"How is she, Nami?"
"Well, considering her high fever, I think we must find a doctor right away. But Vivi's country will…"
"Nggg… what should we do, Nami-san, Vivi-chan?! Is Eri-chan going to die?"
"Relax, Sanji-kun, we'll find a way soon."
I panted as I heard the people around me talking things, which unfortunately also hurting my head. I opened my eyes slowly and saw worried faces of my Nakamas. Man, this is ridiculous…
A few moments ago…
"We're finally going to Alabasta, right, Vivi-chan?" I asked softly and slid down on the wooden floor as I felt tired all of a sudden.
"Yes, finally." She replied with a smile as she looks forward to the sea, not minding about the boys that cheering about the giants' performance.
"You boys sure do energetic, eh?" Nami sighed as she watched the boys and shook her head.
"But let's just hope there will be nothing happening to us on the way to Alabasta." I grinned weakly.
Vivi nodded, "Yes. And I will definitely go back there! Because I'm the only one who can free my country." She said. "I have to live and return to Alabasta." She continued grimly.
"Try to relax, Vivi-chan." I heard Sanji-san said as he approaching us, "You can always count on me." he exclaimed as he pointed his thumb at himself and offered us a plate of snacks. "Just take a good rest and try my food. Do you want coffee or tea?" he asked.
"It looks good!" Luffy exclaimed as he saw the snacks on the plate and drooled heavily, along with Usopp.
"It looks delicious." Usopp exclaimed.
"Your portions are in the kitchen." Sanji-san replied.
"WOW! GREAT!" they replied as the swarmed away to the kitchen.
I felt a little bit dizzy and my body temperature was starting to increase. I was panting and starting to sweat a lot. I managed to stand up and walked toward the Women's Quarter slowly as I tried my best to stand properly without trembling. But unfortunately, my legs couldn't manage to hold my weight and I fell flat onto the wooden floor as I blacked out completely…
Flashback over.
And now here I am, lying down on the bed, doing nothing.
"Maybe it's because of the weather. No matter how strong they are, considering Grand Line's weathers are unpredictable." I heard Vivi said.
"But Eri has gone to Grand Line years ago, and she said she was completely fine." This time it's Luffy.
"But that doesn't change the fact that she's sick now, right?" well, bull's-eye for Luffy as he stopped arguing with Vivi.
"40 degrees Celsius?!" I heard Nami exclaimed in shock as she took out the thermometer from my mouth, "Her fever is getting worse!" she added.
"What!? So Eri is going to die!?" Luffy exclaimed in shock, as the other two also shocked hearing Luffy's exclamations.
"Eri-chwan! Please don't die!" Sanji-san exclaimed as he sobbed while Usopp and Carue were running back and forth as they screaming.
"Would you guys calm down and shut up!?" Nami exclaimed and punched them in the head one by one hard.
"We have to hurry and find a doctor to cure Eri!" Luffy said.
"We know! But you'd better calm down." Vivi told him, "The loud noise can make her get worse!"
"No… we can't stop…" I said weakly as I panted and sat up, much to the others' worry. "If we wait any longer, there will be a civil war in Alabasta soon." I continued and turned to Nami. "Nami, give her the paper now." I told her, "She needs to know."
Nami nodded and walked toward the drawer and took a newspaper before gave it to Vivi. She read it and her expression changed into full of dread and she widened her eyes.
"How could this thing happen? 300.000 Royal troops have switched sides and joined the Rebel side…!" Vivi said in shock, "There used to be 600.000 Royal troops and 400.000 rebellions. This is totally opposite!"
"We got that newspaper three days ago. Sorry, we didn't show you because there is no way to take our ship go any faster. That's why I hid it. We just didn't want to worry you." Nami said.
"Besides, we better head to Alabasta fast." I told them and grinned weakly, "Vivi-chan's country is far important matter. I just got a fever, that's all. I'll be fine in few days, don't worry about me." I continued before turning to Nami, "Nami, are you sure leaving Zoro as the one that watching the ship? I don't think it was a great idea…" I told her, which made her realized it and ran toward the deck.
"But you have to see a doctor soon. Are you sure you only got a normal fever?" Usopp asked in concern.
I nodded and lay down on the bed as I covered myself with the blanket. "It's alright. I'll be fine, as long we go to Alabasta fast, I'll be fine." I reassured them, "Now shush, hurry and get out the room. Let me rest so I could get better soon and we'll kick that wani*'s ass and his agents down." I told them as I shooed them out from the room, which earning everyone but Luffy, Flame and Takao to get out from the room.
They didn't say anything as I rested myself and I heard them shuffled down, probably sat down next to the bed and started putting a hand on my forehead, despite its hot as hell, I suppose.
"Ouch! Hot hot! I think we'd better stop and find a doctor for you, Eri!" Luffy exclaimed as he pulled his hand back.
"I'll be fine, Lu ani-san." I said weakly as I called him with a nickname I made two years ago. He didn't replied but put his hand back on my scalp and brushing off my bangs away gently.
"Get well soon." I heard him said and I smiled weakly at him as I put my hand on his hand.
"I will."
XXX
"Everyone, I would like to ask all of you for a favor." Vivi announced to the rest of the crew, "Maybe it's not right to say this since you are kind enough to bring me back to my country. But my country is now in great danger, and I want to go back there as soon as possible." She continued.
"I can't waste even a second. So, from now on, I would like everyone to head to Alabasta with the fastest speed." She paused for a moment while everyone was looking at her with a look, "So, let's start finding a doctor and cure Eri-chan as soon as possible then head to Alabasta. When Eri-chan is cured, we can go with the fastest speed, right?" she said confidently, resulting the Straw Hats that looked all tense at first began to relax and smiled, especially Luffy.
"That's right. There is nothing that can make this ship faster than with healthy Eri." Luffy said as he grinned.
"Are you sure? You should worry about your people because you're the princess." Usopp said.
"It's true. That's why we have to cure Eri-chan as soon as we can." Vivi replied.
"Well, that was one great answer, Vivi!" Nami praised her, "Because even if we go to Alabasta with fastest speed, Luffy will get worried about his sister even more if she got worse."
"Very good, Vivi-chan! Your words make me fall in love with you all over again." Sanji said with a grin.
"You are brave." Zoro complimented with a smile.
"WHOA! WHAT'S THAT!?" Luffy suddenly exclaimed as he pointed at the direction where the ship is heading just then and taking everyone's attentions.
"IT'S A CYCLONE!"
"IT'S SO HUGE!"
"Wait a minute! That direction was…!"
"That was the direction that we were heading to!"
"We'll be dead if we get close to that thing!"
"We were so close!"
"Nami-san, you're so great! They said that Grand Line's cyclone is the storm that you can't predict, but you could predict in a moment!" Vivi exclaimed in awe while Nami grinned.
"Well, I'm the best Navigator in the world after all." She said before she felt something nudged her leg and looked down, only seeing Flame with a rolled paper in his mouth and was offered to her.
"What's this, Flame?" she asked as she took it and rolled it open, which revealed as a map of an island. She looked up at the corner of the map and saw two words there.
Drum Island.
"'Drum Island'?" Nami echoed, "Is this an island where there will be doctor there?" she asked Flame, who only shrugged and walked back to the Women's Quarter. She was just sweat-dropped and sighed before turning back to the boys.
"Everyone, let's hurry up! We will be heading south and find a doctor!" Nami exclaimed.
"YEAH!"
XXX
I woke up right in the middle of night as I was feeling thirsty. I looked around slowly and saw everyone was in the room, sleeping soundly while both Luffy and Vivi were sleeping right on the bedside. I smiled weakly and coughed softly, which woke Luffy up in the process.
"Did I wake you up?" I asked weakly as I saw him sat up and rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"No…" he replied and yawned, "Do you need something?" he asked sleepily, as his eyes were still shut.
"A glass of water would be great." I replied softly. He nodded and walked out from the quarter slowly as he tripped over his own feet and stumbled down, only he didn't fell flat on the floor, fortunately. I just smiled weakly at it and turned to Vivi, who was sleeping soundlessly.
"Vivi-chan…" I said and put my hand on her head as I stroked her hair softly so I won't wake her up, "You've done enough…" I added and smiled weakly.
Then I heard footsteps and saw it was Luffy's, as he walked down the stairs and approaching me with a glass of water in his hand. He offered it to me and I saw his eyes were shut tight, which making me giggled softly and took the glass from his hand. I drank it slowly and gave it back to Luffy as I finished and he put the glass on the desk near the bed before sat down beside Vivi and fell asleep again as he put his head back to the bedside.
I smiled and put a hand on his head as I stroked his jet black hair gently. I giggled weakly as I heard him sleep-talking about meat before I decided to sleep again.
XXX
"THERE IS AN ISLAND AHEAD OF US!"
"Island!?" Luffy exclaimed in excitement before turning to his sleeping sister, "We're lucky, Eri! They said that they saw an island! You will be better soon!" he told her, which of course didn't get any reply as she's sleeping deeply. As he heard and told his sister about the island, he was twitching wildly and moving a lot, which making his companion in the room, sweat-dropped at the sight.
"If you want to see it that much, just go." Zoro told his enthusiastic Captain, which was accepted happily by the Captain and he ran out from the room to the deck.
"Luffy…" Eri called softly, but she appeared to be sleep-talking, as her eyes were still shut tight. Zoro glanced at her while didn't move from his spot, waiting for her to finished her words.
"Don't attack them…" she continued, "Don't attack any of them… minna…" she grunted before coughing and turned to her side, curling under the thick blanket.
Zoro, who heard it clearly, just stared blankly at her before he walked to hear and gently stroked her head. Then he walked upstairs to deliver the others her message, whatever she meant by that, he'll tell the others about it.
XXX
I woke up suddenly as I heard gunshot. I sat up quickly and walked out of bed, only stumbled and almost fell flat to the floor right on the face if I didn't grab onto the desk. I panted as my sights got hazy and I walked toward the stairs and walked upstairs. As I right on the storage deck, I heard shouting and another gunshot. I opened the door and trembled in cold as the cold weather attacked me into the bones.
"STOP IT!" I yelled loudly as I could and coughed loudly, which taking everyone's attentions and Luffy ran up to me after he called my name and then he wore off his winter coat before wearing it on me, as I kept coughing and fell on my knees.
"What are you doing here, Eri!? You're still sick!" Luffy exclaimed as he put his straw hat on my head to cover my head and carried me bridal style.
I panted and coughed lightly, "D-don't fight them…" I told him as I rested my head on his shoulder. "They're just scared… don't fight them…" I coughed as I paused before continued, "Please…"
He didn't say anything but he turned toward the townspeople, I suppose, before he fell on his knees gently and looked at the townspeople.
"I'm sorry. It's my fault." He said clearly and bowed lowly but not too low to them while he's still managed to carry me bridal style, "Please call a doctor. Please help my Imouto." He finally said which making the townspeople were stunned and thinking about it. It was so silent that you could hear a pin drop until my cough broke the silence.
"I will show you the way to our village." The leader, I suppose, said, "Just follow us." He finished.
I smiled weakly as I started to tremble in cold and my teeth were clattering like mad, which making Luffy to start panicking again and quickly ran toward the Women's Quarter. He put me down gently as he covered me with the thick blanket. Vivi and Nami ran in also as they helped Luffy up by helping me to put my own winter coat after putting on my sweaters, long and thick trousers, mittens, boots, scarves around my neck and my mouth, muzzle, earmuffs, and two beanies on my head. Then Luffy carried me piggy-back and walked out from the room as I started to drift off to sleep again.
XXX
"ri… ey… hey Eri."
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"
I opened my eyes slowly as I felt something was slapping my cheek lightly and I saw Luffy's dark owlish eyes.
"If we don't go to the mountain, we can't see the doctor." He said, "Let's go hiking." He finished before everyone there AKA the Straw Hats were yelling at him and talking things. I just heard them talking gibberish and I laughed weakly and brought up my right hand.
"I'll leave it to you now, Senchou-nii*." I said softly with muffled voice as I smiled weakly.
"That's right, just trust me!" Luffy replied as he slapped my hand as an agreement before I drifted off to sleep again.
XXX
"I can't believe this! Both brother and sister are out of their minds!" Nami exclaimed in frustration.
"Are you sure, Eri-chan?" Sanji asked to Eri, who was already fell asleep again, so it's pointless to ask her.
"Ossan, can you get me some meat?" Luffy asked.
"Meat?" Dalton echoed back, dumbfound.
"Are you sure Eri-chan? It's very far from here." Vivi said in concern.
"O.K. I will go with you." Sanji said, totally sure about it.
"Just remember this! If you fall down even one time, Eri will die!" Usopp warned Luffy.
"I know! Just leave it to me!" Luffy replied as he carried his sister in piggy-back with a sheathed-sword to prevent her from slipping and Vivi helped Luffy to tie Eri to his body tightly so she won't slip down. He walked outside the house and started warming up by running in place slowly.
"Alright, I will wait for you here. I don't want you to worry about me if I go with you." Vivi said.
"Me too." Usopp said.
"Just make sure to be careful and make sure Eri is staying warm. She won't last long in this harsh cold." Nami told Luffy.
"I get it. Eri, just hang onto me, okay?" Luffy asked, and surprisingly, Eri answered him with a hum.
"I don't think that I can stop you now. But may I suggest that you should go to the opposite side because this route is full of Lapan. It's a meat-eating rabbit, which is very powerful. If you meet a group of them, you can't survive." Dalton told Luffy and Sanji, who looked at each other.
"Rabbit? But we're in a hurry, just don't worry about that." Luffy replied.
"It's up to you. If they really come, I will kick their butts." Sanji replied.
"Don't…" they heard Eri said in muffled voice, "Don't attack any of them… they'll attack back… in groups…" she told them.
"What she says is right." Dalton told them, "Just don't attack any of them at any cost if you want to survive."
"Then, let's go Sanji!" Luffy exclaimed and ran toward the supposed to be mountain.
"Yeah!" he replied as he ran/followed Luffy up, leaving the other four; Vivi, Usopp, Nami and Dalton; right at the village.
"Will they be alright?" Dalton asked.
"Don't worry. They'll be fine." Usopp replied.
"Let's just hope Eri can make it." Nami said.
"I wish all of them luck." Vivi said.
They kept there as the snow was falling down until Dalton called them in to his house.
"It's alright, I want to stay out here." Vivi replied as she tried to warm herself.
"Me too." Usopp replied.
"Same here." Nami said.
Dalton smiled at it, "Really?" he asked and sat down beside them, "Why don't I stay with you, then?" he said and turned toward where the other two boys go. "Actually, there used to be many doctors in this town." He said.
"Eh?"
"But for some reasons, all the doctors are gone." He continued. "About two to three months ago, this country was destroyed by a group of pirates."
"Destroyed?!"
"So that's why you were mean to us." Vivi said, finally understood.
"Yes, everyone still remembers how cruel those pirates were." Dalton confirmed, "There were only five pirates in that group. Their Captain was known as 'Kurohige*'. Our country was destroyed within a short period of time."
"Are you serious? Your country was destroyed by only five pirates?" Nami asked in disbelief.
"'Kurohige'?!"
"However, some people say that it turned out to be good." Dalton said.
"Good!? What is so good about your country being destroyed!?" Vivi asked in disbelief.
"That's right!" Nami agreed.
"Is that really true!?" Usopp asked.
Dalton was looked hesitant about telling them but he said, "It's all because the Government was very cruel to the people. This country used to be known as the 'Drum Kingdom', and the King's name was King Wapol. He was a very bad King."
The trios were surprised hearing the word 'Wapol' before finally realizing who the person is, which is a person that almost ate their ship down and was really has a big mouth, who apparently the former king of the kingdom that used to be Drum Kingdom.
"WAPOL!?"
XXX
"It's getting colder." Luffy stated as he realized that the snow was falling more frequent and heavily but kept running fast but gently while carrying his sister.
"Then why don't you wear something more? Even though I wear all these clothes, I still feel the cold in my bones." Sanji replied.
"That is one of my polisy." Luffy replied.
"Polisy? It's policy!" Sanji corrected him.
"Yeah, that." Luffy then glanced from his shoulder to his sister's red face, "I hope Eri is still feeling warm." He hoped before turning to Sanji. "By the way, do you know that the people who live in this kind of cold place don't sleep?"
"Huh? Why?" Sanji asked.
"Because if they sleep, they will die." Luffy answered easily.
"Are you mad? How can they live if they don't sleep?" Sanji asked back, as if he's crazy and totally didn't realize, or he is but ignored it, about a small rabbit leaped up to attack him, which easily dodged by Sanji.
"But it's true. That's what I heard." Luffy stubbornly stated, also didn't realized or ignored the small rabbit that tried to attack Sanji.
"From Usopp? the Cook asked.
"No, from Eri." Luffy stated.
Flashback…
"Say Luffy, do you know why people don't sleep in cold places?"
"Why?"
"Because they will die in their sleep because of the sudden dropped temperature, so usually their bodies were frozen to their bones and they were died when they asleep."
"WHAT!?"
Flashback ends…
"Really? As expected from Eri-chan that always talking things darkly with poker-face…" Sanji said as he sweat-dropped. "Then why does Dalton have a bed in his house?" he asked, dodging another attack from the small rabbit.
"That's easy. He just prepares it for the time that he dies." Luffy replied back.
"How can that be possible?" Sanji asked as he sweat-dropped. "The have you heard about this? The girl in the winter town will have very smooth skin."
"Why?" Luffy asked as he jumped over a tree that suddenly fell over their path.
"You shouldn't ask." Sanji replied as he jumped over the tree also, "Because when it's cold, everyone will rub their body to make themselves warm, right? That's why her skin is smooth. If a girl has smooth skin, she must come from the winter town." Sanji finished dreamily as he dodged over the attacks from the small rabbit that slightly similar to Wawa Bunny of some game online mascot, except it didn't brought a cleaver everywhere.
"Then why is their skin white?" Luffy asked as he also dodged the infinite attacks from the rabbit.
"Because their skins were absorb the color of snow." Sanji answered as the smoke of his cancer stick turned into heart-shapes.
"You're out of your mind." Luffy replied as he leaped out as the rabbit about to attack him.
"Hey! Don't call me that!" Sanji yelled, "By the way…" the he kicked away the rabbit that near his foot far as he exclaimed, "HOW LONG WILL THIS STUPID RABBIT FOLLOWING US!?"
"Yeah, I wonder what's wrong with him." Luffy stated as he looked at the said rabbit flew away from him before they continued their journey to finding a doctor, which usually called as 'Witch' by the people here.
"It's snowing pretty heavy around here." Luffy stated as he started walking way faster than before but still slowly enough so the moves won't disturbing his sister, that still sleeping soundlessly.
"Yeah, I hope Eri-chan won't get cold." Sanji said and they stopped as they saw herds of rabbit with bear bodies are right in front of them.
"What the hell are they?" the Cook asked.
"Giant creatures with white fur, they must be polar bears!" Luffy stated with his infamous 'Luffy Logic'. Then the lapahn with a scar on the side of it's' face leaped up and about to attck the boys, only quickly get dodged by them.
"Are you kidding?! Why are they so fast!? Are they gorillas or what?!" Sanji exclaimed as he dodged the attack.
"No, they're polar bears!" Luffy replied formly.
"They're rabbits!" Sanji yelled at him.
"But didn't you say that they're gorillas?" the idiotic Captain asked dumbly.
"Those must be Lapahns that Dalton was talking about." Sanji said as the rest of the lapahns behind the first row of them were starting to walked forward, revealing there are more of them behind.
"They have small legs, but I've never thought that they will move so fast, maybe because they are mountain animals. We can't get through them easily." Sanji said as he watched him before brought up a hand to Luffy. "Luffy, listen. Don't fight them." He told him.
"If you fight or got hit by them, you will get tha same force which will affect Eri-chan too." He said in worried tone, "And if that really happened, Eri-chan will die for sure." He finished at the same time as the lapahn roared loudly.
"I get it, I won't fight them." Luffy replied softly as he got worried about his sister condition, which actually got worse as he felt her teeth were clattering lowly, meaning the cold has gotten into her. "Then what should I do?" he asked as he dodged the attack from the lapahn.
"Just escape! Run!" Sanji told him. "And don't be delayed!"
"That's easy to say, but hard to do!" Luffy yelled at him, shark teethed, as Sanji kicked the lapahn away, which apparently pissed the rest of the lapahns up and they leaped up to attack the boys, making them ran away quickly in panic.
"We have to lose them. It would take the whole night if I want to get rid all of them!" Sanji exclaimed as both of them ran into the forest and dodged the attacks.
One of them almost got Luffy and Eri, and Luffy was about to kick it away, only the sudden move was making Eri grunted and Sanji stopped Luffy's leg as he kicked the lapahn away.
"Damn it! I told you to just leave all the fighting to me!" Sanji told Luffy.
"Sorry. I forgot." Luffy replied as he continued to run.
"Think about your little sister's condition you stupid rubber-brain!" Sanji yelled at him as they kept running and dodging all the attacks they could, and sometimes Sanji kicked them away.
Then Luffy saw a cliff near them and told Sanji about it, who told him to go first as he kicked away the lapahns. Luffy was using one of the lapahns as a stepping stone to the cliff and landed softly on the ground, Sanji was following right after Luffy and apparently, the lapahns were also following them up as they ran away.
"They're coming again!" Sanji yelled as they ran.
"Let's run to the top of the mountain!" Luffy said and they kept running until they realized that the lapahns were stopped chasing them and now were jumping up and down occasionally.
"What are they doing?" Luffy asked as he repaired Eri's position on his back.
"I thought that they were tired of chasing us, but they're doing something." Sanji replied as they kept watching them until he realized something and looked up, "Wait… a minute…" he widened his eyes as his cigarette fell off from his mouth, "Don't tell me…!?"
"They must be joking! Those stupid rabbits are dragging us into big trouble." Sanji said as he paled and started sweating a lot, despite its cold as hell.
"What is it, Sanji?" Luffy asked, totally oblivious about the danger that coming.
"Let's get out of here Luffy!" Sanji yelled as he turned back.
"Out of here? But where?" Luffy asked.
"Anywhere! As long as it's far away from here!" Sanji replied as Luffy followed his action.
"AN AVALANCHE IS COMING AT US!" Sanji yelled and ran away from there, which quickly followed by Luffy and they yelled in fear as the avalanche was coming at them, swallowing everything in its way.
"I swear that next time I see those rabbits, I will grill them with my own hands!" Sanji exclaimed as both of them ran fast.
"What are we gonna do Sanji!?" Luffy asked as he panicked.
"How should I know!? The only thing I know is first, we must protect Eri-chan! Second, third, fourth, or even fifth, we must protect Eri-chan with our own lives!" Sanji stated.
"I know, but how can we protect her!?" Luffy asked. "I never had any experience in this kind of thing!"
"There! Can you see that cliff?" Sanji pointed at the said cliff and continued, "Let's run there! As long as we stay there, we should be fine!" they turned toward the cliff and ran as fast as they could as the avalanche is getting closer to them and they finally arrived at the cliff. But unfortunately, the cliff is not high enough to protect them from the avalanche and the avalanche is knocking them away from the cliff.
"AAAAAAAAAAHH!"
"WE WILL BE COVERED WITH SNOW!"
Right Luffy is in the air, he muttered about what should they do and he got an idea. He grabbed the tree that has been knocked down by the avalanche as using it as a surfboard. He grabbed Sanji up to the tree as they're going down the mountain.
"We are safe, but we are going down the mountain!" Luffy yelled.
"Are you kidding me!?" Sanji spat, "We've spent hours trying to climb this mountain! We were so close to the top! Can you find any way to stop this!? Damn those rabbits! I swear that I will put them in the hot pot next time!" he cursed, and unbeknownst to them yet, the lapahns were still chasing them, this time in surfboard-mode, much to the boys' shocks.
"HUH!?"
"WHAT THE…!?"
Right the lapahns were about to attack them, they slid away from their reach and they managed to dodged all the attack, but unfortunately, the shock was got to Eri as she groaned at the sudden movement while her teeth were starting to clatter wildly, indicating the cold was starting to get her more than before and that's a bad thing.
"LOOK OUT LUFFY!" Sanji yelled as he saw what's in front of them, which a rock with some sharp stumps on them.
"A rock!? We're gonna hit it!" Luffy exclaimed.
"But you're carrying Eri-chan! It's gonna hurt her too!" Sanji replied before he threw Luffy away, much to the Captain's shock. Sanji grinned and said, "A man should be gentle to a lady!" before he crashed into the rock and the sharp stumps that hurting him in the process as he fell into the moving snow, sacrificing himself for the siblings.
"SANJII!"
Luffy quickly grabbed onto the rock while the lapahns and Sanji were swept away by the snow. He yelled at Sanji because of that and about to grabbed his hand, but only got his mitten instead, much to Luffy's dismay and shouted for him. Luffy quickly put Eri down and took off his winter coat and straw hat as he put the coat on Eri and he started to get more worried as he saw her trembled in cold and her teeth were clattering madly.
"Hang in there Eri! Just hang onto my hat for me, I will be right back!" he exclaimed before he doves into the moving snow to retrieve Sanji.
After a while and the avalanche is finally over, Luffy got back with Sanji in his hands and walked back toward where Eri is. He saw that Eri is starting to get worse, not because of her sickness, but because of the cold. He quickly put Sanji beside Eri as he tied Eri back on him and piggy-back her after he put on his straw hat. He grabbed onto Sanji and they started walking up to the mountain. On their way, Luffy found the small rabbit that tried attacking them before was digging onto the snow with a big paw sticking out of the snow.
The small rabbit apparently felt Luffy and was protecting the big paw from Luffy, who was just staring at it blankly. The baby lapahn growled as it saw Luffy and Luffy reached up to it, which making it trembled in fear. But Luffy grabbed the big paw and brought it up, revealing the big paw is belong to the parent of the baby lapahn, who was now squealing in happiness and hugged its parent while the parent was looking at Luffy as he walked away from there to the mountain.
"I will take you there." Luffy said softly, "Then don't die, both of you!" he finished. But apparently, he got a company or two that ran toward him.
"Look Wapol-sama!"
"Let's kill them!"
The the said company was revealed as Wapol and his two minions, Chess and Kuromarimo. The hippo ran toward him and stopped right in front of Luffy, blocking the way to the mountain.
"Wait! You've been disrespected me too many times you little brat." Wapol said menacingly.
"Get out of the way." Luffy replied firmly.
"Are you dreaming? Hahahahaha, why do I have to let you go?" Wapol asked mockingly, "Those things that you are carrying are about to die anyway." He continued, which making Luffy slightly narrowed his eyes before walked passed them by walking right through beside them.
"Hey! Stop!" Wapol yelled before turning to a man with outfit like a jester. "I've come up with a new law. Write it, Chess." He said.
"Yes sir." Chess replied.
"Whoever turns his back on the king shall suffer death." He said, "NOW, GO AND KILL ALL OF THEM WHETHER THEY ARE WEAK OR NOT!" he ordered.
"Yes, my lord!" both of his minions replied as they jumped toward Luffy, about to attack him.
"What the…?" Luffy muttered as he slightly ticked off by that statement and the Kuromarimo guy was attacked him with iron-gloves of his, which hurting Luffy a bit as it scratched Luffy. "Damn it!" Luffy cursed and about to attack back, but he remembered what Sanji said to him and his sister condition. He gritted his teeth in frustration before ran forward again.
"Damn it! I can't fight them! I'll remember this!" he exclaimed as he ran and the Chess guy was shooting arrows at him right at the back, which where Eri is. Luffy quickly jumped up, dodging the arrows and kept running from there until he realized that Wapol and his minions were gone.
"Where did they go?" he asked as he kept running, not looking at the front, "That is weird. Did they give up?" he wondered as he still doesn't realize there's a big mouth right in front of him and he quickly jumped up as he did, which revealed as Wapol's big mouth. And as he's in the air, the two minions leaped out from the snow, each of them is preparing an attack to Luffy, which making Luffy screamed about it.
But before the attacks got him and the other two that in his care, two lapahns leaped out and punched away the two minions, which slightly amazed Luffy up.
"Polar bear…" he muttered and he landed on the snow softly. While the enemies were surprised about the fact that lapahns were protecting Luffy, the lapahn that saved by Luffy glanced at him, as if telling him to go and leave everything to them.
"Thank you for helping me!" Luffy thanked them as he ran toward the mountain, leaving the enemies behind to the lapahns.
He kept running until the snow was falling heavily and he started walking. He kept chanting 'doctor' as he walked. His whole body was starting to tint red, stating that the cold already affect him so bad AKA a hypothermia. He stopped as he was right in front of the mountain. He tightened the tying on his abdomen that preventing his sister body from neither falling nor slipping down from his body and took off his sandals as he bit Sanji's coat before he told those two to hang in there and they're close.
He started climbing up the mountain with his current state as he kept chanting 'doctor' silently. This kept going until three hours straight and the wind around the mountain was blowing at him, which making the rubber teen trembled in cold and stop for a moment before continued to climb. But unfortunately, his fingers scrapped up to the mountain's surface and starting to bleed. And because of it, he screamed out in hurt and releasing Sanji from his grip of his bite in the process, which making him shouted for Sanji and quickly grabbed Sanji again with his teeth as he stretched out his head to grab Sanji and stretched up back. He continued to climb to the top, not minding his now bleeding fingers because of frostbites and scrapping the rough surface of the mountain.
'I won't give up! I will reach the top soon.' He kept going even his bleeding fingers were starting to get into him, but he not minding over them and kept climbing up as he almost reach the top of the mountain. After awhile, he finally reached the top and put Sanji down to the snowing ground beside him as he stare at the castle in awe before he starting to pass out, and unfortunately, the snow where Luffy laid down is starting to slipped off from the top of the mountain and before he fell down, a big furred hand grabbed him, stopping him from falling.
XXX
"Please hang in there, Usopp-san." Vivi breathed out as she pulled Usopp up by his long nose.
"Would you stop bothering me, Vivi? I think I'm having a… I see a beautiful garden which I think doesn't exist in this world…" Usopp said softly as his eyes only shows whites.
"IT MEANS THAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO GO TO HEAVEN!" Vivi yelled and started slapping Usopp's cheeks, "WAKE UP, USOPP-SAN! YOU CAN'T SLEEP!"
"AAH!" Usopp yelled out before started limping again, "Usopp's pirtaes! Coomee here!" he breathed out, which making Vivi panicked even more.
"NO! USOPP-SAN! YOU CAN'T DIE HERE! WAKE UP! USOPP-SAN!" Vivi yelled and started slapping him hard and kept doing that until the Sniper finally woke up fully.
"Thank you for helping me, Vivi." Usopp said, "But why do I have these bumps on my face?" he asked as he analyze his face, which is as big as a beehive and full of bumps.
"It's good that you're still alive. It's just frostbite; it must be hard to live here." Vivi replied as she walked forward, not minding the fact that it was practically her fault for Usopp's face. "Anyway, we need to know where we are and Nami-san is now and how everyone is." she continued before stopped as she saw something was leaping out from the snow, which startling both of them before it revealed as Zoro that half-naked.
"This is bad! It's cold and then there was an avalanche. I'm so unlucky, anyway, I will think of this as a part of my training." Zoro said as he started to hug himself and finally noticed the other two, "Huh? Vivi?" then his eyes fell on Usopp, with beehive-sized face and slightly unrecognized by Zoro before his eyes fell on his nose. "And Usopp?" he finally said, "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"THAT SHOULD BE OUR QUESTION!" both yelled at him in sync before a feather fell down right in front of Vivi who grabbed it and looked above, which revealed as Takao in his griffin form and he landed on the snowy ground with a familiar figure on his back.
"Nami-san!? Are you alright Nami-san?" Vivi asked in concern as she shook Nami up to wake her up. Nami groaned and finally woke up as she looked up to Vivi.
"What happened?" she asked as she moaned in pain and sat up.
"Well, apparently, you almost got swept away by the avalanche." Takao answered, "Luckily I was looking for Zoro-dono right in the air before I found you running away from the avalanche. I quickly grabbed onto you and flew above until the avalanche was over."
"Zoro?" she asked before turned and truly saw the moss-head, half-naked. "What the hell are you doing here, half-naked?" she asked, slightly annoyed that the Swordsman was half-naked, in the middle of snowing of all time.
"Shut up." Zoro spat as they walked together forward, which apparently arrived at the Big Horn Village where Dalton is.
Apparently, Wapol's grunts were preventing the villagers to get Dalton's body. Then Zoro asked Usopp that they're enemies or not and quickly attacked one of them after he got the answer, much to everyone's shock. He quickly took the coat and wore them, which angered the grunts.
"What kind of fools are they?" Zoro asked as he sighed and smirked.
XXX
"Doctorine, the anti-body is working."
"Yes. Can you tell me what caused this?"
"Kestia."
"That's right. You saw it too."
XXX
I woke up and opened my eyes slowly as I heard squeaky footsteps. I looked around and saw that I was in some sort of room in Victorian-era as it's made of bricks. I groaned and sat up, which making the person there jumped back in surprise, which knocking down the chair behind him and the books on the bookshelf behind the person, which doesn't really look like a person.
Antlers, red hat with crooked medical symbol, blue nose, hoofs, and brown furs. Yep, that's Chopper alright.
"Hello there." I started, which apparently scaring him and ran toward the doorway, and trying to hide but he hide in the opposite way, which making me sweat-dropped at the sight.
"Actually, you're hiding on the wrong side, ya' know." I told him, which making him realized and did the opposite from what he did before, making me sweat-dropped at it. "It's too late you know." I added and smiled weakly.
"It's okay; ask away you want to ask. I won't bite," I started before grinning evilly, "Hard." I finished which making him screamed in fear and I laughed happily at his antics.
"What are you doing, Chopper?" I heard someone said and was an old and wrinkly woman but still with curvaceous body was walking toward me as she laughed, "You are waking up? Are you feeling better, komusume?" she asked.
"You're doctor Kureha AKA Doctorine, I suppose?" I assured as she put a finger on my forehead.
"38.2 degrees Celsius. You're getting better." She announced and pulled up her shades. "That's right. I am doctor Kureha, you can call me Doctorine." She said.
"Is this the castle? It's pretty cool from inside." I said as I looked around.
"You want to know the secret of my youthfulness?" she asked suddenly.
"Not really interested." I replied simply. "By the way, where are the other two guys?" I asked.
"They're sleeping in the room next door. They're snoring too loud. Didn't they learn any manner?" she pointed out as she gulped down the rum in her hand.
"I don't think so, considering we're pirates." I replied and sighed in relief before Doctorine sat down next to me and pulled my right arm and pulled up the sleeve, which revealing some kind of bruises or something on the upper arm.
"This is the problem." She stated. "You were bitten by the insect called kestia. It's a poisonous insect that lives in tropical forests. When it bites someone, it will spread bacteria into that person's body. Within five days, that person will suffer from high fever."
"Later, it will affect the heart, brain, and every part of the body. Based on your wound, I guess this is the third day after you were bitten. Its poison is very powerful. If you leave it without any medical treatment for another two days, you will definitely rest in peace!" she informed me, which too long for my brain to process it in short amount of time.
"It used to be known as Five Days Fever. However, kestia have been extinct for a hundred years. You're lucky that I still have some antibiotic." She told me, which easily get process by my brain and my mouth was shaped in an-O. "Where did you come from anyway? Did you just go and take a walk in an ancient forest or something? But that sounds impossible."
"Actually, may I see my Nakamas? I need to check on my brother's condition." I said before got pushed onto the bed by Doctorine.
"You're still not completely cured, go to sleep." She said.
"No way! I'm tired of sleeping! Besides, we're kind of in a hurry so no thanks!" I replied and sat up, which making the creepy doctor almost stabbed me with a scalpel if I didn't lay down back on the bed.
"Now, there are only two cases in which I will let my patients go. One, is when my patients die, and the other is when my patients fully recover." She warned me and I frowned.
"And leaving my friend's country destroyed because of misunderstanding? Nope! I refuse to sleep again!" I replied back and we glared at each other before the old woman sat up and pulled the scalpel away from me.
"Are you crazy? Do you really want to die that much? At least you should rest for another three days." She told me.
"I don't care if I have to die or what, as long my precious people are fine, then I'll be fine." I replied and stuck out my tongue at her.
"You're such a crazy and ungrateful brat, aren't you?" she spat as she grinned witch-ly and suddenly, we got another companies as I heard some screaming and some people were talking to each other. a few moment later, Chopper and the other two boys were running in and they were holding onto the blue-nosed reindeer as they kept running.
"Luffy! Sanji-san!" I called as they were now full of bandages and not paid me any mind. "And the blue-nosed reindeer? A DF user, I guess?" I asked even though I already knew who he is, but that would be weird if I suddenly called his name.
"What a surprise, they recovered very fast." Doctorine pointed out as she watched the boys in amusement. "You asked me who is he, right?" she asked, "His name is Tony Tony Chopper. He's just a regular blue-nosed reindeer that accidently ate 'Hito-Hito no Mi'."
"That's why he has human abilities, and I teach him about my medical knowledge." She finished.
I smiled softly as I watched them. "Well, they're all 'Monsters', that's for sure." I said and grinned sheepishly, which unconsciously was being stared at by Doctorine with watchful eyes. Then the other two boys came back as they groaned in pain before Luffy laid an eye on me and quickly ran to me and hugged me tight.
"Eri! You're alright!" he exclaimed in relief and I giggled.
"Yes Lu ani-san, thank you for your concern." I replied and spotted his bandaged hands. I brought it up and tore the bandages up, which was revealing his bruised up fingers. I frowned at the nasty sight and brought it up together as I pressed my forehead on his hands and closed my eyes, slowly praying for him and thanking him for his hard work and sacrifice.
"Thank you, Luffy… for saving me…" I thanked him softly and I could practically felt him smiled and grinned before put a hand on my head to tousle my hair up.
"Shishishi, it's okay Eri, you're feeling better right? Then it's fine." He replied as he giggled and hugged me, "As long you're alive, then it's fine to me." he said.
I could practically felt my face heated up because of him and I pouted childishly at him before punched him lightly, which earning a giggled from him and he ruffled my hair.
"You're just being a tsundere." He said and stood up to tear the rest of the bandages away from his body, not minding the shock stare from Sanji-san, probably because Luffy knew tsundere word before turned to me.
"Err, I told him about it." I told him as I sweat-dropped at the sight.
Flashback…
"Just say it that you want it."
"S-shut up! It's not your business!"
"You're just being a tsundere, Ace."
"What's a tsundere?"
"Tsundere is a person who usually cold but they will warmed up later if we got to their good side, just like Ace. Do you understand, Luffy?"
"Not at all!"
"It's a person that at first bad and evil to us, slowly become kind to us, even just a bit, just like Ace before and after we met him. He's cruel to us before, but now he's warmed up to us, right?"
"Ooh, I get it! So basically tsundere is a cold person at first, but will warm up later just like Ace! Right?"
"Right."
"OI! I'm right here you know!"
"And they usually blush a lot when we got their bulls eyes, just like Ace."
"SHUT UP!"
Flashback ends…
"Ahaha, that was great memories." I laughed as the flashback ends.
XXX
"Please come with us, I beg you." Luffy said to Doctorine, "Please obassan." And there goes the forbidden word.
"Your name if Luffy, right?" she asked slowly.
"Yes." He replied.
"You'd better watch your language!" Doctorine exclaimed as she kicked my brother away to the wall, "I'm just 140 years old, I'm still young!"
"Wow! What a strong obassan!" Sanji-san said, also with the forbidden word and she kicked him away also while Luffy already came back and started asking her to come to the pirate. Then they spotted Chopper before they started running after him again, but this time Doctorine was joining also, for chasing only the boys off.
"Stupid boys." I shook my head and started shivering before sneezed because of the cold, which was sourced from the open door. As I was about to stand to close the door, a familiar figure came and stopped me from walked away from the bed.
"You'd better take a rest." I turned and saw it was Chopper that said it as he walked into the room using the side door. "You still have a fever. Are they around here?" he asked as he looked around.
"No, and I think I'll be fine." I replied as I brought up my hand to check the temperature, which not really hot anymore like before.
"But you still need to rest anyway." He said and walked toward the main front door, looking out before closing it, "Because Doctorine's medicine is very strong, your fever is almost gone. However, you still have kestia's bacteria in your body." He continued, "You still need an injection and more rest."
I smiled softly at him, "Thank you for taking care of me. I heard from Doctorine it was you that treated me, so thank you." I said and grinned at him.
"S-shut up!" he yelled, "I don't want any gratitude from humans! You're still human!" he yelled while his action and expression, which pretty much happy and dancing happily, were spoke louder than anything. I giggled at the sight and saw him slowly trotted up to me.
"Are you pirates?" he asked as he poked my hand.
"Yep." I replied with a smile.
"The real one?"
"Yep."
"Do you have a pirate flag?"
"Of course, it's on our ship." I replied and smiled, "Do you want to be a pirate?" I asked, which making him jumped backward until he crashed into the bookshelf.
"DON'T BE STUPID!" he yelled and I giggled at it, "WHO TOLD YOU THAT?!"
"Geshishishi, it's already written all over your face." I replied, "Anyway, do you want to come with us?" I asked, much to his shock. "Just come and join us, how about that? If you're interested, that would be a whole lot better for all of us. If we have doctor on board, then I don't have to stay here for three days. Besides, we don't have any doctor now." I told him.
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm a reindeer! How could I live with humans!?" he yelled.
"But we have a hawk and a wolf-dog hybrid with us, you know." I said and grinned at him.
"But aren't you scared of me? I'm a reindeer, but I can talk and I can stand on two legs." He said.
I chuckled, "Why? Do you want me to be scared of you?" I asked in amusement.
"…my nose is blue too." He said softly before the two boys from earlier came out from the side door suddenly.
"YOU'RE OVER THERE, REINDEER!?" they yelled in sync before they started chasing him away to the outside and I sighed in amusement at it.
"I can't believe those brats." I heard Doctorine said as she sat down on the chair after she sighed in exhaustion. "You're not a cute little girl after all. While I'm not here, you must've told my reindeer some stupid idea without my permission, right?" she asked.
"Eh? Do I have to ask you to be friends with a guy?" I asked as I smiled softly.
She laughed, "No, just take him with you." She said before crossing her arms across her chest, "but it does not gonna be that easy. Because he has a wound inside his heart that evens a doctor can't heal." She said.
"When he was born, he was rejected by his own parents because of his blue nose. He was left to walk alone in the back of his tribe since he was young." She said, "Until one day, he accidentally ate the Hito-Hito no mi, so everyone treated him as an outcast and chased him away. He's no longer a regular reindeer. However, he still needs Nakamas."
"So he changed into a human. However, his human for is not perfect. Why? It's because of his blue nose." She paused, "And he didn't know whom he should blame. He just needs a Nakama, but people call him a monster. He's neither reindeer nor human, that's why he always alone."
"Can you cure his heart?" she asked.
I just stared at her before looking down, now staring at my connected hands. Everyone treated him as an outcast and calling him a monster, doesn't know who to blame, and always alone. The betrayal, misunderstanding, confusion, and loneliness that attacked him so great and deep to his heart, it's slightly similar to me.
I clenched my hands together before looking back at her and smiled softly, "Don't worry, Doctorine. We sure we could heal his heart, especially Luffy. He already cured my wound in my heart, so I think Chopper will be cured by him too, I'm sure of it."
She just smiled and sat up, "However, there was a man. The only one man that he ever talked to." She said, "His name is doctor Hiluluk who used to live in this kingdom. He's just a fake doctor who gave Chopper a name and called him a son." she finished before suddenly Chopper came in his Walk Point AKA full reindeer form.
"Doctorine! This is an emergency!" he said, "Wapol is back!"
"Is that so?" she asked back and stood up before walked to the door, "Listen komusume, you better rest now before you got sick again, do you hear me?" she asked and walked out from the room after she closed the door. I just stared at the door before walked out from the bed to the bookshelf, taking some of the medical book that pretty much looked interesting to me before walked back to the bed and started reading the books there.
Most the time I read the book I read the first, I don't understand a think about it at all, so I changed the book to medical plants book and started reading it. I found this one is much more interesting than the previous one. After a few minutes and so, Luffy ran into the room, hugging himself up.
"What's wrong?" I asked as I turned my attention back to the medical plants book.
"I need a coat! It's so cold out there!" he replied as he ran in place and kept hugging himself.
"Just use yours. It's there right?" I pointed my thumb to the back AKA where the coat is, still not taking off my eyes from the book.
"Ooh! You're right! Thanks Eri!" he replied and quickly grabbed his coat and wore it. He ran out again and closed the door as he ran out. I just sighed and smiled a bit at his antics and flipped another page of the book.
I kept going for a few minutes and I was finally at the last page of the book, which showing a fruit with a shape like pomegranate, but it has soft yellow color and a small flower that sprouted from the 'crown' of the pomegranate-shaped like fruit. Strangely, this type of plant is the only one that doesn't have any official name in it. Then next to the fruit's picture, there's a picture of the plants, which similar to a banyan tree, but the leaves has white color and the tree's trunk have golden color.
"A plant that believed has a power to heal any injuries and illnesses. It is said to bear fruit every a hundred years and once believed as a legend. But a person with more than a hundred years said that they once ate the fruit and still alive until now. No one know where the tree is resides, but they only can be found the fruit somewhere in the sea." I said out-loud. Hmm, a fruit that has a power to heal any injuries and illnesses, eh? And can only be found in the sea? That's weird. It's almost like a Devil Fruit, only this one is kind of the opposite one. Angel Fruit maybe? Nah, that's too mainstream.
I quickly ripped the page off and quickly jumped out of bed. I quickly wore all my winter season's outfit and put the ripped paper into the pocket of my coat before walked toward the door and opened it. I peeked and looked around, hoping that the damned doctor isn't around and walked out from the room and looked down, only got eye-an-eye with the damned king AKA Wapol.
"Ah shit." I cursed lowly, "After almost died because of stupid bug, I found the big-mouthed idiot."
"You must be a friend of that Straw-Hat brat." Wapol said as he saw me.
…
"Sorry, you must be got the wrong person." I told him and started to walk away at first before I felt him climbed up the pillar nearby and started running away fast as he ran after me.
"LIAR!" he yelled.
"SHUT UP YOU BIG-MOUTHED HIPPO!" I yelled back as I ran fast and ran down the stairs, which made him stuck there. Then suddenly he ate himself whole. "How is that even fucking possible?" I pointed out as I sweat-dropped seeing the sight. Sure, I may have been used to DF users' abilities, but this one is just fucking weird.
I ran away as the bucket-sized the supposedly lower mouth jumped down from the stairs before he came out again as a slimmed up Wapol, which quite weird and just fucking pointless. I was not in the mood of kicking his ass, as I was still recovering also, so I just ran away as fast as I could. But he jumped and landed right on my back, making me landed on the snowy ground hard and cold.
"You'll be the first one to die!" he exclaimed. But I felt something near his waist and quickly took them from there as I was held down by him. But seriously, he's fucking heavy! Moreover, the cold snow right under me is freezing me to the bone! Luckily, Luffy is there and kicked him away from me.
"Eri, you okay?" he asked in concern.
"I'm pretty much fine, I guess." I replied.
"Hey, how come he's so skinny now?" he asked as his leg retracted back with a smack.
"He ate himself." I answered with poker-face but with slight of disgusted tone before turned to look at him fully. I saw one of his sleeves was ripped off from the seam, which only one reason behind it. That is, of course, he ripped it off by himself by force.
"Luffy, what happened to your coat?" I asked.
"Huh?" he turned with dumb face before realized it. "Oh! That guy threw a bomb at me!" he replied.
I just sighed, "You know that it cost thirty thousand beli to buy that one for you, especially it was MY money." I told him, "And now you ruined it easily. Goodbye thirty thousand beli." I cried comically as an imaginary money paper with thirty number on it flew away with its' cute wings.
"Eek! Sorry!" he apologized.
I huffed at him, "You better pay it off with half of your foods for a day tomorrow!" I told him, much to his shock.
"WHAT!? NO WAY!" he yelled in shock.
"Yes way! And you must do it or I will beat you up!" I replied before the enemy was cutting us off.
"STOP THAT NONSENSE!"
"Ho, he's strong." Luffy commented as I just looked at the enemy.
"Behind me are a weapon room and only I has the key to open this room! Inside this room there are many weapons that you can't ever imagine!" he exclaimed as he showed us the big door behind him is known as the door of the weapon room. Just what's with people and telling us unnecessary things such as the weapon room is full of weapons? Well duh, it's called weapon room for a reason that already obvious!
"And if I eat those weapons, they will become part of my body." He said, "Be prepared for the ultimate human-weapon, the scariest in this world! I WILL OPEN IT NOW!" he exclaimed before realizing that his key to open the weapon room is gone. Seriously, what's with people and their intention of telling other people what are they gonna do next? That's just plain stupid.
Then there is an awkward silence between the three of us until Wapol decided to ran away as he exclaimed that he still has one last trick, which of course got chased by Luffy and I just realized that Sanji-san is right behind me, pulling himself up on the snowy ground as he approaching me, asking if am I alright.
"Pretty much, Sanji-san, thank you." I replied and brought up my right hand and opened it, revealing the said weapon room's key. "Welp, I guess I could raid some of the weapons and sell them." I exclaimed and walked to the door. I put in the key to the keyhole and turned it, making the door clicked and I pushed the door, opening it a bit and I walked in after I took the key back and put it in my coat's pocket.
I grinned widely as I saw the weapons and giggled softly as I walked around the room, looking for any useful weapon that I could take for me to use or sell. As I walked around, I felt something slightly familiar and turned. I saw a blade that almost looks like a fork, or specifically a trident, but it's only the blade and the middle one if far longer. I grabbed it and inspected it further as I saw the bottom of the blade, there's some kind of slot there.
Maybe it's one of my bo staff's blade pieces? Probably.
I quickly looked around to search for the case and found it right behind of the boxes full of flintlocks. I put the blade back to the case and started looking around again for more useful weapons. I found a big sack and decided to put flintlocks, cannonballs, and sheathed swords in. Quite heavy, sure, but I hope it will be worth it for the ship, plus it will give back my full strength by carrying something heavy for weights. I carried it up and walked out from the room. I locked the door back up and approached Sanji-san that, I think, tried his best to pull his body up.
"Are you alright, Sanji-san? You look pretty beat." I asked as I crouched down to see him clearly.
"Ah, as long you're alright, I'm perfectly fine, Eri-chwan~!" he replied before I punched his head upside down, which knocking him out for good.
"Good, now you pass out and got a time to rest." I told him and pat his head. I sneezed as I felt the place is getting colder and it's finally get into me. I walked back to where my temporary room is and lay down on the bed, suddenly felt all tired. I slipped into the blanket and started to drift off to sleep.
XXX
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?" Zoro yelled as Luffy just shot himself toward him and Usopp, who was already unconscious, while the suspect just laughed.
"I thought you were one of them because you are wearing their clothes!" he replied, "So, you're climbing up here to see us? Didn't you say that you don't know how to hike, Usopp?" he asked.
"Are you kidding? A man like me can't be stopped by a mountain. Talking about that, this is one tough adventure." Usopp replied before cut off by Nami.
"We just used a lift to get here." Nami said.
"By the way, are Eri-chan and Sanji-san doing alright?" Vivi asked.
"Yep, they're fine." Luffy replied with a grin.
"That's good to hear." Vivi and Nami said and smiled in relief.
"What are you doing at the top of the castle anyway?" Zoro asked.
"I just sent that stupid king flying." Luffy replied simply.
"So, the thing that just flew away was really Wapol?" Dalton asked as he just arrived there, "How about the other two?"
"Oh, that reindeer has already taken care of them. Hey listen up, we got a new Nakama!" Luffy said and called his Nakamas up.
"Reindeer… took care of them?" Dalton asked as his eyes wandered off and quickly his mouth was gaping as he saw the said reindeer in shock, as the reindeer is hiding in the opposite way. "Blue nose…" he muttered as he saw Chopper's blue nose and started bowing low at him. "Thank you very much! I am sure that from now on, Drum Kingdom will become a better country!" Dalton said as he bowed down at Chopper, much to the reindeer's shock.
"AAH! LOOK!"
"What is that weird creature!?"
"Reindeer? No, it's a monster!"
"Don't do anything to him!" Dalton exclaimed, trying to stop all the comments of the men.
"MONSTER!?" Usopp exclaimed as his eyes bulged out as his eyes fell on Chopper, which scaring Chopper and he ran away fast.
"YOU IDIOT! He's the new Nakama that I talked about!" Luffy yelled at Usopp as he hit him.
"What did you say!?"
"You made him run away!" Luffy yelled again before chasing Chopper up, "WAIT!"
As the people were watching Luffy chasing the reindeer up, Kureha came and called them up, this surprising almost all of them except Dalton. She told them to go inside and treat everyone that hurt.
XXX
I woke up so suddenly as I heard someone screeching and screaming in misery. I sat up as I woke up, which apparently shocking the people around me. I turned slowly as I yawned, and I saw Vivi, Nami, and Takao next to the bedside, watching over me.
"What, it's you guys." I said as I saw them.
"Eri-chan, do you feel better now?" Vivi asked softly and I nodded as I grinned.
"Yep, better as always." I replied and petted Takao.
"Wapol always carries that key with him. I think it flew away with Wapol." I heard Dalton said.
"Really? That's bad." Doctorine replied and I immediately remember this scene.
"Hey Doctorine-san," I called her, "We're not going to pay you for treating me and those two, ya' know. And can you please just let us go and continue our journey now?" I asked.
"Are you kidding me? I will take all of your treasure on your ship for the medical expense and you have to stay here for another two days." She replied.
"That's right Ojou-sama, you should stay here until you're absolutely cured." Takao said while I just chuckled and petted him.
"Nah, I'm tired being sick and we have another thing much more important, right?" I replied.
"But Eri-chan…!" Vivi trailed off as I brought up a hand to stop her words.
"Nope, once I said we'll go, we'll go." I told her before turning back to the doctor and taking out the said key and twirling it around my finger as I smiled mischievously at her. "So do you really need this weapon room's key?" I asked.
"How did you get that key?" Dalton asked in surprise.
"Is that the real key? What's going on here?" Doctorine asked in wonder.
"Oh, I just walked out from the room and stole it from that big-mouthed hippo when he caught me." I replied simply, which earns a hit in the head from the doctor. "That hurt you stupid witch!" I yelled as I treated the bump on my head while she took the key away from my hands when she hit me.
"That's for walked out without my watch." She replied as she turned around with the key in her hand, "Alright, I will take this for the medical expense. However, as a doctor, I still can't let you go." She said.
"Wait! Then give the key back!" Nami said.
"Listen to me, I will go to do something downstairs, and I will leave this door open, and no one will be left in this room. Besides, I have already cured that boy." She said as she turned and pointed at me, "So you can't run away from here." she finished and walked out from the room. "The rest of you follow me. I need your help."
I chuckled while Nami said, "I feel that she wants to get her coat, take Sanji-kun and get out of here."
"That's what I heard too." Vivi said.
"She is just being a tsundere." Me and Takao said in sync.
I walked out from the bed and stretched out for good. I wore all my winter gears before walked into the room where Sanji-san is and letting him go from the binds. After I wore his coat back, I put him on Takao's back and strapped him on him. The five of us walked out from the castle after I took the big bundle sack of the weaponries I took before and heard Luffy saying something to Chopper.
"Chopper…" I muttered as I saw him.
"But I'm a reindeer! I have hooves and horns! I also have a blue nose!" Chopper yelled and the memories of him become an outcast flooded in.
"Actually… I want to become a pirate too!" he continued, "But I'm not human! I'm a monster! I can't be friends with humans! That's why I came here just to thank you!" he yelled as I saw tears were falling down from his eyes before he looked down, the rim of his hat shadowing his eyes.
"Thank you… for asking me. But I will stay here. If you're bored, just come to visit me sometimes." He said, but quickly cut off by Luffy.
"SHUT UP! LET'S GO!" Luffy shouted loudly as he brought his hands up.
I grinned at the situation and shook my head. "What kind of invitation that telling the one that invited to shut up?" I sighed at that but smiled softly.
"UN!"
XXX
"Hey, why don't we go to say goodbye to that obassan and that ossan?" Luffy asked as he sat down on a snowball.
"Just let Chopper go by himself." I told him as I sat down next to Takao and warming myself up.
"Yeah, because it will be a very sad goodbye." Nami said.
"So, we're going to leave them without saying goodbye?" Usopp asked.
"Yep, when Chopper comes back, we will go back to Merry and head to Alabasta." I replied and turned to Vivi, "I hope this is fine with you, Vivi." I smiled.
"Of course, as long as we have a doctor with us, I'm okay." she replied.
"Doctor?" Luffy wondered.
"That's right, I should prepare the lift. Luffy lend me a hand will you?" Usopp called as he walked into where the said lift is.
"They have a lift? That's so cool!" Luffy replied and go after him.
After a while, I managed to make small snowmen as I wait for Chopper. Sure, I may hate cold, but snow always fascinates me. I never saw any snow before I got thrown into this world, except for hails cause it happened once back home. Then I heard yelling and shouting from inside and I grinned as I sweat-dropped. I guess Doctorine is saying a goodbye to Chopper, eh?
I stood up and brushed off all the snow from the beanie on my head and shoulders. I approached where everyone is, as they were commenting about the noises. After a while, we saw Chopper in his Walk Point with a sled behind him.
"He's coming." Zoro said.
"What's going on?" Nami asked.
"I'm being chased!" Chopper replied as he kept running. "Everyone, hop on! We are going down now!" he exclaimed and we saw the evil doctor was coming as she throws some knives to us.
"W-WHAT THE HELL!?"
We quickly hopped on the sled except for Takao as he prefers flying along with Sanji-san on his back and Chopper quickly ran. He jumped off the cliff and he apparently ran on a rope that used for the doctors' way to go down. I was gripping on the rail for my dear life as I grinned in excitement. Thankfully, Takao brought me my camera and I took a picture of the sight of the moon and the scenery of the night. As we were right at the end of the 'road', Chopper jumped off the rope and ran toward where the coast is, not minding the people's shocked stares.
"Yahoo!" Luffy cheered, "That's so cool! Can we do it again?!"
"Are you nuts!?" Nami yelled at him.
"Now's not the time for that, Luffy." I told him as I grinned. Actually, I totally enjoyed the ride just then, it's so fun! "Besides, we have to go now!" I added.
"I thought that I was gonna die." Usopp sighed.
"Hey! Where am I!?" Sanji-san exclaimed as he finally woke up right on Takao's back as he flew beside us.
"Oh! You're finally conscious." Vivi pointed out.
We kept moving until we heard loud booming and stopped. We turned to see what it is as Chopper turned back to his Brain Point and walked back to see what it is. At first, there's nothing, but then it slowly lights up and I smiled widely.
There, at the top of the Rocky Mountain, appeared some kind of big clouds with soft pink color. The snow that falls from the sky also slowly changes into soft pink color, probably because of the soft pink clouds that spreads away on the sky.
"It's really beautiful, isn't it?" I pointed out as slowly my eyes tears up a bit at the sight and at Chopper who was yelling at the beautiful sight while everyone else are fascinated by the beautiful sight.
A big Sakura tree in the winter island is, kind of like a miracle, isn't it?
XXX
We were partying on the ship as we sailed off from the island. I kept staring at the big 'sakura tree' from distance after I took the picture of it. I smiled softly before turning to everyone else that was partying loudly before got yelled at by Nami. I saw that Flame tried his best to thaw Carue up slowly while Vivi wondered why Carue was on the freezing lake when we arrived at the coast earlier.
"Maybe he just accidentally fell into the water. What an idiot!" Zoro laughed.
"Be quite, Mr. Bushido!" Vivi yelled at him.
"He said that he saw Zoro-dono jumped into the water and disappear. He thought that Zoro-dono was in danger, so he jumped into the water to try to save him but he got frozen." Takao said.
"It's all you fault!" Nami exclaimed as she hit Zoro's head upside down.
"Eh? You can talk?" Chopper asked to Takao.
"Yes, I accidently ate a DF long time ago because I was hungry that time, so I could change into a griffin and I could talk human language and still understand animal languages." He answered, "Just like you, Chopper-dono."
"Really?" Chopper asked, "So we have something in common, then!"
"Tony-kun, you could understand Carue too?" Vivi asked.
He nodded, "Yeah, I used to be animal, so I understand their language." He replied.
"That's so great, Chopper!" Nami said as she clapped her hands together, "Not only you know about medicine, you also have other talents!" That apparently made Chopper happy but he denied it.
"Damn it! I won't be happy by those words, you bastard!" he said as he danced in happiness.
"You look so happy." Usopp, Luffy and me exclaimed as the two boys sweat-dropped at the sight while I just giggled at the cute sight.
"What do you mean by that, Nami-san?" Sanji-san asked.
"Chopper is a high medical doctor." I told him, "He also the one that cured me." I added.
"WHAT!? CHOPPER IS A DOCTOR!?"
"What do you think I asked him to join us?" I asked as I sweat-dropped.
"Because he can transform into seven different forms, a cool reindeer." Luffy answered.
"An emergency food supply." Sanji-san answered, which scaring the little reindeer up and about to ran away in fear if I didn't grab him.
"Ah! I forgot to bring my bag with me! All of my medical supplies are in that bag." He suddenly said in panic.
"You mean this bag?" Nami asked as she showed him the said bag, which a small bag with white crooked medical cross on it. "I saw it in the sled."
"My bag? But why?" Chopper wondered and I smiled before crouched down so I could eye-an-eye to him.
"I guess Kureha-san sure does want you to go, but she hates sad goodbyes, eh?" I pointed out and grinned.
"It must be Doctorine then. She understands what you are thinking." Nami said as she gave the bag to Chopper and we sat down side by side to him. "She's a really great person."
But then the moment was cut off by the Two Idiots as they were dancing with chopsticks stuck on their nostrils to their lower mouth and a basket. They even asked Chopper to join and the small doctor followed them by putting the chopsticks into the nostrils and the lower mouth. I laughed at the sight as Nami yelled at him for copying them.
"Maybe I should try it too?" I asked in amusement.
"Sure! The more, the merrier!" Luffy said and laughed.
"NOO! STOP IT ERI-CHAAAANN!" the Cook's ship yelled as he heard me.
Then a sound of whistle was heard and we turned to the person who did it, which is Usopp. "Alright! Everyone listens up!" he said as he took our attentions with a mug of sake in his hand. Everyone's attention turned back to where they are before and started ignoring the Sniper's speech.
"Carue! You've been drinking too much!"
"Oi Baka-Cook, bring me more sake!"
"What did you say!? How dare you order me!"
"Sanji! Are we out of dinosaur's meat!?"
"For our new friend, here is a toast to our new Doctor, Chopper, let's have a toast!" he exclaimed and brought up the mug.
"I…" I heard and turned to Chopper, followed by Nami. "This is the first time in my life… that I feel so happy!" he said and we both grinned at it.
"LET'S DRINK FOR OUR NEW FRIEND!"
"YEAH!" we cheered as we brought up the mug full of sake in a big toast and laughed happily as we kept partying until another few hours.
XXX
"Dalton-san!" Dalton turned to his men and saw them approaching him and his talking company AKA Kureha up.
"This is bad. I just remembered that there's something I have to tell you." They said as one of them offered him two flyers.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Take a look at this." Dalton took the flyers and it revealed as bounty papers of the highest bounties from East Blue. "It must be them." They said while Dalton impressed by the amount of the bounties.
"Thirty five and thirty million beli? Them? I see, they're the bad ones, Hahaha." Dalto said as he laughed. "Where did you get this?" he asked.
"Umm… actually, we forgot to tell you. About a week ago, there was a man in ropel. He looked like a regular traveler, but the weird thing is that it was not snowing that day." They said, "Nobody knew where he was from, but he said that he's looking for Blackbeard Pirates who destroyed our kingdom. When we told him that the've left already left, he said, 'then can I ask you something? Have you ever seen a pirate with a straw hat and a girl with him?'"
"When we told him that we've never seen one, he gave us this paper and said, 'if they're here, please tell them that I will wait for them in Alabasta for ten days.'"
"I see. Actually you don't have to tell them." Dalton said.
"Why?"
"Because their next destination is Alabasta, I think." He replied while Kureha was staring at Luffy and Eri's bounties. "What is it, Doctor Kureha? Why are you so quiet?" he asked as he just realized she was quiet.
"Do you know 'Gol D. Roger'?" she asked.
"D? You mean Gold Roger? Of course, there's no one in this world who doesn't know about him." Dalton replied.
"I see. Now they call him Gold Roger." She muttered, "It seems that my reindeer has followed a dangerous man." She said before she laughed. "D's Will is still alive, eh?" she smiled at it and laughed.
A/N: AAANND CUT! Alright! Another Arc is finally over! Sorry for the late update, I was having a midterm for seven days yesterday, so please don't kill me because of it, K? Besides, I'm going to have a Live-In (a project from school by living in villages) tomorrow (it's almost midnight now), and I better go to sleep because the buses will leave at six in the morning. I was thinking of updating this story short (around 4.000 words) because of midterm, but it eventually become 10.000++ words. I'm always great at betraying my own words, eh? (not sure it was a good thing in this one or not)
Anyway, Reviewing time!
To gamelover41592: thank you! You always encourage me with short words, thanks!
To OP-kun: it's alright Nightmare-kun, they're not here so it's alright. And here's another chapter!
To imafangirlforever: yes, yes I did change it. Do you like it or disturbed by it? That's because she hates spoiling and yeah. Besides, she's getting to forget them because it's been years since she followed One Piece in Real Life, not to mention she's kind of absent-mind. Yes, she's one of Rein's descendants in one of the universes. Thank you!
Okay, I think that's all. Thank you for reading this story and thank you very much for the favs/follows! Though I was kind of wondering why there're people that unfavs/unfollows it… but whatever! THANK YOU FOR READING!
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!
Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN ONE PIECE THAT ALWAYS BE ODACCHI'S! I JUST OWN THE STORY!
ThiefofStealth
