, climbs onto the couch in front of me and looks at me thoughtfully.
"Me and Kureha are longtime friends." He blinks, scans me and tilts his head to the side.
"Friends..." I nod my head with a soft smile. I was about to continue but I'm interrupted by the arrival of Luffy and Sanji.
"Stella-chan ~ You are fine my beautiful goddess ~" I look at Sanji with a flat look. Luffy stares at Chopper with drool running down his chin and a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
"Meat..." That's the only warning before Luffy pounces on Chopper. I grab Luffy by the collar and tackle him to the ground.
"Ah no, you're not going to eat it!" He stretches his arms and manages to hold on to Chopper as Sanji gets dangerously close to the little reindeer.
"SANJI! DON'T MOVE!" He freezes as he looks at me.
"But Stella-chan... Reindeer meat will give everyone energy..." My dark look immobilizes the boys.
"Chopper is not edible, I forbid you to eat him or harm him." I slap Luffy's hands to get him to let go of Chopper.
"But Stellaaaaa!" Luffy starts to grumble.
"No! I don't want to hear anything, we don't touch Chopper." I grab the reindeer in my arms and take him to Nami's room. Behind me, Sanji and Luffy look at each other before following me. Kureha turns to me and raises an eyebrow.
"So... you decided to steal my apprentice." I roll my eyes and put Chopper back on the floor.
"You don't have to worry, I'm not the type to kidnap children." Chopper goes to hide behind Kureha's legs as he sees Luffy and Sanji enter the room.
"HA! Are you the witch?!" Says Luffy pointing at her. Kureha kicks him in the head.
"Who are you calling a witch?!" I grab a chair and sit down with my feet up on the table.
"Avoid saying she's old, or she'll add your skulls to her collection." I warn them as I balance myself on the chair legs. Of course, Kureha kicks my chair, causing me to lose my balance. The chair falls to the floor with a crash and everyone watches me float through the air in the same position as before the fall. I roll my eyes and land on the floor.
"Very mature Kureha." I grab the chair and put it back on its legs before sitting on it again.
"Join my team, grandma! We need a doctor!"
"You're Luffy, aren't you?"
"Um... Yes."
"Watch your language when addressing a lady! I'm in my hundred-thirties and I still have peachy skin!" Said she with a new kick.
"Wow, this old lady is dangerous..." Says Sanji, Kureha sends him into the wall and unlike Luffy, he doesn't get up right away. Kureha goes to sit next to me and looks at Luffy.
"You want me to go play pirates with you?! Me?! Are you making fun of me?! I've never been attracted to that lifestyle. Unlike Stella, I prefer to feel the earth beneath my feet."
"Come on grandma, go for the adventure!" Tries to encourage Luffy. She looks at me with a dejected look and puts her hand on my shoulder.
"Good luck, sweetie. I'm starting to understand your pain." My eyes roll back with an amused smile.
"Come on! Be the doctor for the next pirates king!" Kureha kicks him again, but she has paled slightly despite her scowling face.
Chopper walks up to Sanji and gives him a little kick in the shoulder with his hoof. At the contact of the hoof, he opens his eyes wide. He looks at Chopper and jumps on him.
"Come here, reindeer!"
"HAAAA!" A large book flies into Sanji's head, knocking him out instantly.
"Down Sanji!" Chopper sweats profusely, pinned to the wall. "Are you okay, Chopper? " He looks away from the cook and at me.
"Uh... I... Yeah." He looks fearfully at Luffy, who looks at him with glowing eyes.
" You can talk? This is so cool!" Luffy jumps on Chopper, trying to grab him.
"HAAAA!" Chopper runs out of the room, chased by Luffy.
"Come back, reindeer! Join my crew!" His voice gets weaker and weaker as he runs away from us.
"Why didn't you throw a book at that one?" Kureha asks me, pointing to the open door.
"He didn't intend to eat it this time." I reply with a shrug. She lets out a sigh, shaking her head.
"Excuse me, but how do you and Stella know each other?" Asks Nami from her bed. Kureha raises an eyebrow.
"You didn't tell them anything? I don't know how to take it." With a falsely offended tone.
"No need to be offended. They don't even know who I really am."
"Ha!" She crosses her arms behind her head. "Indeed, I understand better." Nami looks at both of us like she's watching a ping-pong match.
"And... are you going to answer me?"
"Huh? No ! " We both answer.
"What! But why! "
"This dismays Stella, if she doesn't want to say it, then we can't answer your question. " Nami frowns.
"What! Stella is your granddaughter or something!" Kureha and I look at each other before bursting into laughter.
"Ha ha ha! She?! My granddaughter! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard! Ha ha ha!" Kureha laughs with tears in her eyes as she hits the table. I try to stifle my laughter, but it's useless.
"Ha ha ha! No Nami! We're not related! Ha ha ha! We are... we are just friends! Ha ha ha!" I'm bent double in my chair, my lungs trying to take big gulps of air to calm me down. But when I look at Kureha, I fall back into a fit of laughter.
"STOP! STOP LAUGHING! IT'S OKAY, I GET THAT YOU GUYS ARE JUST FRIENDS!" Nami screams wanting to get up and hit us, but Kureha flicked her on the forehead.
"No, no, no, sick girl. We stay in bed, until you get better." Nami rubs her forehead and frowns.
Chopper rushes back into the room and closes the door behind him, looking around.
"Here Chopper, you're back." Says Kureha as she goes to sit down.
" Hein? Uh huh... Yes. I managed to lose him." He trots over to us and goes to sit on a chair. "So... You guys... Are you pirates?" He asks as he squirms in his chair. I give him a big smile.
"Yes, we are pirates."
" Real ones? "
"Yes. Real ones. We have a ship with a pirate flag and we sail the seas." The little reindeer looks at me with big eyes.
"And you've been to the Minks kingdom?" My hand moves toward him to put it on his head but seeing the backward movement, I refrain.
"I've already been to Zou's kingdom. But Luffy's crew just entered Grand Line, so they haven't been there yet. But maybe they'll go and discover that kingdom one day." He looks at me hopefully, but his face frowns.
"But... I'm a reindeer, talking... and with a blue nose... I am a monster... They will never want me..." He says sadly. I take him in my arms and put him on my lap. Seeing me approach, he tenses up and looks at me with big scared eyes. When I picked him up, he closed his eyes and when I put him on my lap, he kept them closed.
"Chopper...you can open your eyes. I won't hurt you. You're way too adorable for that!" I hug him, rubbing my face into his fur.
"HAAA! Saying I'm cute doesn't make me feel good at all, you fucking human!" I giggle as he blushes. He puts his hooves on my face in an attempt to push me away. I stand up and place Chopper on Nami's lap.
"What is your opinion, Nami? Is he a monster or the cutest creature ever?"
"It's true that you are adorable! Do you want to come with us?"
"WHAT?!" Chopper screams as he falls off the bed. My hands catch him before he hits the floor.
"Yes! Come out to sea with us! And let's go on an adventure together! Besides, you're a doctor, we currently don't have one. With you, we can leave right away instead of waiting for me to get well."
" IT... IT IS NOT GOING TO THE HEAD! I remind you that I am a reindeer! What would a reindeer do with a bunch of degenerate humans?!" Chopper fidgets in my hands. Evidently, that's when Luffy enters the room.
"There you are, reindeer! Join my crew!" He says as he jumps on us. My foot plants itself in his head to keep him at bay. "Join my crew! You are so cool!" His arms extend to try to grab him.
"I... I... NO!" He breaks free from my arms and runs out of the room. Luffy chases after him without missing a beat.
"Here we go again..." I say with a sigh, decidedly Luffy doesn't know how to behave.
"It seems that your captain wants to kidnap my apprentice." Says Kureha from her chair, sipping her beer. I go back to sit in front of her.
"He's not my captain. But it looks like he really wants to take it with us. If Chopper ever decides to follow us... What will you do?" Kureha stares longingly at her bottle before finishing it in one gulp.
"He can do what he wants, I'm just an old lady. But it won't be easy to convince him to come with you. He has a bruised heart...that even the best doctors can't cure. He was abandoned at birth because of his blue nose, he could only follow the herd from a distance. The day he ate his devil fruit, the herd chased him away calling him a monster. He then turned to the humans, but they too were afraid of him and attacked him. He didn't know why everyone hated him, but since that day he has always lived alone. Do you really think this crew is capable of relieving his wounds?" I look at Kureha, understanding that this little reindeer absolutely does not trust humans. She smiles as she leans back in her chair.
"But... there was one man who managed to convince him to trust him. He was a doctor, Dr. Hiluluk. He was the one who named Chopper, he considered him his son... But mostly he was a bloody quack... "We hear a sound of hooves in the corridors before the door opens violently, revealing Chopper in his reindeer form.
"Doctorine! This is serious! Wa... Wapol is back!" Shouts Chopper totally out of breath from his run. Luffy quickly arrives in his wake.
"Join my crew, reindeer!" Kureha throws his empty bottle in his face.
"Stop getting excited, we have other things to do. Like go hunting for parasites." She gets up and starts to walk off in the direction of the exit. I look at her before shrugging and following her. She raises an eyebrow.
"Are you coming to watch?"
"I have nothing else to do... Then yes." She giggles and continues on her way with Chopper on her heels.
"Uh... What's going on?" Luffy asks, rubbing his head.
"There's the guy who ate our boat standing outside the castle." I say as I kick Sanji to wake him up. I barely finish my sentence when Luffy is already out.
"Huh?! What?! What's going on?!" Sanji asks, startled.
"There's the junk king outside the castle and he's planning to kick us out. I think you wanted to know." He gets up and sprints toward the exit.
"No one is going to kick my Nami of love out!" I let out a sigh and start to walk out.
"Um... Stella?" I turn to Nami, "Luffy left without his jacket... Can you take it to him?" My eyes scan the room until they fall on Nami's jacket.
"I'll take your jacket, his is almost destroyed. You don't mind?" She shrugs.
"It's your responsibility. If Luffy ever destroys it, you'll have to pay me back." She says with a sly smile. An amused smile appears on my lips.
"I'll point out that I can charge you for your transportation here." Nami displays a sulky pout.
"It's okay, I didn't say anything. Take my jacket, I'll ask Luffy." She mumbles. I grab the jacket and walk out of the apartment. The biting cold assaults me immediately. Good thing I have a warm jacket, even if it is full of blood. Aoi just lets his eyes out of his fur ball. My footsteps go quietly down the stairs until I hear someone coming towards me. Just like Nami had said, Luffy runs in my direction, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm up.
"Hi Stella!" He looks at Nami's jacket that I hand to him.
"I think you need this."
"Wow so cool! You are awesome, Stella! Thanks!" He says as he puts on the jacket.
"I'm warning you, this is Nami's jacket." He freezes.
"I was thinking that it was ugly. But as long as it's hot, I don't care." And he rushes towards the exit.
Outside, Sanji and Chopper are glued together by black hairballs. Behind them, the man who was walking on the water, aims his bow at them.
"Quick, we need to create a diversion!" Shouts Chopper as he runs toward the archer.
"Hey, why am I the pigeon!" Replies Sanji, who has inherited the black balls and takes the flaming arrow in the leg. Chopper gets close enough to the archer to punch him, but King Wapol pushes the archer away and swallows Chopper.
"Chopper!" Shouts Kureha.
"Luffy! Grab my leg!" Luffy grabs Sanji's raised leg and he is catapulted into Wapol's stomach, allowing Chopper to get out. I walk over to Kureha who is leaning against the wall and empties a bottle of alcohol in big gulps.
"Well, well. If I didn't know you so well, I would think you were worried." I say as I face Kureha with a mischievous smile.
"Indeed, you know me too well." We watch as the ex-king becomes a house, eating his subordinates who emerge merged. Well, it's more like one guy is standing on the other's shoulders.
"Wow too strong!" Luffy exclaims, with stars in his eyes.
"But no, it's lame!" Replies Sanji, visibly annoyed by his captain. My arms are crossed on my chest and I show a bored look to this mediocre fusion.
"Be careful, they are stronger than they look. Otherwise, the people of this island would have hunted them long ago." Warns Kureha. That junk king recites one of his stupid laws and shoots the sakura flower pirate flag atop the castle, knocking it off the roof in an explosion. Kureha and Chopper freeze in horror as they watch the flag fall.
"Kureha? Whose flag is that?"
"It's Dr. Hiluluk's..." She responds by clenching her fist. Chopper screams in rage and rushes at Wapol to take him down. He jumps on him and raises his fist, but it stops four inches from his face.
"I promise not to hit you on the only condition that you leave this country!". Kureha reacts sharply.
"What the hell are you talking about, Chopper! You think he's going to listen to you with sweet talk?!" I grabbed her arm to keep her from moving any further. She could kick their asses, but not without breaking a few bones. We hear a big explosion and see Chopper fall to the ground with fright.
"Chopper!" Kureha screams at the top of her lungs, her eyes fixed on the reindeer on the ground. I grit my teeth and begin to release my haki, whipping the icy air.
"Kureha... Do you want me to get rid of them permanently?" I ask as I step forward with a threatening step towards these first class bastards. No one hurts my friends, let alone in front of me.
"Hey you, mouth on legs!" I turn to the voice of Luffy, who has climbed to the top of the castle, pirate flag in hand. "You're nothing but a bunch of phonies! You and your men have done nothing but play pirates without ever risking your lives! You can't understand the true meaning of this flag!" The rage in me calms down a bit, but it is still very much there. Kureha puts her hand on my shoulder and shakes her head.
"Let these kids fight for us." I give her a long look before closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. Decidedly, I'm losing my cool a little too much lately.
"Thanks Kureha, I was about to do something stupid." She pats me on the back.
"That's what friends are for!" I smile at her, nodding my head.
"The significance of this flag? Mouha ha ha! All I see is a vulgar pirate decoration! An insignificant piece of cloth floating on top of a flagpole!" Laughs Wapol.
"That's why you are and will remain a first class moron all your life! This flag, is not one that can be taken down so easily!" Wapol looks at Luffy, mad with rage.
"I am the king and I have all the rights! I've decided to take down this flag and it's not a thug like you who will stop me! This country belongs to me!" A cannonball rushes towards Luffy, Kureha clutches my shoulder to remind me not to act.
"Never will this flag bend before you! For it is the symbol of CONVICTIONS!" The cannonball explodes and Luffy disappears behind the explosion. My heart beats erratically in my rib cage. The wind quickly sweeps away the smoke revealing the young captain, still standing. "What did I say... He's still standing." Says Luffy, the flag still in his hand. "I don't know who it belongs to, but I'm sure of one thing... Someone sacrificed for it... And he's not floating around here for show!" I look at Luffy with great pride. "I WILL NOT TOLERATE YOU SHOOTING AT HIM LAUGHING LIKE A WHALE!" " Faced with Luffy's outburst and rage, our opponents scream in terror. "Hey, reindeer! I intend to blow their ugly faces off! How about you?" Chopper nods and prepares for battle.
Things went very fast after that. Chopper beat the duo in 3 minutes flat. I could admire Chopper's different forms. To be able to go beyond the 3 form limit of the Zoan is quite an achievement. It's even a first for me. So there are still mysteries in this world?
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Wapol sneaking into the castle, hiding in the snow.
"Hey, big guy. What are you trying to do?" The king freezes. The others turn their heads toward me.
"What's going on, Stella?" Luffy asks. I point to the king hiding in the snow.
"There's their leader trying to break in."
"Huh? Where is he?" Luffy asks me, looking around for Wapol. I move towards the intruder, who pops up in front of me, ready to swallow me.
"YOU'LL SEE!" He closes his jaw on me in a big "CLAP".
"STELLA-CHAN! "Sanji yells. "RELEASE HER RIGHT NOW. "My hands quietly rest on either side of his jaw and force it open.
"Huh?! Wha... what?!" His mouth opens wide with ease.
"You never thought to brush your teeth? That's a real infection." Wapol flies from the castle entrance to crash into the snow two meters away from Luffy.
"Stella-chan, are you okay?!" Sanji asks collapsed in the snow, unable to get up because of Kureha sitting on his back. I dust myself off and check that Aoi is still there.
"Yes, I'm fine. Now that he's out again, I'll let you take care of him."
"Thanks Stella!" Shouts Luffy as he rolls up his coats. "I'll expose you!"
"Ha! Stay away! That's an order!" Shouts Wapol totally panicked, backing up into the snow.
"You can still talk! You hurt my friend and insulted a pirate flag." He extends his arms far behind him. "Gum Gum..."
"W... Wait! You'll get everything you want! A... A high rank! And lots of riches!"
"BAZOOKAAA!" Luffy retracts his arms at full speed and hits Wapol full force, sending him flying into the horizon. I put my hand to my forehead and squint, trying to see where Wapol has been sent. But he disappears from my vision.
" Pfiou! You sure sent him flying, Luffy." I whistle in admiration.
"Shishishi! Thank you!" We hear a sound of falling snow and something coming out of the ground. What a surprise when Usopp, Zoro and Vivi come out.
"No but is this a joke? There was a cable car that still worked?" I mumble incredulously.
"What is this? What are you doing here?" Luffy asks as he approaches them.
"We took the cable car, are the others okay? Is Nami healed?" Asks Vivi.
"Yes, they are fine! And Nami is back on her feet."
"Whew that is good. " Says Vivi relieved as she holds onto Hisui's strap.
"Wait! Didn't I dream just now?! It was Wapol that I saw disappear in the air?!" Dalton exclaims, who is in a bad state. His clothes are covered with blood, Kureha will be happy to heal him.
"Yep Luffy sent him into orbit, I think you're safe for a while." I say as I properly tuck my hair under my hat to hide my face.
"But... what about the other two?"
"The reindeer took care of them! Hey Usopp! We have a new companion in the crew! You'll see, he's great!" Said Luffy as he jumped on the poor shooter.
"Wait? A reindeer beat them?" Says Dalton with a doubt, he looks around and sees Chopper hiding behind a tree. "That... That blue nose... I recognize you! You're the one who fought for our country." Dalton smiles at Chopper, falls to his knees and bows to Chopper. "THANK YOU! The kingdom of Drum will finally be reborn!" Dalton's burst of voice draws everyone's attention to Chopper. Immediately, the soldiers point their guns at Chopper and Usopp panics.
"AHHHH! Have you seen that strange creature?! It's... It's a MONSTER!"
"That's enough! Be quiet!" Dalton yells to his men. I walk up to Usopp and punch him in the face, sending him into the snow.
"Anyone who says Chopper is a monster again, I'll blow his head off. Is that clear?" My aura is inky black and contrasts with the white snow, add the blood on my coat and you have a particularly scary scene. The soldiers are shaking with fear and some are falling into the snow.
"A... A demon..." Says one of the soldiers on the ground. Under my icy gaze, he spins his eye. I turn to Chopper who looks at me with tears in his eyes. He looks at this young human who is friends with Doctorine and defends him from the bad guys. He sees a soft, tender look in her eyes. Tears fall on his fur, he rubs his cheeks to wipe them away, but they keep flowing.
I watch Chopper crying his eyes out, I gently walk over to him and take him in my arms. He clings to my jacket, burying his face in the white fur. I face the others with a stern face.
"Say bad things about Chopper just one more time and you can say hello to the snow bunnies." They all swallow at my threat.
"I advise you to listen to her, she's not the type to make idle threats." They turn to Kureha.
"Dr... Dr. Kureha!"
"What's up? I'm going to need arms to carry the injured, get them to the treatment room and don't forget anyone!".
"A... Aye, aye!" The wounded walk back into the castle one after another, with Sanji and Nami trying to slip away. I carry Chopper a little ways away while he calms down, while stroking his fur. We slowly went up the stairs. At the top we could hear the screams and shouts of the wounded who were undergoing Kureha's intense care.
"St... Stella?" The little reindeer still has his head in my coat. "Do you think I'll ever be able to leave here?"
"Ask yourself what's stopping you from leaving." He remains silent for a little while.
"I can't leave Dr. Kureha alone, and...I don't know how to navigate. I'll get lost, and besides, I can't swim..."
"Why should you go alone?" He straightens his head and looks at me sadly.
"Who would want me? I'm a monster, when people see me, they want to kill me or they run away..."
"What about Luffy? Does he give you the impression that he wants to run away or wants to kill you?"
"He tried to eat me!"
"Because he thought you were just an ordinary reindeer, but now that he's seen you fight, he wants you in his crew." He doesn't answer me and buries his head in my jacket. We walk through the door of the apartment and the soldiers immediately leave the room upon seeing me.
" Sissy " I mumble.
"Hi Stella! Welcome back!" Says Kureha as she takes a big gulp of her alcohol.
"Yo!" Chopper jumps out of my arms and trots over to Kureha. I already miss having him against me. "What's the news?"
Nami sulks on her bed, disappointed that she didn't make it out of the castle.
"We can't leave for two days and on top of that we have to pay for totally abused care!"
"Ah." I turn to Kureha. "Can't you shorten the healing time? They're in quite a hurry." She throws her empty bottle in my face, my head tilts to the side to let it pass, and goes crashing down the stairs.
"No way! They'll leave when they're fully healed!" Nami crosses her arms.
"If only we had the key..." She mumbles.
"What key?"
"The key to the weapons stockpile, but it flew away with Wapol." Says Kureha as she opens a new bottle. I rub my chin, looking for a solution that would work for everyone.
"If I open the door for you, will you forget about the price of care and let them go right away?" She glares at me.
"Whose side are you on? Mine, who is a doctor, or theirs, who are unconscious kids? Besides, I thought you weren't supposed to help them?"
"That's true, but let's just say there's a risk of thousands of people dying, if we don't get there in time. You understand that if I can do anything to prevent it, I will." She drinks then smiles.
"It works, I'll write off my fee. However, as a doctor, I want them to stay here for the next two days."
"What! Didn't you hear what Stella just said! If we're too late, thousands of people are in danger!" Nami shouts.
"Listen, kid! Work is calling, so I'm going to go away for a while. My coat is tucked away in the closet in the back room and I don't intend to post someone to stand guard. Besides, I've finished fixing your friend's back and he should be able to walk again. But I forbid you to leave this castle! Am I clear?! Come on Stella and the others, follow me! We have work to do!" I shake my head at his little speech full of innuendo.
"I'm coming, Kureha." The girls watch me walk up to them and grab Hisui's bag.
"Thanks for saving it for me."
"No problem, even though it's very heavy!" Vivi complains. Hisui purrs, happy to be with me again.
"See you later." Chopper watches me go then turns to the girls.
"I have... I have something to ask you."
I catch up with Kureha who is standing in front of a huge steel door.
"Phew! That's one hell of a door."
"Don't pretend to be impressed and dice it." The soldiers behind us, look at us like we're crazy. How could we cut this door? It's impossible.
I smile wryly.
"Say, should I give them a good look? Or is a simple cutout enough?"
"A simple cut, I don't want you to damage what i inside. " I sigh a little disappointed.
"You're the boss." I draw Seima and face the door. It blackens with haki and a cross appears all over the door, cutting it into four pieces that fall one after another.
"WHAT! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?" The soldiers shout. They saw nothing, no movement, no air movement, nothing. I turn to them with a sadistic smile.
"I just opened the door, why?" They are sweating profusely.
"Come on, get the cannons and put them outside! And faster than that!" Kureha orders.
"YES! Right now!"
"Are you coming, Stella? Let's get back to the warmth." I turn to her and give her a soft smile.
"The others are outside and must be waiting for me so... I think we need to say goodbye." The mischievous smile disappears from Kureha's face.
"Ah... I see... Well go ahead, I won't hold you back." She turns her back to me and strides up the stairs.
"Hey Kureha!" She stops but doesn't turn around. "Don't catch cold." Her shoulders shake.
"Don't talk nonsense, I'm a doctor. I never get sick." I give a soft smile.
"Good, we'll see each other then?" She clenches her fists and continues on her way. I feel my heart clench. "Don't forget to call me if you get lonely! Promise?!" She waves her hand over her shoulder but still doesn't answer me. The soldiers watch this strange exchange, but they get back to work when they see my irritated look.
"You didn't hear her! Get these cannons out!"
"YES!" A sad sigh passes my lips as Kureha disappears into her apartment. Aoi looks at me with a sad look.
"It's alright. Let's go." We walk out of the castle where everyone is waiting for us.
"Ah Stella, you're finally here."
"Yo sorry I'm late, we can go."
"Not just yet, Chopper is saying goodbye to Kureha." My heart sinks. Kureha practically said farewell to me and now her apprentice is leaving her. She's going to be execrable.
"Get ready to run. "
"Huh? Why?" I don't have time to answer as Chopper charges at us.
"Everybody get in the sled! We're going down the mountain like this!"
"Come back here! " Kureha yells as she chases him with knife throws.
"AAHHHHH!" We jump as best we can into the sled and I look at Kureha who has stopped chasing us, tears in her eyes and a big smile on her face. Tears are running down my cheeks.
"I WILL TAKE CARE OF HIM! I PROMISE!" I wave my arm as I tell her goodbye. She turns around and raises her fist. I'm counting on you!
We hit the ground with a loud bang and Chopper continues on his way to our boat. The fir trees pass in front of us, Chopper only stops when we hear cannon fire. He slows down and stops looking at the mountains. The white snow gradually changes color until it turns pale pink, like cherry blossom petals.
"Wow, this is beautiful." Chopper looks at the landscape which has become a huge forest of cherry blossoms.
"OUAHHHHH! OUAHHHHH! OUUUAHHHHH!" The tears roll down his cheeks without ever stopping. His howl of grief can be heard all around us, I'm pretty sure Kureha can hear it from the castle. Crying also for the departure of her apprentice and friend. We admire the spectacle that is offered to us. To see a snowy country blooming... The world is still full of surprises.
After several minutes, Chopper finally calmed down.
"Are you all right, Chopper?"
"Yes! Let's go."
We join the boat and we release the moorings. From far, the island is even more beautiful. Someone who would pass by there could think that it is a spring island.
"KALOOO!" Vivi yells as she covers Kaloo, turned into an icicle, with a blanket. "What happened to you?!"
"Koin! Koin koin! Koin!"
"He must have fallen when he slipped. Ha ha ha! What a gourd of a bird!" Zoro sneers.
"Shut up Mr. Bushido!"
"He said that a certain 'Zoro' was bathing in the river, when suddenly he disappeared... So he jumped into the icy river to save him." Nami gives a huge punch to Zoro.
"So it was your fault!"
"Wait Chopper, did you understand what Kaloo just said?" Asks Vivi.
"Well yes, I'm an animal at heart."
"But that's great! Besides having medical knowledge, you have a fabulous gift!" Nami exclaims with a big smile.
"SHUT UP! If you think your stupid compliments make me happy! I don't care about them!" I laugh as I watch Chopper do a little dance, happy with the attention he's getting.
"Nami, why are you talking about medical knowledge? "
"Simply because Chopper is a doctor, he's probably even one of the best." I reply to Sanji. Chopper blushes and dances again, but without insulting me.
"WHAT?! You're a doctor Chopper?!" Shouts everyone but me and Nami.
"Can I ask you why you wanted him, if you didn't know he was a doctor, Luffy?"
"He's a talking reindeer who can change his shape seven times, that's not something you find on the streets."
"And for me, it was mostly to eat him in case of emergency." Sanji adds. Chopper takes flight and runs into my arms.
"He's too scary!" Under my black look, Sanji goes to depress in a corner. "Ah, damn! I left the island so fast that I forgot to take my bag, with all my equipment!" Chopper flails in my arms, forcing me to put him down.
« You mean this bag? I found it in the sled." Nami hands Chopper a large bag with a white cross on it.
"That's my bag! But how come." I smile and put my hand on his hat.
"It seems Kureha had planned for you to come with us." He looks at me with wide eyes before picking up his bag and looking at what's inside. "I'm sure when she saw me with them, she wanted you to experience the world with us." Chopper doesn't respond and I take the opportunity to rub the fur on his back. But this little moment of calm quickly disappears.
"Ha ha ha ha! Hey Chopper! Wanna try it with us?" We watch as Luffy and Usopp run around the ship with chopsticks in their noses and mouths, distorting their diction. Unexpectedly, Chopper does the same thing they did and follows them.
"I don't know what they're doing but it looks funny!" Says Chopper, chewing on his words.
Finally, night falls slowly on the ship.
"Dear friends! Your attention please! We have the honor and pleasure of welcoming aboard a doctor of great stature! The so-called Tony-Tony Chopper!" Usopp yells, a mug of beer in hand. On deck, the party is in full swing. Kaloo is already drunk, Sanji and Zoro are yelling at each other with beer mugs and flying plates, Luffy is jumping up and down. Nami and I are watching them have fun on the side of the ship with a drink in hand.
"Stella, Nami..." We look at Chopper who still has chopsticks in his nose. "I've never had so much fun in my life!" A big smile appears on our faces, I turn to Nami and hand her my beer mug. Which we toast with a loud noise.
"WELCOME ABOARD CHOPPER!"
Direction Alabasta!
Hi everyone! Thank you for reading this chapter. A special thanks to Zeowolf9 for telling me about the translation problems.
I'm glad you like this story Jansesu, it's still far from being finished. I hope you'll follow until the end.