Ch. 39- Frostbitten

One Piece © Oda

Blizzard, Monkey D. Aika, Kumi, Kovar, and Monkey D. Star © Me

Shade © Gakuto1991

"ACHOO!"

Kovar glanced down at Luffy, who sniffled a bit as snot dribbled from his nose.

"Bless me," he muttered. "I guess my friends are talking about me."

Kovar narrowed his eyes, annoyed...but then he smirked.

"How did it feel, Straw Hat?" asked the dragon. "When Princess Vivi called you a failure as a captain?"

"Look, leave Vivi out of this, okay?!" Luffy barked. "She was right...acting rash wasn't gonna get Nami the help that she needed."

"But those words still stuck with you, didn't they?" asked Kovar. "And I think deep down, you actually agree with that sentiment..."

"...I'm NOT a failure," Luffy whispered.

"So you say," Kovar said. "Deny it all you wish, but you know in your heart that this is true...and your crew knows it, too."

"Shut up!" Luffy yelled. "You don't know me or my friends! They know that I'm not a failure!"

"Only because you hid things from them," Kovar countered, causing Luffy to growl. "No matter. I wonder how much more your crew will take before they decide to give up on you."

"They WON'T," Luffy said...although he sounded a bit unsure, himself. "Don't count them out, just yet!"

"Hmm-hmmm..." Kovar chuckled. "Honestly...I'm expecting them to last...the more souls, the better, I always say..."

Luffy growled at the dragon, who chuckled darkly.

XXX

Concurrently, the Straw Hats were watching as Luffy and Past Sanji were getting ready to head out to the Drum Rockies with Vivi tying Past Nami to Luffy's back.

"Hold still, Luffy," Vivi said. "This has to be nice and tight."

"Gotcha," Luffy replied.

"There, that should do," said Vivi as she finished tying the knot around Luffy's waist. "I'll be waiting here. I'd only be a burden if I went along."

"I'm staying, too!" Past Usopp added.

"Got it!" Luffy answered. "Okay, Nami! Hang on tight!"

"Uh-huh..." Past Nami murmured, weakly.

"Man, Nami looks bad, doesn't she?" Franky asked.

"Yeah...she was getting closer and closer to death by the second," Chopper said. "It's a good thing Luffy decided to come to the castle, as risky as it was. Doctorine and I happened to be around that day, but we didn't know you guys were there. We were visiting a patient in another part of the village...but I just wish we had caught you, sooner."

"There was no way you could have known about us by then," said Nami, "so it's okay."

"If you guys are serious about this," said Dalton, "then I won't stop you...but you should at least start the climb from the other side of the mountain. There are Lapahns on this side. They're vicious, flesh-eating rabbits. If you encounter a pack of them, it means certain death."

"Rabbits?" Luffy repeated before looked up to Past Sanji. "We're in a hurry, so we can handle them, right?"

"Yeah," Past Sanji answered. "I'll just kick 'em away."

"Did you really think it would be that easy?!" Chopper asked.

"For the record," Sanji started, "we didn't know how big they'd be, okay?!"

"What do you mean 'big'?" asked Aika. "Bunnies are tiny and cute, aren't they?"

"Not these, Aika," Chopper said. "Lapahns are huge, carnivorous rabbits that are as big as grizzly bears!"

"...Grizzly bears?" Aika and Kumi repeated before they imagined a rabbit, only about 10 times as big with fangs and sharp claws, causing them to look at each other worriedly.

"All right!" Luffy exclaimed before he and Past Sanji began to run. "Let's go, Sanji, before Nami dies!"

"DON'T SAY IT LIKE THAT!" Past Sanji yelled. "IT'S BAD LUCK, YOU IDIOT!"

"Seriously," Usopp muttered. "Why'd he have to put it that way?"

"You know Luffy," Sanji said. "He doesn't take these things seriously."

"Or maybe he's just trying to lighten the mood," Robin pointed out. "Just a theory."

"...I guess that's just Luffy's way of coping with bad situations," Nami shrugged. "Trying to make a joke out of everything."

"I guess that would make sense," Chopper said. "Luffy tries to make it seem like he's not worried about things, too much...but that's only when he's around us."

"Yeah, but when he's alone, like with Vivi," Usopp began, "he actually gets all reclusive and even starts crying."

"...It kinda makes you wonder if that smile he makes is just a big fake," Blizzard said.

"...Big Brother..." Aika whispered, worriedly.

The memory shifted to Luffy and Past Sanji, still running through the frozen tundra while the former was still carrying Past Nami. The navigator let out small, labored breaths, but she was doing a pretty good job, hanging on to Luffy's neck so tightly, despite her weakened state. As the duo ran, the wind began to blow stronger, throwing snow almost everywhere.

"Whoa," Luffy said. "It's getting a little chillier, now...and the wind's picking up, too."

As Luffy ran, the Straw Hats noticed his knees and toes beginning to turn red from the cold, and that was enough to have some of them shivering.

"Jeez, how can Luffy run in the freezing cold with just a coat, a pair of shorts and sandals on?" asked Usopp as he hugged himself. "I think I'm getting frostbite, just watching him!"

"Yeah, and my metal parts would lock up in that kind of weather!" Franky added.

"How can he not realize how cold it is?" asked Brook.

"It must be because of his rubber skin," said Chopper. "It acts as an insulator...but it doesn't help him much in hot weather."

"Oh, yeah," Zoro grumbled. "I remember he drove himself half-mad in Alabasta while we were hiking through the desert."

"Now that I think about it," Blizzard began, "back in Impel Down and on Punk Hazard, Luffy's skin kinda looked like it was melting from the extreme heat. At first, I thought he was just sweating a lot."

"Yeah, and sometimes Big Brother smells like he's melting, too," Aika added.

"Luffy, can't you at least put on some damn socks?" Past Sanji asked. "Seriously, it hurts just looking at you!"

"No way!" Luffy answered. "This is my police!"

"Your 'police'?" asked Past Sanji. "I think you mean policy!"

"Yeah, that too!" Luffy replied, but as they were running, the current Straw Hats noticed some sort of shadow lurking behind them.

"Uh...what's that?" Kumi asked, worriedly.

"...Uh-oh...!" Sanji muttered in realization. "I remember this part!"

"What do you mean, Sanji?" Chopper asked.

"Hey, Sanji," Luffy said to the cook's past counterpart, "did you know that people who live in snowy countries like this one don't sleep at night?"

"They don't?" asked Past Sanji. "Why?"

"Because if they do, they die!" Luffy answered.

"What?!" Past Sanji asked. "Who told you that bunch of nonsense?! Usopp?!"

"No, someone in my village told me at Makino's tavern," Luffy said.

"Probably some drunk idiot," Nami murmured.

"Actually, Luffy is only half-right," Robin said. "People in snowy countries don't sleep outside in these frigid conditions unless they have something to keep them warm. If they didn't, then they'd freeze to death in their sleep."

"What a horrible way to go," Brook muttered with dread.

As Luffy and Past Sanji were talking, something blitzed out from behind the trees, and Chopper instantly recognized what it was.

"A Lapahn!" he cried.

"But...it looks small," Aika said. "Chopper, I thought you said Lapahns were big."

"They are big, Aika," Sanji replied for Chopper. "That one's just a baby."

"And babies are vicious enough by themselves...!" Chopper squeaked, although Past Sanji easily jumped over the infant Lapahn as it pounced on them.

"If that's true," Past Sanji began, "then why does Dalton have a bad in his house?"

"Oh, yeah," Luffy realized as he and the cook ducked down to dodge the baby Lapahn as it tried to pounce once more...only to bite right through a tree trunk! "That must be his deathbed or something."

"You're such a moron!" Past Sanji yelled.

"What the hell?!" Franky questioned as he gaped at the baby Lapahn.

"And I thought I had a strong bite!" Blizzard exclaimed.

"Why was he being so aggressive?!" asked Kumi.

"It's what Lapahns do!" Chopper answered. "They're very territorial! In fact, they've been known to eat humans!"

"Oh, jeez...!" Usopp squeaked. "I'm glad I didn't go...!"

"I can't believe I don't remember any of this!" Nami added. "Then again, I was pretty out of it."

"Hey, Luffy," Past Sanji said. "Did you know that the women in these kinds of countries have smooth, silky skin?"

"They do?" Luffy asked. "Why?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" asked Past Sanji while the baby Lapahn persisted in trying to attack the two pirates, who continued to dodge it, unbothered in the least. "When it's cold, you rub on your skin with your bare hands, right? And that makes it soft and smooth! It's like the women practically blend into the snow!"

"Huh...I wonder how it gets so white," Luffy said as he kept carrying Past Nami...while briefly imagining her with silky, white skin that the cook had described, but not without dodging the baby Lapahn, again.

"Duh," said Past Sanji. "The color of the snow gets absorbed into the skin, of course!"

"Wow," Luffy muttered. "And you say I'm a moron."

"What was that?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"...Sanji?" Nami asked with a very irritated expression. "Where did you hear that load of crap?"

"...P...Patty from the Baratie told me..." Sanji muttered, completely and utterly embarrassed.

"Pffft...!" Zoro buzzed his lips, prompting Sanji to grab him by the collar of his shirt.

"Got somethin' to say to me, jackass?!" Sanji questioned.

At that moment, the baby Lapahn lunged at Past Sanji, who growled in annoyance before he kicked it away.

"YOU'RE STARTING TO PISS ME OFF, YOU LITTLE BASTARD!" he roared.

"What was that thing, anyway?" asked Luffy.

"NO!" Chopper cried. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND, SANJI?!"

"What's the big deal?" asked Zoro. "It's just a little rabbit."

"You don't understand!" Chopper shouted. "Lapahns are very protective of their young!"

"...How protective?" Kumi asked.

"So protective, they'll kill whatever attacked their babies!" Chopper answered.

"...Sanji?" Nami asked. "I think you should know that I'm very angry."

"I know," Sanji bemoaned.

As the memory continued, Luffy and Past Sanji found themselves walking in deeper snow. Well, more like trudging, really, since it was up to their knees.

"Hang on a little longer, okay, Nami?" Luffy asked. "We'll get you to a doctor soon- whoa!" He stumbled a bit in the deep snow. "Urgh...the snow's getting a little harder to walk in, here. Plus it's getting windier."

"Luffy, try walking a little more lightly," Past Sanji told him. "You're jostling Nami like that. Be gentle!"

"Urgh..." Luffy groaned. "'Luffy, do this', 'Luffy, do that'. Dude, I'm trying, okay?!"

"Yeah, Sanji, cut him some slack," Franky said.

"Okay, to be fair," Sanji began, "I was pretty worried about Nami...I just took things a bit too far, all right?"

"Uh-oh...!" Chopper squeaked as he saw something that made him freeze.

"Huh?" Luffy and Past Sanji muttered as they spotted a large number of rabbits that were indeed the size of grizzly bears, and one of them had a large scar going down its left eye. Clinging to that one Lapahn was the infant that Past Sanji had kicked away, glaring at the duo.

"...Those are Lapahns, aren't they?" asked Aika, nervously.

"Yeah," Chopper nodded.

"What the hell are those things?" asked Past Sanji. "Are those gorillas?"

"They're big and white and furry," said Luffy. "I'd say they're polar bears."

That's when the baby Lapahn began to squeak and bark while pointing its tiny paw at the two pirates.

"What'd it say?" Brook asked.

"He said 'That's him, Mama!'" Chopper translated. "'That's the mean human who kicked me!'"

"Wait...the one with the scar was a female?" asked Sanji in surprise.

"Of course that's a female," Chopper replied, but then, the mother Lapahn growled viciously before she jumped into the air with a loud roar!

"Whoa! It's flying!" Past Sanji yelled. "WATCH OUT!"

"YIKES!" Luffy cried as he and Past Sanji dodged the mother's sharp claws.

"Damn, that thing's fast!" Franky exclaimed.

"Lapahns are as fast as regular rabbits!" Chopper pointed out. "It's useless to try and outrun them!"

"Holy crap, did you see that?!" asked Past Sanji. "What is that thing, some kind of gorilla?!"

"No, it's a polar bear!" Luffy argued.

"IT'S A RABBIT, DUMMY!" Past Sanji yelled.

"How did you go from gorilla to rabbit?!" Luffy asked.

"So those must be those Lapahn things that Dalton warned us about it!" Past Sanji replied. "And there's a whole lot of them, too! Those things must be pretty adapted to this snowy terrain if they can move around that fast...we're at a big disadvantage here."

"Who cares?!" Luffy asked as he marched forward. "Let's just fight 'em!"

"No, Luffy, stop!" Past Sanji shouted. "Whatever you do, don't fight!"

"Huh?!" Luffy questioned. "Why not?!"

"If you fight these things," Past Sanji began, "any and every blow you give or take will be felt by Nami! If you rough her up too much in her current condition, she's dead meat for sure!"

GRRAAAAAAAAAARR! The Lapahns roared as they lunged at the two, which caused Luffy to gulp nervously.

"Y-yeah, I got it," Luffy said. "I won't fight!"

"...Oh, my god...!" Nami whispered.

"That's right!" Chopper exclaimed. "Nami was in such bad condition that if she took any damage in her current state, it would kill her!"

"Luffy didn't realize the threat, right away," said Sanji, "which is why I had to fight in his place."

"WHOA!" Luffy cried as he ducked down to dodge a swipe from a Lapahn's claws. "But...what am I supposed to do?!"

"Just dodge!" Past Sanji answered as he dodged, as well. "Dodge them and run! And whatever you do, don't fight!"

"THAT'S GONNA BE PRETTY HARD, YOU KNOW!" Luffy yelled while Past Sanji kicked one of the Lapahns away.

"I kinda have to agree with Luffy, there," said Usopp. "If Nami wasn't strapped to his back like that, he'd fight those things off, easily."

"Maybe," said Chopper, worriedly.

"Crap!" Past Sanji cursed. "I can't even do a decent kick with all this snow around my legs!"

"Figures," Zoro quipped. "You can't even handle a few bunny rabbits, can you, cook?

"Ah, shut up!" Sanji barked. "You try fighting in deep snow if you think it's that easy! In fact, you can freeze to death for all I care!"

The Lapahns looked to their fallen packmate, then all turned and glared at Past Sanji and Luffy, who gulped before they all charged at the duo!

"Shit!" Past Sanji cursed. "They're all coming at once, now! Quick, Luffy! Make a break for the woods and I'll cover you!"

"Right!" Luffy cried as they began to run from the Lapahns, who gave chase after them, and were keeping up fairly well, too.

"Crap, they're fast!" Blizzard cursed. "Even if I was there and was able to carry Luffy, I couldn't outrun them if I tried!"

"I told you," Chopper said, "Lapahns are really fast for their size!"

"You weren't kidding!" Kumi cried.

"Dammit, we can't shake these guys!" Past Sanji yelled. "It'd be dark before I could beat up so many!"

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed as he kept running as fast as he could. However, one of the Lapahns attempted to blindside him, and of course, Luffy's first instinct was to try and use his Gum-Gum Whip on it, but then Sanji grabbed his ankle before he could.

"Stop!" Past Sanji shouted while Past Nami grunted, trying to hold onto Luffy before the cook kicked the Lapahn away. "You idiot! What did I just say?! Let me handle them!"

"Sorry, I forgot!" Luffy cried.

"Everything just goes right over your head, doesn't it?!" Past Sanji questioned as he kicked another Lapahn in the stomach while Luffy happened to notice a path up ahead.

"Hey, Sanji! Look up there!" Luffy exclaimed. "We can go up that way!"

"You go on ahead!" Past Sanji answered as he kicked another Lapahn. "Back off!"

Soon, the two ran all the way up to the top, and Luffy even used one of the Lapahns as leverage to get to the top, but still, the Lapahns pursued them.

"Those things sure are damn persistent," said Franky.

"Lapahns aren't just territorial and protective of their young," said Chopper. "They don't like it when even one of their grown members are attacked!"

"Huh," Aika muttered. "They kinda sound like us."

"What?!" Usopp questioned. "How are they like us?!"

"You know how Big Brother gets mad whenever one of us gets hurt?" asked Aika. "That's how the rabbits are acting."

"So it seems," Robin smiled in amusement.

"I never really thought of that, before," said Sanji while his past self and Luffy kept running. As Luffy looked back, however, he noticed that the Lapahns were gone.

"Hey, Sanji!" he called. "Look! I think we lost them!"

"About damn time!" Past Sanji exclaimed before he looked ahead, only to yelp as he braked to a stop, along with Luffy, for up ahead of them were the Lapahns...and for some reason, they were jumping up and down on the snow.

"Guess I spoke too soon," Luffy said. "What are they doing, anyway? I thought they gave up, by now!"

"Apparently not," said Past Sanji as he squinted. "What the hell are those things up to...?" He then trailed off before his eye went wide in horror and his cigarette fell from his mouth. "Oh, shit...don't tell me...!"

"Oh, no...!" Chopper whispered in horror.

"What's wrong?" Nami asked. "Chopper, do you know what they're doing?"

"Those Lapahns sure were desperate, this time!" Chopper cried.

"What are you talking about?" Brook asked, but he soon got his answer when the ground began to rumble.

"Huh," Luffy muttered as he looked down at his stomach. "I must be getting really hungry if my tummy's rumbling that loud."

"That's not your stomach, you idiot!" Past Sanji yelled as he looked at the Lapahns with a tear forming in his eyes. "Shit...those dumb bunnies! They've really done it, now!"

"What's wrong, Sanji?" Luffy asked, seeming unconcerned at all.

"Luffy! We gotta get the hell outta dodge!" Sanji shouted.

"We're running, again?" Luffy asked in exasperation. "Where?"

"Anywhere, as long as it's not here!" cried Past Sanji.

"W-what's happening?!" Aika asked, worriedly.

"When Lapahns get angry enough," Chopper began, "they start an-"

"AVALAAAAAAAAAAANCHE!" Past Sanji screamed as a roaring tidal wave of snow came roaring toward them.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA~!" Aika shrieked. "OH, NOOOOOOOO!"

"HOLY CRAP!" Usopp cried. "SO THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THAT AVALANCHE?!"

"And you guys were right at the front of that!" shouted Franky.

"I wondered what that shaking was, earlier!" Chopper added.

"Good heavens! Here it comes!" Brook yelled.

Soon, Luffy and Past Sanji were running away from the avalanche while Past Nami still remained passed out on Luffy's back.

"DAMN THOSE RABBITS!" Past Sanji yelled. "I'LL FILET THEM FOR THIS!"

"Sanji, what are we gonna do?!" Luffy asked while he tried to keep Past Nami on his back.

"How the hell would I know?!" Past Sanji questioned. "Most importantly, Luffy, Nami takes first priority, second priority, third priority, fourth priority, and fifth priority, got it?! So you better protect her with your life!"

"Hey, come on!" Luffy yelled. "Don't lay any of that sexist shit on me!"

The Straw Hats' eyes went wide at that while Zoro smirked.

"Well, this should be interesting," said the swordsman.

"Don't you dare say whose life takes more priority!" Luffy yelled. "You have no right to say any of that, got me?!"

"...Luffy...!" Past Sanji whispered in shock, but then he shook his head. "Wait! We don't have time for this!"

"Now THIS is refreshing," Zoro said. "Never thought I'd see the day where Luffy calls you out on your crap, Pervy Cook!"

"Oh, sure, laugh it up!" Sanji barked. "This isn't how I am, anymore, you know! ...At least...not most of the time, anyway."

"I think Luffy only got mad, though," Robin began, "because he felt that your life took priority as well, Sanji."

"...I guess I wasn't thinking of that at the time," said Sanji.

"Luffy, up there!" Past Sanji cried, getting the captain's attention as he pointed up at a nearby ledge. "Quick! Get on that ledge! Hurry! Climb to the highest point you can get!"

"Oh, right!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran to get up on the ledge, too.

"LOOK OUT!" Past Sanji shouted as he pointed at the huge wave of snow that buried trees and rocks in its wake. "HERE IT COMES!"

"WHOA!" Luffy yelped before he and Past Sanji jumped on to the ledge.

"Yay, you made it!" Aika cheered.

"All right!" exclaimed Kumi.

"Hold it," Sanji said. "It's not over yet."

"Huh?" the girls muttered in confusion.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Blizzard.

"Whew...!" Past Sanji sighed as he and Luffy looked up. "We made it, just in ti-" Unfortunately, he spoke too soon when saw more snow headed right for them. "Shit! We're not up high enough! Luffy, quick! JUMP!"

"RIGHT!" Luffy replied before he jumped up high into the air. However, Past Sanji wasn't fast enough and ended up getting carried off by the avalanche.

"Oh, no! Sanji!" Luffy cried.

"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!" Past Sanji screamed.

"That can't be good!" Chopper cried.

"How'd you guys get out of that one?!" asked Franky.

"Dammit, now what do I do?!" Luffy asked, worriedly, before he spotted a fallen tree that was sliding down the mountain. "...Wait, that's it!" That's when he landed on the tree, like it was some kind of snowboard, then stretched his arm out to grab Past Sanji's hand. "Sanji! Grab on!"

"W-what the-?!" Past Sanji questioned before Luffy pulled him onto the tree.

"Hahahaha!" Luffy laughed, triumphantly. "We're not gonna buried alive, after all!"

"Yeah, but now we're going back down the mountain!" Past Sanji yelled.

"GAH!" Luffy cried in shock. "YOU'RE RIGHT!"

"Dammit, we were almost there!" Past Sanji cured. "A little farther, and we would have reached the doctor by now! We've gotta find a way to stop! Damn those stupid rabbits! Next time I see them, I'll skin 'em alive and boil their insides!"

"Uh...Sanji?" Luffy asked, nervously.

"What?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"...Look," Luffy squeaked as he pointed behind the cook, who turned, only to gasp upon seeing the Lapahns...riding on tree trunks like they were snowboards, too!

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"They can snowboard, too?!" Brook asked.

"Uh...yeah," Chopper said. "In fact, snowboarding is the Lapahns' favorite pastime."

"...Suddenly, I'm very afraid on a number of levels," said Nami.

Soon, Luffy and Past Sanji found themselves trying to dodge the Lapahns, again, with the latter wondering why they were so angry. As they kept sliding down and dodging swipes from claws and vicious bites, Past Sanji turned just in time to see that they were headed for some sharp rocks.

"Luffy, incoming!" Past Sanji yelled, causing Luffy to look back.

"Oh, crap!" Luffy cursed. "A rock! We're gonna crash!"

"We can't!" Past Sanji cried. "If you hit those rocks with Nami on your back, you're both gonna die!"

"Then what do we do?!" Luffy asked...before Past Sanji grabbed him by the collar of his coat. "Uh...Sanji?"

"...Go," Past Sanji said before he threw Luffy off the tree.

"AGH!" Luffy cried. "Sanji, what are you doing?!"

"...A lady needs a gentle touch," Past Sanji with his usual debonair attitude...until his back hit the rocks, and Luffy heard a sickening crack that followed. Sanji actually cringed at that, remembering the almost numbing pain that getting hit in the spine had brought.

"SANJI, NO!" Luffy cried in horror.

"What the hell?!" Franky questioned. "Dude, are you crazy?!"

"I actually felt that," Brook began, "and that wasn't even me!"

"So that's how your spine got messed up?!" Chopper questioned. "What is with wrong with you, Sanji?! I expected better from you!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Sanji argued. "Luffy was just standing there and if he didn't move, Nami was gonna get hit instead!"

"Do you know what could have happened to you?!" Chopper asked, angrily. "You could have lost the use of your legs! Or worse, you could have died!"

"I'm sorry," Sanji apologized. "I'm all right, now, though."

"...I knew you got injured somehow," Nami spoke, "but...I didn't realize you got hurt because of me."

"Now don't be so hard on yourself, Nami," Sanji said. "I'm fine, now, see?"

"...Please don't do that, again, Sanji," Nami said, sadly. "I don't care if it's for my sake...don't hurt yourself any further because of me. I don't want any of my friends to hurt themselves for me."

"...I'm sorry, Nami," Sanji whispered.

"...As long as you are," Nami replied before the others turned back to watch the memory, where they saw Past Sanji fall against the Lapahns, and it seemed to create some kind of domino effect because they all started falling back against each other until finally, they all disappeared in the tidal wave of snow.

"Dammit!" Luffy cursed as he looked around and finally spotted Past Sanji's hand. "Don't try and hog all the glory, you dumb-ass!"

On that, he stretched his arm out to grab Past Sanji...but when he reeled it back, he screamed in horror when he realized he only managed to grab his mitten.

"OH, NO!" Luffy cried as he looked around. "SANJI, WHERE ARE YOU?! SANJIIIIII~!"

On that, the memory faded to black while the Straw Hats, save for Sanji, gaped in disbelief.

"...Oh...my...god...!" Usopp whispered.

"What the hell happened to you after that?" Blizzard asked.

"I don't know," Sanji said. "I blacked out after I got buried. My guess is that Luffy found me, somehow."

"You're lucky Luffy did find you!" Chopper said, sternly. "If he hadn't, you would've frozen to death!"

"Still," Usopp began, "that was a really bad avalanche. Even the village got buried with me and Vivi still in it! Luckily, she managed to dig herself out and me out!"

"She wasn't hurt, right?" Sanji asked, worriedly.

"No," Usopp said. "At least that's what she told me, anyway. After that, we found Zoro in the middle of the snow."

"Look! The memory's coming back!" Aika exclaimed as the memory began to appear. Luffy was dangling off the edge of a cliff while snow continued to flow around him while Past Nami was still clinging to him. He had managed to duck down behind the cliff in order to avoid the avalanche...but now, Past Sanji was somewhere underneath possibly 10 feet of snow.

"Sanji~!" Luffy called out. "Where are you~?!"

No answer came, not that Past Sanji could answer him, anyway. Luffy looked around, trying to find any sign of Past Sanji, but couldn't see anything but white. That's when he untied Past Nami from his back and gently laid her down on the ground. The Straw Hats noticed that he was breathing a bit hard, possibly from the shock of seeing Past Sanji get buried, before he began to pull off his mittens and put them under Past Nami's head, then took off his coat and placed it over her like a blanket, and finally, he took off his hat and placed his hat on top of her chest. He looked at her face and saw that by now, it was about as red as a tomato. He knew her fever had gotten higher by now.

"Here, Nami," Luffy whispered. "I bet you're pretty cold. Just hold on a little bit longer, okay?"

"...Oh, my god...!" Nami whispered, although she tried not to get choked up. She remembered hearing Luffy talking, but she was just so out of it, she couldn't really make out what he was saying at the time. Everything she heard was just muffled, probably due to being delirious because of her fever.

"Whoa, hold on!" Blizzard spoke up. "You mean he's gonna go looking for Sanji with just his vest and shorts?!"

"Looks like it," Usopp answered, worriedly as Luffy jumped off the ledge and began his search.

"Sanji~!" he called out as he looked around. "Sanji, where are you?! Answer me~!"

No answer came. The wind began to blow harshly, which caused Luffy to shiver a bit before he blew on his hands and began to rub his arms.

"Big Brother sure looks cold," Aika said.

"Yeah...makes me cold just watching him," Kumi agreed as she shivered a bit.

"Sanji~!" Luffy called out again as he began to break into a run. "Sanji, where are you?!"

Still no answer, and by now, Luffy was starting to get desperate.

"Sanji!" Luffy called out, once more, but as he took a step forward, he heard a small groan coming from somewhere beneath the snow. He gasped before he began to dig the snow away, his fingertips starting to turn red slightly as he did, before he found the black of Past Sanji's coat.

"Found him!" Luffy exclaimed before he kept digging, but then he momentarily stopped as he felt the snow cut into his fingertips. "Ouch!" He then looked at his fingers, which twitched and shivered as he tried to curl them, but he seemed to have difficulty doing so.

"...Luffy's getting frostbite," Chopper said, worriedly.

"Frostbite?" Aika repeated.

"It's what happens when people stay in frozen temperatures without anything to shield from the cold for too long," Chopper answered. "Their bodies start freezing from the inside-out...and when I first found Luffy...he looked like he was practically frozen to death, already."

"Oh, dear," Robin said, worriedly.

Before too long, Luffy managed to pull Past Sanji out of the snow. He was unconscious, his temple was bleeding, and his mittens were missing, but he was alive. Luffy heaved a relieved sigh before he hoisted Past Sanji under his armpit before he went back to Past Nami, then tied her up against his back, again before he began the long, slow hike back up the mountain.

"Jeez..." Zoro muttered. "That must be painful for him."

"...Big Brother..." Aika whispered, sadly. It pained him to watch her older half-brother suffering like this.

As Luffy walked, he spotted something out of the corner of his eye: it was the baby Lapahn from earlier, and for some reason, it was trying to dig out something from the snow. A closer look soon revealed that it was actually a larger paw, most likely from the baby Lapahn's mother. As it kept digging, the baby sucked on its paws, which were turning red from digging in the snow too much before it began to whimper as tears formed in its eyes.

"Oh, no," Brook said. "Poor little bunny."

"The mother must've gotten buried in the avalanche, as well," Robin said.

"Yeah," Chopper agreed. "Even Lapahns can't outrun an avalanche...but that little baby won't survive without the mother or the rest of the pack. It'll be eaten by other predators for sure."

Just then, the baby Lapahn noticed Luffy approach before it began to growl fiercely, showing its fangs at him. However, Luffy remained undeterred, for he knew that this infant was merely trying to scare him off, thinking he was there to hurt its mother. The boy reached out to the little carnivorous rabbit, who flinched in fright like it was expecting to be hit...but instead, Luffy gently pat it on the head, causing it to look up at him in surprise as the boy gave him a gentle smile.

"It's okay, little guy," he whispered. "That's your mom under all that snow, isn't it?"

The baby Lapahn's eyes went wide while Luffy walked up to the mother Lapahn's paw.

"Don't worry," he told her. "I'll get her out for you."

"...Luffy...!" Chopper whispered in awe while Luffy grabbed onto the mother Lapahn's paw.

"Okay...heave...ho!" Luffy grunted as he yanked the mother Lapahn out of the snow.

"Whoa!" Franky exclaimed. "You see that?!"

"With just one pull, too!" Usopp added.

Soon, the baby Lapahn was happily embracing its mother, who looked at Luffy in confusion as he began to walk away while carrying Past Nami and Past Sanji away. The baby Lapahn gave out a squeaking cry at Luffy, who turned to the mother and child before he grinned.

"You're welcome," he said. "Take care, okay?"

And with that, he turned and kept walking.

"...That was so nice of Big Brother," Aika smiled.

"Yeah," Kumi began, "but...didn't the Lapahns attack them? Why would he help them after what they put him and Sanji through?"

"I think it's because no matter how much Luffy might hate somebody," Chopper began, "he doesn't have it in himself to just leave someone to die."

"Plus," Nami began, "I think it's because he knew that baby Lapahn was afraid to lose its mother...just like how Luffy lost his."

"It takes a lot of strength to be kind," Sanji said.

As Luffy kept walking, the wind began to pick up again and his nose and cheeks were beginning to get red...but still, he pressed on.

"...Just a bit longer," Luffy said as he looked toward Chimney Mountain. "I'll get you there, soon...I promise you! Don't die...either of you!"

"No way we were planning on dying, there," said Sanji while Nami nodded her head in agreement. As Luffy kept walking, though, he heard a voice coming from behind him.

"King Wapol, look! There they are, up ahead!"

"Why those little...I'll pummel them to death for this outrage!"

"Oh, no..." Luffy muttered in annoyance as he glanced over his shoulder. "Not them again."

Soon, Wapol appeared along with Chess and Kuromarimo, riding on the back of some white, woolly hippo.

"What's that thing?" Usopp asked.

"It's a White Walkie," said Chopper. "They're overly adapted to snowy climates. They look short, but they actually have really long legs that they hide under all that fur."

Soon, the White Walkie stood in front of Luffy, blocking his path.

"Halt!" Wapol demanded.

"Get outta my way," Luffy countered.

"Mahahahahaha!" laughed Wapol. "Fool! Why should I move?! Your two friends there are more dead than they're alive!"

"Screw you, you tin prick," Sanji cursed.

"How's Luffy gonna handle this?" Zoro asked. "He can't fight, remember? Not with Nami and the lame-ass on his back."

"SCREW YOU, TOO, MOSS-HEAD!" Sanji barked.

Luffy rolled his eyes before he simply walked around Wapol, who gaped in disbelief.

"HEY!" he shouted. "DON'T YOU IGNORE ME, YOU IDIOT!"

"Screw you," Luffy said, bluntly. "I'm in a hurry, so leave me alone."

"Why that insolent little...!" Wapol growled before he smirked. "Chess...I just thought of a new law. Write it down for me!"

"Of course, Your Highness," said Chess as he took out a paper and a quill pen.

"Anyone who ignores the king gets executed on the spot," Wapol said before he pointed at Luffy...or in particular, Past Nami and Past Sanji. "AND YOU CAN START BY KILLING THE TWO WHO IGNORED ME THE MOST: THE SICK ONE AND THE INJURED ONE!"

"Yes, sire!" Kuromarimo and Chess shouted as they leaped after Luffy, who gasped in shock.

"Shit!" he cursed.

"Hey, he can't do that!" Aika shouted. "That's not fair!"

"Wapol thinks that because he's the king, he can do whatever he wants," Chopper said, hatefully, "but he renounced his kingship when he left the island."

"And yet, he still thinks he's the king, anyway," Usopp muttered.

"What a bunch of cowards," Zoro said.

"Indubitably!" Brook agreed. "Making an attempt on the lives of those who can't even fight back...how disgraceful!"

"I see now why you hate this guy so much, Chopper," said Blizzard.

Soon, Luffy found himself trying to dodge Kuromarimo's and Chess's attacks, knowing that if he fought right then and there, Past Nami and Past Sanji would definitely suffer for it. So, he could only do one thing he never imagined he'd ever do: make a break for it.

"Run, Luffy, run!" Usopp yelled. "Run as fast as you can!"

"Run like the Devil's after you!" Franky shouted.

"Run, Big Brother!" Aika cried.

"I won't forget this, you bastards!" Luffy shouted as he ran. "Don't you dare try to follow me!"

Unfortunately, Chess and Kuromarimo paid no heed to his warning and continued their assault, firing arrows and trying to throw punches at him, but Luffy continued to dodge their attacks, flipping and jumping and running as fast as he could. At first, it seemed like he lost them...until he had to dodge Wapol's huge tin jaws. Soon, Kuromarimo and Chess popped out of the snow, as well.

"Oh, no! He's trapped!" Brook cried.

"Not good!" shouted Kumi.

"MAHAHAHAHAHA!" Wapol laughed. "This is Snow Country Combat! The White Mantle: Snow Powder Makeup! In their weakened states, you'll all be dead! MAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Checkmate!" Chess and Kuromarimo exclaimed with smug grins on their faces.

"NO! STOP!" Luffy shouted. "DON'T DO IT!"

But then, out of nowhere, Chess and Marimo were struck down by two Lapahns!

"What the...the polar bear bunny things?" Luffy asked in surprise.

"LAPAHNS?!" Wapol questioned in disbelief.

"They're...helping him?!" asked Kuromarimo.

"That's impossible!" Chess shouted. "Lapahns hate humans!"

Luffy glanced back at the Lapahns, particularly at the mother Lapahn and her baby, who seemed to give him a thumbs-up, causing him to smile before he turned and ran on ahead.

"Thanks, Lapahns!" he called. "You're lifesavers!"

"Wow...!" Chopper whispered. "Lapahns have never trusted humans, before!"

"It seems Luffy really got through to them," Robin smiled.

"Ha!" Franky laughed. "One good turn deserves another, they say!"

The memory shifted, and Luffy was shown, trudging through the snow in a wild blizzard. His teeth chattered and his body was wavering...but still, he pressed on.

"D-d-d-d-doc-t-t-t-tor..." Luffy stuttered. "D-d-d-doct-t-tor..."

"...Oh, Luffy...!" Nami whispered, feeling her heart clench at seeing her captain and fiancé walk through the freezing tundra like that. The others couldn't help but feel sorry for Luffy, as well. It looked painful for him to just walk, by now.

Soon, Luffy looked up and saw the Chimney Mountain before him...and as he tried to look up, he saw it was shrouded by clouds and wind.

"C-c-can't even...s-s-s-see the t-t-t-top...!" he said with chattering teeth.

"What's he gonna do now?" asked Aika.

"Yeah, there doesn't seem to be anything to grab on to," Usopp said. "He doesn't actually plan on climbing that, does he?"

It seemed that he spoke too soon, however, for Luffy soon kicked off his sandals, tightened the knot that held Past Nami to his back around his stomach, and grabbed Past Sanji by the back of his coat and put that in his mouth.

"Hang on, you guys...!" he said. "I'll get you up there, soon!"

And with that...he began the perilous climb up the mountainside. The Straw Hats gaped in complete disbelief as their captain forced himself up, grabbing onto whatever he could reach.

"...He's...actually climbing the mountain...!" Franky whispered.

"I don't believe this!" Usopp shouted. "Why didn't you guys just use the ropeway to get up there?!"

"What ropeway?" asked Sanji.

"Oh, yeah," Usopp said. "You were out cold. You see, Dalton and Wapol had this fight, see? And Dalton would have won if Wapol hadn't cheated! Anyway, Dalton wanted to go to the castle to deal with Wapol himself, so he used this ropeway that connected this tree to the mountaintop and-"

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sanji shouted. "Hold up! ...You mean to tell me...that all this time...WE COULD HAVE GONE UP THE MOUNTAIN USING THAT?! WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING SOONER! I PRETTY MUCH BROKE MY BACK!"

"You ran off before we found out!" Usopp cried. "It's not my fault!"

"Shh~!" Zoro shushed. "Be quiet! We can't hear anything!"

Luffy grunted as he kept climbing up the mountain, and at the rate he was going, it looked like he was going at a snail's pace. After a long time...Luffy's skin was practically a reddish-purple. If the Straw Hats didn't know better, he almost looked like Star when she came home that day from the mountains, looking for that flower. By now, his fingers and toes had begun to split open and blood began to drip out of them, and once, when he tried to grab onto another groove in the mountain, he ended up splitting them open further, causing him to scream in pain as he did. In doing so, however, he accidentally Past Sanji, who soon went plummeting.

"OH, CRAP!" Luffy cursed. "SANJI!" He then stretched his neck down and grabbed Past Sanji by the back of his coat with his teeth. "Whew...that was close...!"

With that, he resumed climbing...but as he did, it looked like he was going slower and slower. He had to stop almost every five minutes just to catch his breath, then kept climbing. However, at one point, he slipped and slid back downward, causing him to let out a muffled scream of pain as his frostbitten digits began to bleed profusely. Thankfully, he managed to stop...but he was already halfway there...and now he had to start from that point, again.

"...My god...!" Blizzard whispered in shock. "He's still going for it...!"

"...Poor Big Brother...!" Aika said, tearfully.

"...No wonder he was in such terrible shape when I found him," Chopper said.

By now, Nami just couldn't hold her tears back. She couldn't believe what Luffy had put himself through, just to get her to a doctor. She was practically out of it, nearly dead to the whole world, and Luffy was carrying her on his back, risking his skin and limbs rotting off for her sake.

And Sanji...he couldn't help but feel ashamed of himself. He put up a big talk about he was going to back Luffy up, and yet he made things worse by getting hurt and being dead weight. Zoro surely wouldn't let him live this down for the rest of his life. Sanji never felt like such a failure until he saw what had happened.

"D...doc...tor...!" Luffy grunted as he kept climbing. "Doc...tor...!"

"...Vivi was wrong about Luffy," said Robin.

"Huh?" Franky muttered. "What do you mean?"

"She said that he was a failure as a captain," Robin said, "but this shows otherwise."

"Yeah...I mean...look at what he's doing," Usopp said.

By now, the Straw Hats estimated that Luffy had been climbing for practically hours...and once they saw the mountaintop in their sights, Usopp, Chopper, and Aika started to cheer for him. By now, Luffy was moving painfully slow, either because he was too cold or because he was in too much pain...or perhaps both. Still, the Straw Hat Captain willed himself to keep going. By now, the memory was starting to get a bit hazy, showing that Luffy was beginning to lose consciousness...but finally, after what felt like a lifetime...his hand reached the summit and he pulled himself up to see a huge castle, covered in ice and snow.

"...Gorgeous...!" Robin whispered in awe.

"He made it...!" Aika said in relief. "He finally made it...!"

Luffy practically panted through his nostrils before his jaw dropped, causing him to drop Past Sanji into the soft snow at his knees.

"We're here...!" Luffy whispered with a tired smile of relief on his face. "What a...pretty castle..." Soon, his eyes closed...and the Straw Hats heard a soft thud...but the memory faded to black soon after.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!

Dr. Kureha: My...what have we here.

Past Chopper: Doctorine...this one is terribly frostbitten.

Chopper: Look! It's me! ...Oh, wait...

Usopp: What? What's the matter?

*A while later*

Luffy: Soooo...hungry... *turns and looks at Past Chopper* ...Meat...

Past Chopper: HUH?!

*A bit later, Luffy and Past Sanji are chasing him*

Past Chopper: HELP ME! DON'T EAT ME! AAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!

Luffy: COME BACK HERE, MEAT!

Past Sanji: Hang on, Luffy! Lemme cook him, first!

Past Chopper: I said... *turns into Heavy Point* LET GO! *he clocks them both on the head*

Next time: The Fifth

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