Ch. 38- The Nameless Kingdom
One Piece © Oda
Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me
Shade © Gakuto1991
Chopper growled as he glared up at Wapol's ship, Bliking. The Straw Hats couldn't help but feel just a little unnerved by his sudden anger. Seeing him this enraged was very rare for them, especially since Chopper usually had such a sweet disposition.
Then again, the first 4 members couldn't really blame Chopper for feeling the way he did. After all, this man was responsible for a lot of tragic things in the young reindeer's life...things that their doctor could never forgive this man for. As for the other members, they couldn't help feeling just a little confused by his demeanor.
"MAAAHAHAHAHA!" laughed a familiar voice. "Were you surprised by my giant submersible attack ship, Bliking?!"
"Holy crap!" Past Usopp cried. "A pirate ship?!"
"Whoa...!" Luffy whispered in surprised.
"Dammit...!" Past Zoro cursed. "We don't have time for this shit!"
At that moment, Past Sanji came outside, asking what was going on...but he froze for some reason. Then, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a box of matches, then lit up a cigarette.
"So...what's going on?" asked Past Sanji as he blew out a puff of smoke.
"We're being attacked," Luffy answered, casually...as he and the others were surrounded by a bunch of men that were pointing rifles at them.
"I thought that might have been the case," said Past Sanji, "judging from the looks of things."
"What in the hell?!" Franky questioned.
"Good heavens! They're all surrounded!" Brook cried.
"Why aren't you guys fighting back?!" Nami asked.
"We couldn't risk you getting injured if we started fighting them off," said Zoro.
"But you found a way out of this, right?!" Aika asked.
"Hey, do you mind?" Luffy asked as he looked to the gunmen in front of him. "We're kinda in a hurry here?"
"How can Luffy be so calm?" Brook inquired.
"I guess it's because he knows bullets can't really hurt him," said Robin.
"Yeah, maybe not him," Usopp started, "but what about us?!"
That's when someone appeared on the deck of the ship, munching on a chunk of meat that was skewered on a bejeweled knife...and then he began to eat the knife, itself.
"Hmm...just four of you?" he asked as he munched on the blade with a metallic jaw. "There can't be just the four of you...oh, well."
Upon seeing him...Chopper growled even more, and it looked like all his fur was standing on end.
"Chopper," Blizzard spoke up. "You know that guy?"
"He was the former king of my homeland," Chopper answered. "His name is Wapol...and he's nothing but a dirty coward."
"A coward how?" asked Kumi.
"When his father passed away," Chopper began, "Wapol took over and made everyone on Drum Island miserable. He exiled the doctors and kept 20 of them for himself, trying to use them to make his subjects come to him if they needed medical help, but they were too poor to do anything...and then, when the Blackbeard Pirates attacked my home, he took his doctors and soldiers and fled the island." He then glared angrily at the fat tyrant as tears stung at the corners of his eyes. "He also killed my Father...he's nothing but scum...!"
"...Oh, Chopper..." Blizzard whispered, sadly.
"Hey, I've got a question for you idiots," said Wapol as he kept eating the knife.
"Ew, that's gross," Luffy grimaced. "What kinda guy likes to eat knives?"
"Gah!" Past Usopp gagged. "It makes my mouth hurt just watching him!"
"I've seen Zoro bite swords in half, before," said Aika.
"Just because I bit swords in half doesn't mean I like eating them," said Zoro.
"We want to go to the Drum Kingdom," said Wapol as he ate the last of the knife. "Do you fools have an Eternal Pose or Log Pose?"
"No, we don't," Past Sanji replied, "and we never heard of Drum Kingdom, either."
"Yeah, so if you're done, then get packing!" Luffy added. "We're in a hurry, here!"
"It's not good to rush through life, boy," said Wapol. "If you don't have either, then we'll just have to take your treasure and your ship, instead."
"What?!" Luffy questioned.
"Is he crazy?!" Past Usopp asked.
"Is this guy joking?" Franky asked.
"I'm afraid not," said Chopper. "Wapol was always a thief."
"Just a moment," Wapol said. "I'm still a bit hungry." Then, all of a sudden, his jaws expanded and he took a giant bite out of the Merry, to the horror of the Straw Hats, both past and present.
"AGH!" Luffy cried.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Past Sanji questioned.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?!" Past Usopp shouted with horrified tears in his eyes.
"He's...he's eating up our ship!" Luffy cried.
"What in the hell?!" Franky shouted. "What is he doing?!"
"How did he do that?!" Brook asked.
"Wapol ate the Munch-Munch Fruit," said Chopper. "It allows him to eat anything, even inanimate objects, and he can even make them part of his body!"
"Holy crap!" Blizzard exclaimed in disbelief.
"Hey, you!" Luffy yelled as he got up from his seat. "Stop eating Merry!"
"Freeze!" demanded one of Wapol's men as he pointed his gun at Luffy. "No interrupting Captain Wapol's meal!"
"Ah, shut up!" Luffy shouted as he punched the man away, which, of course, caused the others to point their guns at him.
"Why you little...take aim!" one of them yelled as they prepared to shoot.
"Heh," Past Zoro smirked. "We should have been doing that from the start."
"Oh, so we can fight now, huh?" asked Past Sanji.
"Wait a minute! Can't we talk this over?!" Past Usopp cried as he tried to hide behind the mast.
Soon, the brawl had begun. Wapol's men were certainly shocked when they saw Luffy bounce the bullets back at them with his rubber powers, while Past Zoro and Past Sanji easily dispatched the lesser mooks. In fact, they even tried to make a contest of it to see who could take out more. All the while, though, Wapol continued to eat on the Merry's portside, and that's when Luffy decided he had enough and attempted to fight back. However, as he did, Wapol opened his mouth and actually chomped on Luffy, whole!
"AAAAAH!" Aika shrieked. "BIG BROTHER GOT EATEN!"
"Hey! Lemme outta here, tin breath!" Luffy yelled as Wapol kept chewing on him. "I said lemme out!"
He then stretched his arms, which were outside of Wapol's mouth, way back.
"GUUUUUM...GUUUUUUUUM...BAZOOKA~!"
WHABAM! He then sent Wapol flying with both barrels, and the memory soon faded to black.
"Well, I'm glad Luffy took care of him," said Chopper, "at least for the time being. I didn't know Wapol attacked you guys on the way to Drum. No wonder you guys had such a grudge against him when we fought him at the castle...especially after what he did to poor Merry."
"Yeah, what did that little ship ever do?" Franky asked.
"Absolutely nothing," said Past Usopp. "Seriously, I hated seeing that part, again..."
"Trust me, Usopp," said Sanji. "I'm sure most of us do."
"Poor Little Lamb," Brook said in concern.
After a moment, the memory returned. It was nighttime, now, and Wapol's men had been chased off. Past Usopp, Past Zoro, Vivi, and Carue were all in Past Nami's room, sleeping...except for Luffy, who was leaning against Past Nami's bed. He stared at her, sadly, as she moaned in a fitful sleep. Luffy looked at her hand before he slowly raised up his own...then gently took her fingers in his, which caused the present-day Nami to hold her own fingers.
'Even her hands feel warm...too warm...' Luffy looked at Past Nami before he got up and picked up the cloth from her forehead, then he dipped it in the water basin, wrung the cloth of any extra water, then put it back on Past Nami's forehead, which caused her to weakly open her eyes.
"...Luffy...?" Past Nami asked.
"Go back to sleep, Nami," Luffy whispered. "You need to rest." He then smiled at her. "Don't worry...we'll find you a doctor and you'll be all better, soon, and then we'll take Vivi home."
"...Luffy...thank you," Past Nami said.
"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed.
"Thank the others for me, too," Past Nami added.
"Sure I will," Luffy replied. "Now go back to sleep, okay?"
Past Nami sighed as she fell asleep while Luffy pulled the sheets up to her shoulders. He then put his fingers on her wrist and waited for a few seconds before he nodded his head, then sat down next to Past Nami as she slept.
"Aww, Big Brother was so sweet," Aika smiled.
"Yeah...he was really worried," said Nami. "I feel terrible, though, for putting him through this...I feel terrible for putting everyone through this."
"You're all better now," said Zoro. "That's what matters."
"Yes," Robin nodded. "We should be grateful for that."
"You're right," Nami smiled. "It was a close call...but I made it."
The memory shifted, and Luffy was once again in Past Nami's room, sitting in front of her bed while the others were outside, possibly making repairs to the ship and keeping a lookout for any islands.
"Come on, Nami, can't you smile for me?" Luffy asked. "Come on, just one tiny smile~!"
"He's still trying to make her laugh?" asked Usopp.
"Well, you gotta give him points for effort," said Franky.
At that moment, Past Zoro came walking in.
"Hey, Luffy, what's going on?" he asked, causing Luffy to turn to him...only, for some reason, he was wearing ridiculous makeup on his face, had cat eyes drawn over his eyelids, fake eyelashes, and the kanji for meat on his forehead while he stretched his mouth wide and had his tongue dangling out.
"AAAAAAAGH!" Past Zoro screamed as he fell backward. "QUIT IT, YOU'RE FREAKING ME OUT!"
"...Pfffft...!" Nami snickered as she covered her mouth.
"What are you laughing about?" Zoro asked with a sneer. "You don't really think that's funny, do you?"
"I'm not laughing about that," Nami answered. "I'm laughing at your reaction...!" She then burst into a guffaw, and it didn't take long for Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Franky, Blizzard, Brook, Aika, and Kumi to join her.
"Zoro's reaction was pretty funny!" Chopper exclaimed.
"He sure got you good!" Blizzard added.
"I've never seen Moss-head look so scared in all my life!" Sanji squawked. "AHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
After a while, Luffy had washed his face off of the makeup and was back to keeping an eye on Past Nami again. He had his chin propped up on his palm and his elbow on his left knee while he looked at the sleeping navigator with an expression of boredom. His eyelids drooped heavily as his head began to sag, but then he quickly straightened up and shook himself awake.
"...You know," Chopper began, "if I didn't know better, I'd say Luffy hasn't been sleeping much."
"I guess he was too worried about Nami to sleep," Kumi said.
"Luffy," Past Zoro spoke up, causing Luffy to jerk his head toward his direction. "Why don't you go and rest, for a while? I can watch Nami for you."
"Uh...no thanks, Zoro," Luffy said. "I'm good."
"Luffy, you really should rest," said Past Zoro. "Seriously, when did you have any sleep, last time?"
"...I guess I didn't sleep very much, last night," said Luffy.
"...You're worried, I get it," said Past Zoro. "So are the rest of us."
Luffy only sat there, staring at Past Nami's sleeping form.
"...So," Past Zoro began, "when do you think you'll tell her?"
"Tell her what?" Luffy asked.
"You know what I mean," Past Zoro answered. "Are you ever gonna tell her about how you feel about her?"
"...I dunno," Luffy replied. "I guess when she's all better, maybe."
"...Oh, Luffy," Nami whispered, worriedly.
"I can't believe you didn't hear them," Usopp said. "They're practically right next to you."
"I guess I was in too deep a sleep to hear them," said Nami.
"Hey, guys!" Past Sanji called out. "There's an island, dead ahead!"
"What?! An island?!" Luffy asked, excitedly before he looked at Past Nami, excitedly bouncing his knee. "Did you hear that, Nami?! We found an island! An island with a doctor on it?! Isn't that great?!" He then kept fidgeting in his chair, which caused Past Zoro to sigh.
"Just go and look," he said, and Luffy soon grabbed his sandals and hurried outside, where he sat on the figurehead of the ship, and that's when he saw an island in the distance with cylinder-shaped mountains, which caused Chopper to gasp.
"It's...it's Drum Island...!" he whispered. "It's home!"
The Straw Hats all smiled at their doctor, knowing he was joyful at seeing his homeland again, even if it was just a memory.
"Wow...it's been so long...!" Chopper whispered. "I almost forgot that that's how the island used to look like! ...I wonder how Doctorine and Dalton are."
"I bet they think of you, sometimes," said Nami. "Maybe we'll go and visit them, one day."
"Yeah," Chopper agreed, "even though I know the first thing Doctorine is gonna do is throw axes at me for not talking to her for a while."
"Wait, what?" Kumi asked in surprise.
"Why would she do that?" asked Aika.
"Don't ask," Chopper answered. "It's just how she is."
"WHOA~!" Luffy exclaimed. "It's an island! Look at it! It's so white, like snow! It's a snowy island!"
"Now wait a minute, Luffy!" Past Sanji called. "Remember, we're not here for an adventure, this time! We gotta find a doctor for Nami, and then we're leaving!"
"Shishishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "It's a snowy island! I can't wait!"
"Ugh..." Past Sanji groaned. "It's no good, he's not listening."
"Hey, hold on," Past Usopp said, nervously. "Are you sure it's safe? If there's snow on this island, doesn't that mean there's a snow monster here or something?! And for all we know, there might not even be people living here!" He then gasped as he clutched at his chest. "Oh, no...it's my 'I-Can't-Go-On-To-This-Island' illness is acting up!"
"Snow, snow, snow~!" Luffy sang. "Snow's so nice and white~!"
"Luffy sure does like the snow, doesn't he?" asked Brook.
"Who doesn't?" Aika asked. "I love the snow!"
"Yeah, me too!" Kumi agreed with a wagging tail.
Soon, the Past Straw Hats were sailing inland on a river, where the mountains were in clear view, this time.
"Oh, wow...!" Luffy gasped with teary eyes. "I'm so happy! Look at the...snow!"
"Hey, Luffy," said Past Usopp. "Aren't you cold, dressed up with just your vest, shorts, and sandals?"
"Yes, it's only 14 degrees out here," said Vivi. "That's usually when bears get ready to hibernate for the Winter!"
"Hmm?" Luffy muttered, inquisitively...but then he suddenly gasped and hugged himself for warmth. "GAH! IT'S FREEZING OUT HERE!"
"YOU JUST NOW FIGURED IT OUT?!" Past Sanji and Past Usopp yelled.
"...I worry about him," Chopper said. "I really do."
"He's such an idiot," Zoro muttered.
"Luffy, go inside and put on your coat, okay?" asked Vivi.
"Right!" Luffy answered before he hurried to go get his red coat, then hurried back to join the others.
"All right," said Past Zoro. "Who's gonna go out and look for a doctor? I'm guessing we should try and find any settlements out here."
"I'll go!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Me, too!" Past Sanji added.
"Fine, you guys go," Past Usopp said, standing way in the back.
"Stop right there, pirates!"
The Straw Hats, both past and present, looked up see a large number of people gathered at the bank.
"Oh, hey, look!" Luffy said. "People! Maybe they're locals!"
"Yeah...but they don't look friendly," Past Usopp said, worriedly.
Among the people was a tall, muscular man with a square chin and goatee, as well as squinted eyes. He had this serious expression on his face and a bit of a foreboding aura about him. Chopper gasped before he beamed brightly, immediately recognizing the man.
"It's Dalton!" he exclaimed.
"He a friend of yours?" asked Blizzard.
"Well, kind of," Chopper replied. "I didn't speak to him, very much, but I know he's very nice! He was one of the few people who ever respected my Father, even though he used to be the Captain of Wapol's Royal Guard...he was never a bad person, though!"
"I see," Aika smiled. "I wonder what he's doing, now?"
"I heard that he's the one ruling the country, now," said Chopper. "I bet everybody back at home is happy about that!"
"They don't seem very happy here," Brook said as he looked at Dalton and the townspeople in the memory. "In fact, they looked downright miffed."
"...Oh, yeah," Chopper realized. "I guess this is after Blackbeard caused problems. I remember how everybody tried to shoot at every pirate that came to the island."
"Well, in that case, I can't really blame 'em," Franky said.
"Hey, listen!" Luffy called. "We came here to look for a doctor! Are there any here?!"
"Please! We have a sick person on-board!" Vivi added.
"You think you can play your dirty tricks on us, you low-life pirate scumbags?!" questioned one of the townsfolk. "This is our country! We won't let any pirate set foot here!"
"Yeah, now raise your anchor and get out!" shouted another. "Or else we'll blast your ship from the water!"
"Sheesh, they already hate us and we only just met," Past Sanji muttered.
"Shut up!" yelled one of the townsfolk as he shot at the cook, who let out a startled yelp as he dodged. "Get out, now!"
"Ah, crap, they're firing at us!" cried Past Usopp.
"Why you...!" Past Sanji growled as he glared up at them, preparing to fight back.
"Sanji, no!" Vivi cried as she held him back. "Stop! Don't be rash!"
KABANG! Vivi grunted as she felt a bullet hit her shoulder, to Past Sanji's horror.
"Vivi, no!" he cried as he caught her in his arms. "Vivi, are you all right?! Say something!"
"Vivi!" Luffy yelled before he glared at the townsfolk. "You bastards!"
"They've done it, now!" Franky exclaimed.
"Oh, no," Nami bemoaned.
"Get ready!" shouted one of the townspeople as he and several others pointed their firearms at the Past Straw Hats, but just when Luffy was about to charge, Vivi grabbed him.
"Luffy, stop!" she shouted. "Don't fight them! Don't worry about me! It's just a flesh wound! I'll live, okay?!" She then turned to the townsfolk. "...All right...we'll go...but please, can you at least send us a doctor? Our navigator is very ill! Please, you must help us!" She then dropped to her hands and knees and bowed her head against the deck, to Luffy's surprise.
"Vivi, what are you-" Luffy started.
"Luffy, you're a failure as a captain," Vivi said, harshly, without even lifting her head up, causing Luffy to gasp silently. "Acting on impulse like that won't solve anything!"
"...That was harsh," Franky said. "I mean, they did attack first."
"But she's right," Sanji replied. "And I'm not just saying this because I love her. If Luffy did try and attack them, he'd only prove to them that we're just like every other bloodthirsty cutthroat in the world."
"But...but Vivi-" Luffy stammered.
"Luffy...think about Nami," Vivi whispered. "If you get us all killed, what will happen to her?"
It was clear that Vivi's earlier words had stung Luffy...but then, he began to think about Past Nami, who was still lying in her bed, panting feverishly. He bit his lip as he glanced down at Vivi, whose shoulder was still bleeding from the gunshot wound.
"...You're right," Luffy said before he looked up at the townsfolk. "Please forgive me...I was wrong." He then got down on his hands and knees and bowed his head, as well. "Please...call a doctor. Our friend really needs help!"
The townsfolk only stared at the Past Straw Hats in disbelief, while the present-day Straw Hats smiled.
"You know," Blizzard began, "I think this is actually the first time Luffy's actually humbled himself before someone. I mean...I've seen him do it, before, but...now I know where it started."
"Humility is something we should all learn," Robin said, "to a certain extent, at least."
"Boy, don't I know it?" Usopp asked.
"What do you mean, Usopp?" Aika asked.
"Uh...you'll see later on," Usopp answered.
"...All right," Dalton sighed. "We'll take you to our village. Follow me."
"...Thank you," Luffy said.
"See?" Vivi smiled. "He understands."
"Yeah...you're really smart, Vivi," Luffy replied.
"But I should warn you," Dalton began, "there's only one doctor in this country...and she's a witch."
"A witch?!" Aika questioned. "You mean she rides a broom and flies through the air?!"
"She's not really a witch, Aika," said Chopper. "Although, I can see why people would say that about her. She's not really a friendly person."
"Tell me about it," Sanji and Nami added with shivers going down their spines.
The memory shifted, and the group was now inside Dalton's house. Luffy and Past Usopp were drinking some tea to warm themselves up after making snowmen and snow creatures outside. Past Nami was lying in Dalton's bed...but she looked even worse than she did before. Her whole face was red with fever and she looked like she was struggling to even breathe.
"Wow...I looked really bad, didn't I?" asked Nami.
"You had just reached the three-day stage of the 5-Day Sickness," Chopper said. "If you hadn't gotten to Drum Island in time...well...you know."
"I don't even wanna think about it," said Aika, worriedly.
"Same here..." Kumi squeaked.
"Those mountains out there," said Dalton as he pointed toward the mountains beyond the village, "are known as the Drum Rockies. Do you see the castle on the highest peak? Right now, that is a castle without a king."
"Yeah, I can see it," said Past Sanji.
"What about them?" asked Vivi.
"The only doctor in this country, Dr. Kureha, whom the people call 'the witch' lives there," Dalton answered.
"What?!" the Past Straw Hats questioned in shock.
"You're kidding!" Franky exclaimed. "She lives way up there?!"
"Correction," Chopper said. "She and I lived way up there."
"Why in the hell would anyone live way up there?!" asked Past Sanji. "Ah, it doesn't matter...just call her down here! This is an emergency!"
"If I could, I would," said Dalton, "but we don't have any way of contacting her."
"What?!" Past Sanji questioned. "You've gotta be kidding me! And she calls herself a doctor?! What kind of woman is she?!"
"Her skills as a doctor are indisputable, yes," Dalton affirmed, "but she's...rather eccentric, not to mention she's nearly 140 years old."
"140?!" Past Sanji squawked. "And she's still alive?!"
"I've never seen a human live that long!" Kumi exclaimed. "...Well, okay, I'm only like a few months old, but still!"
"I still don't know how she can live that long," said Chopper, "and I've known her pretty much all my life!"
"Someone that old would probably be bones, by then!" Brook added. "Yohohohoho!"
"Dalton?" asked Vivi. "What do the people here do when they get sick or injured?!"
"She comes down the mountain whenever she pleases," said Dalton, "then goes looking for patients, treats them, takes whatever she wants as compensation, and then goes back up to the castle."
"Yeesh!" Past Usopp grimaced. "Sounds like a nasty old bird..."
"Yeah, she sounds like a pirate!" Luffy added.
"She sure sounds scary to me," Aika said.
"I know she can come off as...off-putting," said Chopper, "but trust me! Even though she doesn't look or act like it, she's really very nice! She just...doesn't show it much."
"It may sound strange," Dalton continued, "but I've heard that on moonlit nights, she rides a sleigh through the sky and comes down the mountain. Some people even claim to have seen her. That's why she's called a witch."
"Well, she certainly doesn't sound like Santa Claus..." Blizzard muttered.
"It sure gets to be a hassle, pulling that sleigh behind me," Chopper added. "Sometimes my back would hurt!"
"Others say she comes with a strange creature, the likes of which no one has ever seen before," said Dalton.
"AAAAGH!" Past Usopp screamed. "I knew it! I just knew it! It must be the Abominable Snowman! We are on a snowy island, after all! A witch combined with a snow monster?! I CAN'T STAND THE THOUGHT OF SEEING THEM!"
"...Were you really that scared of me?" Chopper asked.
"That was before I got to know you, Chopper!" Usopp rebuked. "You know that!"
"I know," Chopper smiled. "I'm just kidding."
"Phew...!" Usopp sighed in relief.
"She's the country's only doctor," Dalton said, "but we don't really like to get involved with her if we can help it. It's best to just wait here until she comes down the mountain."
"But...but we can't!" Vivi cried.
"Forgive me for saying this," Past Sanji started, "but one doctor for an entire country? It just doesn't make sense, don't you think?!"
Just then, Luffy went up to Past Nami and began to gently pat her face.
"Hey, Nami," he called. "Nami~! Wake up!"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" Past Usopp, Past Sanji, and Vivi yelled.
"Ugh..." Past Nami groaned as she opened her eyes. "L...Luffy...?"
"Oh, good, you're awake!" Luffy said. "Listen. The only doctor on this island lives on the top of a mountain, so we're gonna climb it so she can see you, okay?"
"Wait a minute, Luffy!" Past Sanji shouted. "Have you lost your cotton-picking mind?! What are you trying to do, kill Nami?!"
"It's fine," Luffy said. "I'll just carry her on my back."
"That'll only worsen her condition!" Vivi cried.
"The sooner she gets to a doctor, the better, right?" Luffy asked.
"Well...yes," Vivi replied, "but Luffy...just look at how tall and steep the peak is! It's impossible to climb!"
"I'll make it," Luffy retorted.
"But Luffy, it's gonna be way too much on Nami!" Past Usopp argued.
"Usopp's right!" Vivi added. "A fall from a mountain that tall could kill even a healthy person!"
"So what?" Luffy asked. "There's snow under us. We'll have a soft landing."
"That's not really how snow works," Chopper muttered.
"Seriously, what is he thinking?" Franky asked.
"Luffy, you can't be serious about this!" Past Usopp shouted. "Her temperature is nine degrees higher than it should be! Don't you realize that?!"
"Guys...!" Past Nami called, getting everyone's attention.
"Nami?" Vivi asked, worriedly.
"Nami, are you all right?!" Sanji asked.
"...Heh," Past Nami smiled, weakly, as she raised her hand up. "I'm counting on you...Captain..."
A pause...but then Luffy grinned.
"You got it!" he said as he slapped Past Nami's hand. "Just leave it to me!"
'Don't worry, Nami...I won't let you die...not now or ever!'
And with that, the memory faded to black.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!
Chopper: I still can't believe Luffy actually planned on climbing up the mountain!
Zoro: It's not like we had much choice. If we waited too long, Nami would die, and then how would Vivi get home?
Vivi: *ties Past Nami around Luffy's back* Make sure to hang on to her, okay?
Luffy: Got it! Hang on tight, Nami, okay?
Past Nami: Y...yeah...
Dalton: Watch out for Lapahns on the way.
Aika: Lapahns? What are those?
Chopper: They're giant, carnivorous rabbits.
*Lapahns jump out at Luffy and Past Sanji*
Past Sanji: HOLY CRAP!
Luffy: LOOK OUT!
*An avalanche buries Past Sanji*
Luffy: *is climbing up the mountain while carrying Past Nami and Past Sanji* Got...to get...a doctor...! Urrgh...!
Next time: Frostbitten
Well, this took a while, but the chapter's finally done. Sorry if it's a bit short, though.
Next, Whole Cake Island! And hopefully, I can get Volume 87 sometime this month, too.
Review, please!