Ch. 40- The Fifth

One Piece © Oda

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

Shade © Gakuto1991

The Straw Hats stared in utter disbelief at what they had witnessed...but the most shocked had to be Nami and Sanji. They had absolutely no idea what Luffy had put himself through, just to get the both of them to a doctor and keep them out of harm's way. Seeing that...it made them realize just how grateful they were.

"...I can't believe Luffy did all of that...for our sake," said Nami.

"...God, I feel like such...dead weight," Sanji muttered. "Why didn't he ever tell us about this?! I mean...I knew he might've been hurt, but I didn't realize he was that hurt!"

"He wasn't just hurt," Chopper said. "He almost got his arms and legs frozen off!"

"...Big Brother..." Aika whispered.

"Hey...no one blames you guys for what happened to Luffy," Usopp said. "I mean...how could you have known, anyway-"

"We should have known!" Nami shouted. "Dammit, why does he keep these kinds of things to himself?! He's such a selfish moron!"

"All right, enough!" Zoro shouted. "No more of the self-guilt crap, got that?! It's over and done with! We'll talk to Luffy about it after we save him from Kovar, okay?!"

"...Right," Nami said. "Sorry, Zoro."

Zoro simply reached over and put a hand on Nami's shoulder while quietly nodding his head at her.

At that moment, the memory began to return. The Straw Hats could see Luffy, lying in front of Drum Castle...looking as if he was barely alive. Though his vision was blurry, he could make out the shapes of Past Nami and Past Sanji, lying near him...as well as two more figures. He could hear them talking, but he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. It just sounded garbled, like there was water in his ears.

"I think that might be me and Doctorine that are talking!" Chopper exclaimed.

"How can you tell?" Blizzard asked.

"I found Luffy outside," Chopper said. "He was about to fall off the mountain again until I caught him."

"He was about to fall, again?!" Nami questioned.

"Yeah," Chopper said. "Some snow collapsed when Luffy lost consciousness. He was lucky I was there to catch him in time!"

As Luffy's vision began to clear up, he shakily reached his hand out and grabbed Dr. Kureha by the arm, causing her to look down at him.

"Hmph," Kureha scoffed. "Calm down, boy. I'll make sure that the bloody one and the sick girl are all better in no time. You can rest easy now."

"...They're...m-m-my f-f-friends...!" Luffy said through his chattering teeth as he looked up at Kureha. "Those guys...are m-m-my friends, okay?!"

"...Hmph," Kureha scoffed, although she had this smile on her face. "I figured as much, kid...I'll save these two. Don't you worry about that."

"...Thank...you..." Luffy whispered before he lost consciousness, once more.

"So that's what this Dr. Kureha is like, eh?" Robin mused. "She really is a kind woman."

"She looks scary, at first," said Chopper, "but she really is an amazing doctor! She taught me everything I know and then some!"

"Yeah...but how bad were his injuries?" Franky asked.

"They did look pretty severe," Chopper began, "but he recovered in the span of just several hours! For a normal person, that would usually take up to a week! I didn't see any sign of his frostbite, after that!"

"Shishishishi!" Aika giggled. "Big Brother really is strong, isn't he?"

"...Yeah," Chopper smiled. "Luffy really is."

The memory shifted, and while the Straw Hats could only see darkness, they could hear the familiar sounds of their captain snoring. As the darkness slowly faded away, they could see that he was not the only one there, for Past Sanji was in the same room with him. The room itself had lots of books and other items lying about, and at that moment, this chubby little blue-nosed reindeer appeared, wearing a pink top hat and purple shorts while holding a bowl of bloodied bandages, which he set down on the table next to Luffy's bed.

"Hey, look! It's me!" Chopper exclaimed, excitedly.

"...Huh," Kumi muttered. "Is it me? Or did you look fatter, back then?"

"Your head looked a bit more square, too," said Brook.

"And your antlers aren't as broad, either," said Usopp.

"...Wow," Chopper muttered. "Come to think of it, I do look a bit different than I do now, don't I? I wonder why that is."

As Past Chopper glanced over at Luffy...both he and the current Straw Hats heard an all too familiar sound bellowing from the pit of their captain's belly.

"Ngh...hungry..." Luffy moaned as he sleepily opened his eyes. "So hungry..." He then glanced over at Past Chopper, who blinked at him in curiosity...and that's when Luffy began to drool.

"Need meat..."

"...Wait a minute," Blizzard muttered. "You don't think that he...?!"

"Yep," Chopper deadpanned while his past self yelped in fright and stumbled back against Past Sanji's bed.

"...Venison stew should be simmered in a large pot for three hours until the meat becomes tender," he said, causing Past Chopper to slowly look back and see that the cook had this almost savage grin on his face, which caused the little reindeer to back away in fear.

"Oh, boy..." Sanji muttered. "I just know I'm gonna get flack for this."

"Meat...!" Luffy slurred as a waterfall of drool came pouring out of his mouth, while Past Sanji grabbed Past Chopper by the arm.

"Venison," Past Sanji grinned...and that's when Past Chopper finally shrieked while Luffy and Past Sanji practically lunged at him like a pair of rabid dogs. Of course, the little reindeer managed to jump out of their way before he bolted out the room, but the two continued to give chase.

"HELP! DON'T LET THEM EAT ME!" Past Chopper cried.

"You guys wanted to eat Chopper?!" Aika questioned in shock. "Why would you do that?!"

Blizzard growled at Sanji, who quickly raised his hands in defense.

"Wait, wait!" he cried. "I'm sorry, okay?! I wasn't really gonna cook him, I swear! This was before we found out he was a doctor!"

"Honestly," Nami muttered. "You men, always thinking with your stomachs!"

"For shame," Robin added.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?!" Sanji asked. "I swear!"

"Don't apologize to us," said Nami. "Apologize to Chopper. He did save your lives, you know!"

"...Right," Sanji said before he looked down at Chopper, who glared up at him with crossed arms. "...I'm sorry, Chopper, for trying to cook you...and for all the times I called you 'Emergency Food Supply'."

"Apology accepted," said Chopper.

"HOLD STILL, MEAT!" Luffy shouted as he and Past Sanji grabbed onto Past Chopper, who was surprisingly still able to run away in spite of dragging them along and was even managing to try and keep Luffy from biting down on his arm.

"Wait, Luffy!" Past Sanji shouted. "Lemme cook him first!"

"Talk about your first impressions," Franky mused.

"Not the best one we've made," Sanji said, embarrassed, while Zoro smirked at him smugly, to his annoyance. "Wipe that stupid grin off your face, Moss-head!"

"Jeez, Chopper," said Usopp. "I'm surprised you didn't hate us after what those two did!"

"Well, I guess I couldn't stay mad," Chopper said. "Especially since they helped drive Wapol off the island."

"What do you mean?" Aika asked.

"Just watch," Chopper answered. "You'll see later on."

That's when Past Chopper came bursting into a room with Luffy and Past Sanji still chasing after him, but for a split second, Luffy suddenly stopped right in his tracks as he noticed Past Nami out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh! Nami!" he exclaimed as he went to her side. She was wearing some kind of light blue medical blouse, her eyes were a still bit hazy, and her face was still a little flushed, but other than that, she looked almost as good as new. "You're awake!"

"Nami, my dear!" Past Sanji swooned, happily. "How are you, my sweet Nami-swan?!"

"Wow, Big Sis!" Aika said. "You look a whole lot better, now!"

"Yeah, like a million Berries!" said Kumi.

"You look so much better, now!" Luffy said. "How are you feeling? You okay?"

"Not 100%," said Past Nami, "but I'm getting there...thanks for asking, Luffy."

"Shishishi!" Luffy laughed. "I'm glad you're okay. I was pretty worried for a while, y'know."

"Aww, Luffy...you didn't have to worry about me," Past Nami smiled. "I'm fine."

"Well, if you're fine, now," Past Sanji began, "I'll be sure to make you a nice, delicious venison dinner to perk you up in no time, at all!"

At that moment, he and Luffy spotted Past Chopper attempting to flee the room...only to freeze once their eyes locked again. Before long, the chase had resumed with Luffy and Past Sanji yelling "COME BACK HERE!".

"Oh, brother..." Nami muttered.

"...Pfft...!" Chopper buzzed his lips before he covered his mouth.

"Are you laughing at this?!" Blizzard asked in disbelief. "Chopper, they tried to eat you!"

"I know," Chopper began, "but...looking back, it's kinda funny, now...! Heeheeheehee...!"

Blizzard blinked in surprise at his sworn younger reindeer brother, but ultimately sighed and shook his head before he smiled.

"I guess it doesn't bother you anymore," the wolf-dog began, "then it doesn't bother me, either."

By now, Luffy and Past Sanji had caught up with Past Chopper again with the former about to chomp down on one of his antlers.

"Seriously, you two look like a pair of savage wolves," said Nami. "I'm especially surprised at you, Sanji! I thought you were the more refined one!"

"I couldn't help myself," Sanji said. "Anybody would probably go crazy if they went without food for so long and I wasn't thinking straight!"

"When do you ever think straight, Dartboard?" Zoro asked, which prompted Sanji to jump at him and for another fight to ensue (which Nami quickly broke up).

Meanwhile, as the memory continued, Past Chopper had decided that he had had more than enough of being treated like some sort of prey animal. He suddenly grew twice his normal size, his muscles grew out, and his hooves turned into human-like hands and feet. He then curled those hands into fists, which he then brought down hard upon the two Straw Hats' skulls.

"I AM NOT YOUR FOOD!" Past Chopper roared as Luffy and Past Sanji soon hit the floor, which cracked from the force, before everything went black again.

"I still can't believe you guys were going to try and eat Chopper!" Usopp said.

"Like I said, we were starving," Sanji said.

"Honestly," Chopper began, "I'm not even mad about that, anymore. I mean, it scared me, but I know you guys don't think of me like that, now."

"Of course we don't!" Brook added. "You're a valued member of this crew, and no one else will tell us otherwise! Yohohoho!"

"Yeah, Chopper, we love you!" Aika added as she hugged Chopper, who cried out in surprise but accepted the hug, nonetheless.

That's when the memory returned and showed Luffy, slamming his hands against a table while Kureha sat before him while Past Sanji sat next to him, putting out his cigarette.

"Join us!" Luffy shouted. "Please?! Come on, old lady, it'll be fun!"

That's when Kureha held up a finger.

"Luffy," she said. "That's your name, right, boy?"

"Uh...yeah," Luffy replied...only to be kicked in the back of his head and into a wall. "UGH!"

"NEXT TIME, WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!" Kureha shouted. "I'm still in my young 130s, you know!"

"Whoa!" Past Sanji exclaimed. "What a crazy strong old crone!"

"...Holy crap...!" Franky cursed.

"Suddenly, I'm quite frightened," Brook spoke up.

"She's scary...!" Aika and Kumi whimpered as they hugged each other.

"...Now I can kinda see why they call her witch," Blizzard muttered.

"I told you so," Chopper said while Robin chuckled.

"What a charming woman," she said.

"Me, becoming a pirate with you lot?!" Kureha asked. "Don't be ridiculous! I don't have time for such nonsense, and I definitely don't have any interest in being out at sea."

"Who cares if you're not interested?!" Luffy argued with his usual cheeky grin. "Just join us, already! Let's go on an adventure together, old lady!"

"I thought I told you to watch your mouth!" Kureha barked.

Out of the corner of his eye, Luffy spotted Past Chopper, who was trying to hide behind a doorway...except half his face was hidden while the rest of his body stuck out.

"...Oh!" Luffy exclaimed before Past Chopper gasped, and before long, the chase began again.

"HOLD IT! GET BACK HERE!" Luffy yelled.

"COME BACK HERE, YOU REINDEER STEW, YOU!" Past Sanji shouted as he chased after Past Chopper, as well, but not before he glanced back at Past Nami. "Nami! Don't fret, love! I'll be sure to make you some delicious reindeer stew to build up your strength!"

"I'll eat you both before you eat him!" yelled Kureha, who held two butcher's knives in her hands.

"HOLY CRAP!" Past Sanji cried. "IT'S THE OLD CRONE!"

"AND SHE'S GOT KNIVES!" Luffy screamed. "RUN FOR IT, SANJI!"

"...Now I'm very concerned on a number of levels..." Blizzard said with wide eyes.

"It's okay, Blizzard," Nami said as she pet the wolf-dog on the head. "She scared me and Sanji, too."

"Still does..." Sanji muttered with a fearful shudder.

After a while of running through the castle's snowy corridors, Luffy and Past Sanji eventually lost Kureha.

"Hey, Luffy," said Past Sanji. "Doesn't this place kind of strike you as odd? There's snow everywhere and freezing cold!"

"...GAH!" Luffy cried as he hugged himself. "Jeez, it's cold in here!"

"NOW YOU NOTICE?!" Past Sanji questioned before the two ended up looking up at a swirling staircase. "Just look at this place! It's filled with snow and ice and the doors to all the unused rooms have been completely frozen over!"

"That is strange," said Franky. "Why would you guys let all the snow in?"

"Well...there's a reason for that," Chopper said.

Just then, Kureha appeared out of nowhere with an assortment of weapons strapped to her back, like axes, maces, swords, and other sharp objects, which she proceeded to chase down Luffy and Past Sanji with. She even threw a chicken, for some reason.

"COME BACK HERE, JUST A MOMENT BOYS!" Kureha yelled.

"What kind of a doctor goes around, chasing her patients with knives and stuff?!" asked Franky.

"Well, at least she's lively for her age," Robin mused.

"Of course you would find her interesting, Robin!" Usopp shouted while Luffy barely managed to dodge an ax that was thrown at his head.

"AAH!" Aika shrieked, but thankfully, she didn't faint this time.

"Luffy! It's useless trying to recruit her!" Past Sanji yelled. "She wants to kill us both!"

After a while, they managed to lose her again, and that's when they found that the main entrance to the castle was open. They attempted to close it, but they were stopped when they heard Past Chopper yelling.

"STOP!" he shouted. "Don't you dare close that door!"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered. "Hey! It's that reindeer, again!"

"Ignore him!" Past Sanji said as he shivered. "Close the damn door, already! I'm freezin' my ass off!"

"I said...DON'T CLOSE THE DOOR!" Past Chopper yelled as he turned into his Heavy Point form and busted off a piece of the railing, which nearly hit Luffy had he not dodged in time.

"Whoa, what the hell!?" Luffy questioned. "What'd he do that for?!"

"...Hey, Luffy," Past Sanji said as he looked up at the door. "Come here. Look at this."

"Huh?" Luffy muttered as he went over to looked up, too, and found a nest full of baby birds. "Oh! Little baby snowbirds!"

"Aww! They're so cute!" Aika exclaimed.

"If we closed the door, they would fall off," said Past Sanji.

"So that's why the door stayed open," Luffy said.

"If those were babies," Usopp began, "where were their parents?"

"...They got eaten by a fox," Chopper said, sadly. "I found the nest, but it was covered in blood and feathers, and the baby birds were still in their eggs. I brought them inside to keep them safe."

"That's very kind of you, Chopper," said Blizzard. "It's kindness like that that makes us proud of you."

"Sh-shut up!" Chopper exclaimed with a blush on his face. "Saying stuff like that won't make me happy, y'know!"

"...Brrrr~!" Luffy shivered as he and Past Sanji headed back inside. "It's too cold out there!"

"Yeah, tell me about it!" Past Sanji cried, but then they stopped in their tracks.

"Hey, hold up a sec," Luffy said. "Did that thing just...talk?"

"Yeah...and it was standing on two legs, too," Past Sanji said.

"...A MONSTER?!" the duo questioned in shock.

"Don't you think that was a bit harsh?" Zoro asked.

"Yeah," Chopper said. "I'll admit...I heard you guys screaming and...that did hurt my feelings a bit."

"Sorry about that, Chopper," Sanji said, "but that was before we got to know you!"

"I know," Chopper smiled. "And besides...it doesn't really bother me, anymore! I'm proud to be called a monster!"

"Well, as far as we know, you're the cutest monster we've ever seen," Kumi added.

"Yeah!" Aika chimed in, which caused Chopper to blush.

"So lemme get this straight," Luffy said. "It looked like a reindeer, but it walks on two legs instead of four?!"

"And it was little at first," Past Sanji started, "but then he can turn huge and scary!"

A pause...until a huge grin appeared on Luffy's face.

"That's...pretty cool, right?!" he asked. "Hey, Sanji...let's have him join our crew!"

And on that, the memory faded to black, once more.

"Let me get this straight," Brook said. "Luffy only wanted you to join because he thought you were interesting and not because you were a doctor?"

"He didn't know I was a doctor, at first," Chopper answered. "He only wanted me because I could do different transformations...but...I don't think it's just that, anymore."

"How so?" asked Franky.

"I think Luffy really liked me," Chopper began, "because I think he understood me more than anyone else...he knows what it's like to be called a monster...and not have any friends."

"Oh, right," Nami realized. "When he wanted to play with those older kids."

"It hurts when people don't want to be friends with you because they don't understand you," Chopper said. "I thought Luffy was just making fun of me, at first...but now that I'm seeing his memories, I realize he was just sympathizing with me because we're so alike..." He then closed his eyes. "We're both...monsters."

"Indeed," Robin smiled, "and monsters should stick together, shouldn't they?"

"Heheheheh!" Chopper giggled.

Soon, the memory returned, and this time, it showed Luffy chasing Past Chopper around the castle hallways, asking him to join his crew, but the little reindeer continued to refuse. Even though there was a moment in a food storage room when it seemed that Past Chopper was interested when Luffy began to tell him about all the adventures he had, he still ran away from him. There was also a time when tried to lock the boy in a room to keep him from following him and "pestering him", as well as get him to rest since he was still hurt. Of course, Luffy, ever so sneaky, used his rubbery powers to snatch the key out of the little reindeer's hooves.

"Chopper, how come you didn't wanna join Big Brother?" Aika asked.

"Well...back then, I was still wary of humans," Chopper said. "I mean...I didn't show it, but I was surprised and a little happy when he asked me to join him. It was just hard for me because I've been betrayed by humans, before."

"Oh, Chopper," Robin said, sadly.

"Just like me..." Blizzard added.

As the memory continued and Luffy continued pursuing Past Chopper, the reindeer suddenly stopped in his tracks, which caused Luffy to slip and crash into a wall. Of course, Past Chopper didn't seem to pay him any attention as his nose twitched...and not long after, a scowl soon formed on his muzzle.

"That scent...!" he hissed. "Wapol...!"

"You could smell him from where you were?" Brook asked. "That is quite impressive!"

"At first, I didn't wanna believe my own nose," Chopper said, "but I knew it was him, that bastard...and I wasn't going to let him take back the kingdom he abandoned without a fight! I swore that I would avenge Dr. Hiriluk, right then and there!"

"Damn," Franky said. "You sure got balls, Chopper!"

"Yeah, Chopper, you sure were brave!" Kumi added.

"Really, brave!" Aika spoke up.

"...Thanks," Chopper smiled.

Soon, the memory shifted, and it showed Past Chopper standing outside the castle with Kureha at his side in a bitter face-off against Wapol, Chess, and Kuromarimo.

"This castle is no longer yours, Wapol!" Kureha shouted. "It saw enough corruption and misery during your reign! Now leave and don't you ever come back, you got that?! And not just this castle! The entire country! The Drum Kingdom is no more!"

"She's a brave old biddy, isn't she?" Zoro asked.

"That's Doctorine for you," Chopper said, proudly.

"So, wait," Aika said. "He's not really the king, anymore, even though he came back? I don't understand."

"Wapol chose to abandon his nation," Chopper said. "It was for the best. Regardless, he would've brought it to ruin if he stayed or not."

"HEY, WAIT!"

Past Chopper and Kureha turned to see Luffy come running out of the castle with a familiar look of fierceness in his eyes...the same kind of fierceness he had when he looked like he was about to kick ass.

"This guy is mine!" Luffy shouted as he made a beeline right for Wapol, who was so shocked by his sudden appearance that he was able to dodge his Gum-Gum Bullet, which sent him flying into the air!

"Yeah! Way to go, Big Brother!" Aika cheered.

"That'll show his fat ass!" Usopp added.

"Usopp!" Nami shouted. "Language!"

"Sorry," Usopp apologized.

"I can't people that the locals were afraid that fat blob of tin," said Zoro.

"Wait, look!" Franky called as he pointed at the memory, where they saw that Chess and Kuromarimo had managed to grab Wapol by his legs, causing him to dangle at the mountain's edge before he got pulled up, while all the while Past Chopper and Kureha gaped in disbelief at what they had just seen. That's when Past Sanji came outside, wearing his coat.

"Huh?" he muttered. "Those bastards again? What are they doing here?"

"You guys are a real pain in the ass, you know that?!" Luffy asked. "You kept bothering us, even before we got to the island! What is up with you jerks, anyway?!" He then put his hand on his right arm. "The last time, I couldn't fight you guys because I had to protect my friends...but now..." He then gave this impish grin. "I don't gotta hold back, anymore!"

"That's right!" Brook exclaimed. "Now that's he not carrying around Miss Nami and Mister Sanji, anymore, he can fight as freely as he wants!"

"Now we're sure to be in for a show," Zoro smirked.

"Yeah...too bad I couldn't do much," Sanji said.

"Yeah, because you wouldn't rest!" Chopper added. "Seriously, Sanji, you can be a headache, too, sometimes!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Sanji apologized.

"How dare you!" Kuromarimo yelled. "Don't you have any idea what you've done?! This isn't just some lowly commoner, you know! This is the King of Drum Island!"

"That's right!" Chess shouted. "Wapol is the exalted ruler of this land! You will pay for your insolence!"

"What a bunch of kiss-ups," Franky muttered. "I can't stand people like them."

"You're telling me," said Zoro.

"Ditto," said Blizzard.

"Who gives a damn?!" Luffy questioned as he stretched his cheeks and stuck his tongue out through his teeth. "You guys piss me off!"

"Damn right, they do!" Usopp said.

"You know them, boy?" Kureha asked although it looked like she already knew the answer.

"Yeah, these guys are a bunch of annoying pirates!" Luffy replied as he pointed at Wapol and his minions. "They keep getting in my way, and the fat guy even tried to eat our ship! But I'll fix him, soon enough!"

"Never mind that crap," Past Sanji said. "Aren't you cold?"

"Huh?" Luffy muttered as it seemed he was just now realizing it.

"See?" Past Sanji asked.

"...Wait," Luffy said before he gawked at Wapol. "THAT GUY'S A KING?! I THOUGHT THEY WERE PIRATES!"

"IT TOOK YOU THAT LONG TO NOTICE?!" Past Sanji questioned.

"...Wait a minute! It's freezing cold, out here!" Luffy cried as he hugged himself.

"YOU JUST REALIZED THAT, TOO?!" Past Sanji asked. "ARE YOU REALLY THAT STUPID?!"

"Yeah, it's 50 below zero out here!" Past Chopper added while Chess and Kuromarimo were rambling on about something, but were ultimately ignored.

"How come whenever you guys fight, sometimes you ignore the people you're fighting?" Aika asked.

"Eh," Sanji shrugged. "Probably to the lighten the mood and whatnot."

Soon, Luffy ran back inside the castle to find himself a coat to wear, and he just so happened to stumble into the room where Past Nami was resting.

"Hey, Luffy, what's going on?" she asked as she sat up from her bed.

"I'm looking for my coat," Luffy said. "Have you seen it?"

"I don't mean the weather," Past Nami replied. "What's all the noise out there?"

"Oh, nothing much," Luffy said as he rummaged around the room. "Just a fight, that's all."

"Oh," Past Nami answered. "Is it serious? Do you need any help?"

"Nah, you stay in bed," Luffy said. "I don't want you to pushing yourself."

"Aww, that's sweet," Past Nami said. "I don't know what happened to your coat, but you can borrow mine if you want."

"Nah, it's not cool," Luffy answered.

"Maybe not, but it's better than yours," Past Nami said.

"You think so?" Luffy asked. "Well...okay! As long as it's warm, I guess."

He then grabbed her coat and put it on before he headed back outside.

"All right, now I can finally clobber those jerks!" he exclaimed. "Thanks, Nami!"

"Aww, Big Sis, that was so sweet of you," Aika smiled.

"Yeah...too bad I'm gonna feel pretty rotten later on," Nami muttered.

"What do you mean?" asked Usopp.

"Well," Nami began, "you know what? You'll see later on."

"Jeez, that always seems to be the case with these memories," Usopp said.

Soon, Luffy made it back outside, only to find Past Sanji standing completely stiff and Past Chopper's feet sticking out of Wapol's mouth.

"AAH!" Aika shrieked. "CHOPPER'S BEING EATEN!"

"...You know," Chopper began, "I still have nightmares about that."

"Poor thing," Robin said.

"Yeah, I remember when Luffy almost ate you at a party, once," said Blizzard.

"My goodness, Sanji, why are you just standing there?" Brook asked.

"Well, my back was already injured," said Sanji. "I just made it worse by fighting with those punks."

"You should have lied down and rested, Sanji!" Chopper said. "Your spine was in terrible shape!"

"I know, I know," Sanji said.

"Well, this coat may be girly," Luffy began, "but at least I'm warm, now!"

"Luffy, quick!" Past Sanji called. "Grab my leg!"

"Your leg?" Luffy asked. "Uh...okay!" He then stretched his arms and grabbed Past Sanji's calf. "Like this?!"

"That's it!" Past Sanji answered. "Now don't let go, got that?!" He then turned and glared at Wapol. "Armée de l'Air Assault...GUM SHOOT!"

Soon, he sent Luffy flying straight at Wapol, who ended up coughing Past Chopper up as he was struck in the stomach, and while the false king didn't go flying, his White Walkie certainly did.

"Yes! You got him!" Aika cheered.

"So that's where that attack name comes from!" Brook added.

"Not bad, bro!" Franky exclaimed. "Even if your back was stiff!"

"Hmph," Zoro scoffed. "You could've sent him flying further."

"Shut up, Moss-head!" Sanji barked. "If my back wasn't killing me, back then, I would have!"

"All right, enough!" Nami shouted. "Jeez, you two are giving me a headache!"

"Wow...!" Past Chopper whispered as he looked up at Luffy and Past Sanji. "That was amazing! You two saved me!"

"Whoa, Big Mouth is still alive!" Luffy exclaimed. "But his hippo's flying to the moon!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Past Sanji spat as he poked Luffy in the forehead. "What do you think you're doing in Nami's coat, Luffy?! Take it off, right now!"

"No way, it's warm!" Luffy argued.

"I said take it off!" Past Sanji demanded.

"No! Screw you!" Luffy said while blowing a raspberry at him.

"Really, Sanji?" asked Nami, incredulously.

"I thought he would ruin it," Sanji said, sheepishly.

"Seriously, you are such an ass," Zoro said.

"As if I need to hear that from you!" Sanji yelled.

By now, Chess and Kuromarimo were panicking, realizing just how strong Luffy and Past Sanji really were and that the whole time, they had clearly underestimated them. However, Wapol refused to back down. In fact, by now, the Straw Hats could see by the look in his eyes that was he was beyond furious.

"That does it," Wapol hissed as he stood up. "Time to unleash...the Munch-Munch Factory!"

"The Munch-Munch what-now?" Aika asked.

"It's Wapol's Devil Fruit power," Chopper said. "The Munch-Munch Fruit allows Wapol to enlarge his mouth so he can eat anything, and then assimilate a part of his body into the object he's eaten."

"So that explains how he was able to eat the Merry, right?" Kumi asked.

"And I thought I had bad chewing habits," said Blizzard.

"Jeez, he can still get up after all that?" Past Sanji asked.

"He really is strong, huh?" Luffy asked.

"Not strong," said Blizzard. "He's just persistent."

"Mm," Chopper nodded. "He really is."

"Chess!" shouted Wapol. "Tell these fools what I ate for breakfast this morning!"

"Yes, my liege!" Chess answered as he opened up a small book. "Let' see...for breakfast on the ship, you ate one buttered cannon, one raw cannon, a bomb, and an explosive salad, followed by a grilled house in the village."

"And you say that I eat a lot, Sanji," said Luffy.

"You do," Past Sanji answered, "but this guy eats way more than you."

"Who eats a house, anyway?" Aika asked.

"Yeah, ick," Kumi stuck out her tongue.

"I wonder how that guy even goes to the bathroom," said Usopp.

"Oh, god, don't put THAT image in our heads!" Nami cried in disgust.

"Now you idiots will tremble before the awesome might of my Munch-Munch Fruit powers after I've had a meal!"

"He's up to something," said Past Chopper while Wapol slowly began to transform.

"The things I eat eventually become a part of my body!" Wapol exclaimed. "Munch-Munch Mutation: WAPOL HOUSE!" Soon, it looked like he had taken on the form of a giant house with a chimney sticking out of the top of his head, a door on his stomach, and cannons for arms.

"What the-?!" Past Sanji questioned. "A house?!"

"Whoa!" Luffy exclaimed.

"Of course he would find that amazing," Usopp muttered in annoyance.

"You haven't seen anything yet, boy!" Wapol declared. "Behold, the Royal Power! MUNCH-MUNCH FACTORY!"

Then, CHOMP! He swallowed both Chess and Kuromarimo whole!

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Aika and Kumi screamed in horror.

"Good heavens!" Brook cried.

"He's...eating them?!" Franky questioned in disbelief.

"He's eating his own men?!" Past Sanji asked.

"That's so mean!" Luffy cried.

Soon, after Wapol did a bit of shuffling about and steam came out of his head chimney and arm cannons, something emerged from the door on his belly: the so-called "Ultimate Warrior of Drum Kingdom, Chessmarimo"...which was really just Chess and Kuromarimo, sitting on each other's shoulders.

"...That was lame," Aika pouted.

"What a waste of a good power," Robin noted.

"SWEET~!" Luffy exclaimed.

"NO, IT'S NOT, YOU IDIOT!" Past Sanji yelled.

"I wouldn't be underestimating them, if I were you," Kureha warned. "If they really were a bunch of weaklings, the citizens of this kingdom would have risen up and stopped them from taking all the doctors in this land, a long time ago."

"The first article of Drum Kingdom's constitution states," Wapol began,"'those who defy the king's wishes must be put to death'! This is the foremost law of this land! This is my kingdom and this is my castle!" He then pointed his cannon at the flag that was flying at the top of the castle. "Now take that stupid quack doctor's flag off my castle, right now! It ruins the whole look!"

"Wait! NO!" Past Chopper cried before Wapol fired...causing the flag to fall off.

"...A...pirate flag...?" Luffy whispered.

"...Hey, Chopper," said Aika. "Whose flag is that?"

"...It belonged to my Father," said Chopper, causing the Straw Hats to look. "He raised it...as a way of defying all the diseases in the world. That's how I learned about pirates in the first place."

"I see, now," said Blizzard. "That flag alone inspired you to try and become both a doctor and a pirate, right?"

"Yeah," Chopper smiled, warmly while his past self glared at Wapol.

"How dare you!" he shouted. "What have you done to Dr. Hiriluk's flag?!" On that, he charged at Wapol, ducking underneath Chessmarimo before he shifted into his Heavy Point. "THE DOCTOR EVEN TRIED TO SAVE YOU!" He then grabbed Wapol by the face and reeled his fist back. "...I...I won't hurt you...but you have to leave this country for good!"

"Chopper, what are you doing?!" Kureha questioned. "He can't be reasoned with!"

While Past Chopper was distracted...Wapol shot him with his cannons, causing him to fall down to the ground.

"Chopper," said Blizzard, "you knew you couldn't trust him to do that...right?"

"I know," said Chopper, sadly. "It's just...I couldn't bring myself to do it. Even though I hated him so much...I could only think about what Dr. Hiriluk what have done."

"Oh, Chopper," said Aika.

During that time, though...Luffy was up at the top of the castle, having torn off the right sleeve of Past Nami's coat and tied the flag back on the pole.

"Hey, Big Mouth!" he called down to Wapol, causing him to look up at him. "You guys are nothing but a bunch of fakers! You only pretended to be pirates, but you're not even willing to risk your lives! You don't even know the real meaning of this flag!"

"The...real meaning?" Aika repeated.

"Watch this, Aika," Chopper smiled. "You're gonna learn something, here!"

"...O-okay," Aika answered.

"The meaning of the flag, huh?!" Wapol asked. "MAHAHAHAHA! Don't be ridiculous! There's no meaning behind raising a stupid piece of cloth!"

"That only shows how little you know!" Luffy shouted. "This flag...isn't something you should raise as a joke!"

"You idiot!" Wapol shouted. "I'm the king! The only joke I've made today is letting you live for so long after you defied me! Now stop raising that damn eyesore!" He then aimed his left arm cannon at Luffy. "I told you before, this is my kingdom! I'll keep shooting down that useless rag until it's nothing but smithereens!"

He soon fired again, but Luffy remained firm, even while Past Chopper shouted at him to dodge.

"As if you could break this," Luffy said. "The skull and crossbones...IS A SYMBOL OF FAITH!"

Soon, the cannonball hit, and Wapol laughed mockingly, thinking he had won...but to his shock, both Luffy and the flag remained completely intact.

"See?" Luffy asked. "I told you...YOU CAN'T BREAK IT!"

"What?!" Chessmarimo questioned. "This is impossible! He's still alive?!"

"...I don't know who raised this flag," Luffy began, "but I do know this! This flag is a promise of life...so it should never be taken lightly!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

Next time on One Piece: The Fire Within!

Luffy: Hey, Reindeer Guy! I'm gonna kick this guy's ass, now! So...what are you gonna do?

Past Chopper: *glares at Chessmarimo* This one's mine.

Past Nami: Luffy...do you wanna tell me what happened to my coat before I murder you?

Luffy: GAH!

*Later that night*

Past Chopper: Look...I'm grateful for what you've done for me...but I can't be a pirate with you guys! I'm not a human!

Luffy: SHUT UP! LET'S GO!

Chopper: *smiles* That will always be...the best night of my life...the night I realized...scars can heal.

Next time: Healing

Well, I finally updated this one. The real action starts next chapter!

Review, please!