Ducking in time to avoid a snowball, Wendy proceeded to watch the children have a snowball fight with Luffy and Natsu. Seeing them smile happily, she couldn't help but say.
"They look happy."
"And on top of that, it doesn't look like they're weak from any illness at all." Sanji (Chopper) remarked, joining her. "Maybe their treatment was coming to an end."
"Better be careful." Juvia (Carla) retorted. "The condition of one of them could very well deteriorate at any moment! It wouldn't be surprising given the cold weather."
"You're right." Sanji (Chopper) assured. "I will examine them."
"Are you a doctor?"
"Yes! I may be just a reindeer, but I'm still the crew doctor! It's my duty to help any sick person I come across."
Thinking exactly like him, Wendy questioned him.
" Do you want me to help you ? "
"Hum? Yes, of course! To be able to determine if they are okay or not, I need a sample of their sweat! Could you get me that?"
" No problem. "
"OUIN ! Grey-sama left without telling Juvia." Gray (Juvia) cried.
" He announced he was leaving with the others, idiot. " Gajeel retorted, trying in vain to bite into a frozen pipe. "Nevertheless, you were so busy hugging your own body that you heard nothing."
"It's not Juvia's fault! Juvia is so happy to be in Grey-sama's body that she loses her mind."
Then, looking grim, she said.
"But no one will touch Grey-sama's body from now on, until he gets it back! Juvia will protect it and kill anyone who tries to get near it."
"Do you know that sometimes you really scare me?"
Watching outside through a pair of binoculars, Usopp stood on one of the remains of a reactor and stood guard, while his head poked out through a hole in the roof.
"Okay! Nothing to report! For now, we can rest easy."
Chuckling then somewhat, he affirmed.
"HAHAHAHA! But what am I afraid of? It's not as if an enemy would dare to directly attack the man that I am! Trafalgar must surely prefer to stay beside his master instead of coming to here. "
"Are you strong enough to protect us?"
Screaming in fear, Usopp almost slipped from his perch and caught himself in time, clinging to a pipe, so as not to fall ten meters lower.
"Hey, are you crazy?" He roared, seeing Lucy, right behind him. " I almost had a heart attack. "
"Excuse me! I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."
"Huh…right now, there's no enemy in sight." He asserted, returning to his seat. "Which is a good thing! With all these children here, it's not at all preferable for an assault to be launched."
"And with the others having fun, it seems like none of them really care what might happen to us." Lucy sighed, spotting Natsu making the Human Torch, to impress the kids.
" You know, you should never trust appearances. " Usopp assured him, seeing his captain inflate his body to the maximum to look like a huge balloon. "Luffy may not look like it but, in case of trouble, he will always be there to protect his companions."
Hearing this, Lucy eventually confesses.
"You don't look like pirates."
" Huh ? "
"Yes! The more I watch you, the more I get the impression that your crew looks a bit like our own guild! You don't seem to want to hurt people! On the contrary, you came to the aid of these children and you and this samurai have decided to help us too, instead of wanting to rob us! I don't see why the Navy sees you as criminals."
"Don't believe it, but Luffy is the specialist when it comes to getting into trouble! To tell the truth, the Navy has, at least, a good ten reasons to want to capture him, and us with, for execute us."
Nevertheless, continuing to smile, he affirmed.
"However, I have no regrets having him as captain and going to sea with him! He represents a bit of the man I would like to be and has the courage and the strength that I have always wanted to possess! Yes! Thanks to him, I can now follow in my father's footsteps and become a great warrior."
Hearing this, Lucy chuckled a little, before declaring.
"It's funny! I find that we have a lot of similarities in common! Having an idiot in our entourage and making sure to watch him all the time so that he stops making mistakes! And yet, we don't can only respect his strength and tenacity in the face of the enemy."
"Yes! On the other hand,…"
The two comrades began to heave discouraged sighs, while affirming.
"It would be perfect if we weren't putting our lives on the line so much."
"Since I've known Natsu, I feel like death has become pervasive around me."
" Same thing. "
A cry of pain was suddenly heard.
"Huh?" The duo wondered.
"Synd, what's wrong?" a child wanted to know, seeing the giant cry out in pain.
"My head! I have a headache."
Mocha then fell to her knees on the ground, while also feeling pain.
"AHHHHHH! I…I can't breathe."
" Mocha ! " Shouted Franky ( Nami ).
Imitating them one by one, each of the giants rolled on the ground and cried out in pain, under the astonished gaze of pirates and mages.
"Hey, what's going on?" Gajeel wanted to know. "Why are these kids behaving like this?"
"Looks like something hit each of the giants." Lily remarked.
"It must be their disease." Usopp realized, stepping down from his perch with Lucy.
"Impossible!" retorted Juvia (Carla). "They shouldn't be feeling the ill effects at the same time."
Catching a child who was about to fall at his feet in time, Gray (Juvia) asserted.
"The little ones also fall."
"Chopper, do something." Franky (Nami) ordered him.
Seeing him stand still, staring at a vial, the interior of which showed a color-changing liquid, Wendy positioned herself in front of a little girl and began to use her magic to heal her. However, having first used a spell that would allow her to regain her vitality, she soon noticed that this had no effect.
"What? But what's wrong with them?"
"Chopper, what do they have?" Franky (Nami) questioned him.
"It has nothing to do with an illness," the team doctor affirmed.
"Huh?" the others wondered, looking at him.
"Candy!" Synd shouted suddenly. "I want a candy."
"Candy?" Natsu wondered, approaching him. "Do you want a…?"
Grabbing him suddenly, Synd lifted him off the ground, roaring. "
"GIVE ME A CANDY!"
"Hey, get off me."
Contracting his muscles, he finally loosened the pressure enough to free himself and fell to the ground facing the giant.
" What is wrong with you ? "
"CANDY!" Suddenly shouted another giant.
"I want a candy."
"Give me a candy."
"What's wrong with them?" Lucy wanted to know. "Why do they want candy?"
"Hey, can you hear me?" Chopper wanted to know, approaching one of the normal sized children. "Do you want something?"
"A…candy! I want the master's candy! They always give it to us after we get checked! And when I eat it, I always feel a lot better."
"Me too, I want a candy! When I've eaten one...I'll be fine."
"Yes, I want the candy that makes smoke! The master's candy."
"Hey, blond-guy." Natsu said, looking at Sanji (Chopper). "What are these candies they're talking about? Are these the drugs we give them?"
Ignoring her question, Sanji (Chopper) turned to Brownbeard before screaming. "
"What does that mean? Tell us what you know."
"Huh? What are you talking about?"
"These kids aren't sick! Tell me what's going on inside the lab."
"I don't understand what you're saying! Anyway, I work outside, so I don't really know what's going on in the lab! But these children are suffering from an incurable and highly contagious disease. "
"Don't laugh at me! What did your master do to them?"
"Hey, Chopper, what do you mean?" Luffy questioned.
"What did Caesar do to them?" Juvia (Carla) asked him.
"Caesar-sama only healed them." Brownbeard then roared. "His generosity is such that he himself offered to take them here so that they could all benefit from treatment! But now that you have taken them away from the laboratory, their disease has taken over and it is for this they writhe in pain."
"You're lying." Sanji (Chopper) retorted.
"Chopper, are you going to tell us what's going on?"
"CANDY! CANDY! CANDY!" The children repeated, while hitting the ground.
"They're starting to get violent." Happy remarked, taking refuge on Natsu's shoulder.
"Can't calm them down."
"NHC10!" Chopper announced. "That's what I detected inside the organism of these children."
"NH what?" Gajeel asked. "Looks like a chemical element."
"It's a chemical element! More precisely, it's a drug."
"Of…drugs?" Lucy repeated. "Wait, this doctor uses drugs like medicine?"
"NHC10 is used the same way as morphine." Chopper explained. "In case of violent pain, it allows patients to feel nothing! Nevertheless, it must be used in very small quantities, otherwise you will be addicted."
"A…Wait!" Chopper (Franky) stammered looking at the kids. "Don't tell me these kids are all…?"
"It is! What they ingested, inside these so-called 'candies', was enough to get them addicted to this drug."
"But… But why drug them?" Usopp wanted to know.
"To keep them from leaving the island." Robin understood.
"Right!" Lily chimed in. "These are young children brought here almost against their will! What they want is to see their parents again! And to prevent them from finding any way to leave the island, he drugs them to force them to stay. "
"Hey, what's this all about?" Natsu suddenly roared, advancing in turn towards Brownbeard. "Damn it, I thought your master was in charge of caring for those kids! What's that bastard up to?"
"Insult Caesar-sama again and you'll regret it." Brownbeard roared.
Seeing Synd then start banging the air all over the place, Chopper (Franky) asked.
"Hey, what do we do now, with them?"
"Should we give them more sweets?" Luffy asked.
" Especially not. " The doctor retorted. "The situation will become worse for them if they take more."
"Can...Candy!" Synd said. " I want one … "
Suddenly, placing her hands on her body, Wendy began to use a new healing spell.
"Very well! Now that I know what they are suffering from, I will take care of them."
Seeing her hands light up, Franky (Nami) wanted to know.
"What is she doing?"
"Let her." Juvia (Carla) advised her. "Wendy is also able to cure illnesses, as well as poisonings! She can even remove drugs or poison from an organism."
Making, in effect, the harmful matter disappear from Synd's body, Wendy ends up removing her hands, before affirming.
"It's over! The drug has completely…"
"CANDY!" Synd yelled, spinning around to hit her.
Stretching his arm in time, Luffy grabbed Wendy, pulling her away from the giant, before he could strike her.
"That was right." remarked the pirate, seeing the child hitting the ground hard.
"But what…?" Wendy wondered. "I removed all the drugs from his body though."
"Drugs don't act like poison." Chopper retorted. "Even if their body no longer has it, their brains have already felt the 'benefits' that this drug provides! It is he who asks for it again and it is impossible to make him forget it. "
"No, I want candy." Mocha suddenly sobbed.
Looking at the pirates and mages in front of her, she began to plead.
"Please...give me a candy."
"Mocha, no." Franky (Nami) retorted. "You don't have to eat more sweets."
"Why?" Mocha wanted to know. "You said you would take care of us."
Seeing her suddenly put on a hateful face in their direction, each of the adults could only be surprised as she roared. "
"You're just liars."
"Give us some candy." The other giants roared, standing up, before walking towards them.
"We want candy!"
"Hey, calm down right now." Gajeel ordered them, approaching one of the giants.
A heavy punch hit him hard, knocking him into one of the frozen pipes.
"Gajeel?" Lily wondered.
"Where does this strength come from?" Robin wanted to know.
"Juvia is dreaming or did he just knock out Gajeel in one hit?" Gray frightened (Juvia).
Not having finished, Synd and the other giants grabbed large pipes and began to roar while raising them above their heads. Then they threw them at the adults.
" AHHHHHHH ! HELP ! " Screamed Usopp.
" FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR ! "
" GUM GUM GATLING ! "
Destroying each of the pipes, Luffy and Natsu landed in front of the giants before ordering.
"It's not funny! Stop it right now."
"Tsss! The fact that they are giants is not going to benefit us." Remarked Chopper (Franky).
"They… They're not… real giants." A child suddenly asserted, close to them.
"What?" Said the adults around her.
Still conscious, despite being the victim of a violent migraine, which prevented her from getting back on her feet, the young girl explained.
"Yes…when we came here…we were all the same height…that of a normal child! The teacher told us that…it was our illness that was transforming our bodies."
"Is it possible?" Happy wanted to know. "There is a disease that can change the height of humans?"
"No!" Sanji (Chopper) retorted. " It's impossible. "
Clenching his fists, he declared.
"A lab on such a remote island... Armed people as guards... Drugs hidden in candy... No doubt about it! These children are actually test subjects."
"CANDY!" One of them shouted, throwing a huge pipe in his direction.
" GIANT HAND! "
Grabbing his arms, two huge hands prevented him from moving. However, he was quickly replaced by other children who surrounded the small group.
"Hey, what are we doing?" Grey (Juvia) wanted to know.
" We have to knock them out quickly before we end up crushed. " Gajeel assured, while getting up, with a wound on his forehead.
"Don't pick on them." Franky (Nami) ordered him. "These children are innocent."
"Maybe, but it's better to knock them out than get them killed! Either way, we won't be able to handle them if they continue this way."
" HISSATSU BAKUTSUBOSHI! "
Exploding then three marbles fired by Usopp released a blue cloud that surrounded the children.
"Long nose?" Lily wondered. "What's your thing?"
"A soporific powder! Let's hope it's strong enough to put them to sleep."
A few moments later, the sounds of bodies falling to the ground were heard, then that of some snoring. Finally, when the cloud cleared, each of the adults saw all of the children sleeping peacefully.
"Saved!" Lucy gloated, dropping onto her buttocks. "I admit I didn't know what to do."
Flaming, meanwhile, his fist, Natsu roared. "
"We kidnapped these children...to turn them into lab rats? Who's the bastard who dared to do that?"
"Chopper, is there any way we can help them?" Wendy questioned. "An antidote? A cure?"
Gritting his teeth, as he crouched down next to a child's body, Sanji (Chopper) asserted.
"These children are going through a terrible ordeal! Whatever happens, their bodies will never be able to be the same again! They may even die from the stress of not having taken another dose of drugs. "
"They were there thinking they were cured." Juvia (Carla) remarked. "They only want to see their parents again! And yet, as soon as they set foot here, the master of this island knew full well that he would never let them go again."
" In that case, we'll take them with us. " Natsu assured. "We're not going to leave any on this island."
"Natsu, that's impossible." Happy retorted. "I understand how you feel, but what are we going to do with them? As soon as they wake up, they'll just beg for another dose of drugs and destroy them all until they're dead tired!" We can't even take them anywhere."
"I would never abandon them." Affirmed then Franky (Nami). "Luffy, we have to help them."
"I'm not saying no." Luffy assured. "But the blue cat is right all the same! I don't think seeing their parents again will be enough for children to forget their craving for drugs."
"Luffy is right." Chopper (Franky) chimed in. "Firstly, we cannot accommodate them on the boat! Secondly, I am convinced that it will be impossible for us to find an island where to take them before they wake up! Thirdly, without any remedy, it is impossible for us to stop them from slaughtering all of us! When you think about it, the chances of getting them off the island and into the nearest hospital are next to none! Not to mention the fact that Kaido may very well be involved in any that. "
"Why would he be interested in children?" Asked Gray (Juvia).
" No, what he might want are giants. " Retorted Gajeel. "A group of giants would constitute an armed power."
"Then we need to figure out exactly what's going on on this island," Lily remarked. "Let's go to Caesar to find out what he knows."
" I agree. " Luffy affirmed. "Afterwards, we will decide what we will do."
"Decide what?" Natsu questioned. "This guy is a piece of shit, and you don't even have to hear him speak to know that! From the start, we knew there was something wrong with this island! But this is beyond anything. than one could imagine."
"He's right." Lucy agreed. "There can no longer be any doubt that this master is the opposite of a good Samaritan! He is working on dangerous experiments for who knows who! I know enough about human nature to know that he will lead us into ship at the earliest opportunity."
"But we're bound to see him nonetheless." Robin remarked. "If he's a great researcher, maybe he knows how to cure these children."
"In that case, it's best to split us into two groups." Lily decided. "One group to go find Caesar and another to watch those kids! I don't know how long their little nap will last but it's better that someone is there when they wake up."
"The problem is, even though we're here, something has to be done to stop them from wreaking havoc when they wake up." Luffy remarked. "Otherwise they will all break."
"For that, let my SUPER abilities take over." Chopper (Franky) assured. "I will stop them from moving."
"It's done." Chopper (Franky) assured, once he was done chaining the last giant.
"I feel bad for them." Franky (Nami) confessed, seeing them chained up like prisoners.
" Tsss! We have no choice. " Retorted Gajeel. "It's surely not a little nap that will bring them to their senses."
"Anyway, I hope Caesar can provide us with a solution to cure them." Wendy confessed.
"Me, what I would like above all is to be able to find my body again." Affirmed Juvia (Carla). "How much longer is this joke going to last?"
"I don't think we'll be able to find our respective bodies ourselves without the help of Trafalgar." Chopper (Franky) suggested, sliding down on the body of a giant to join the others. "No choice, we are forced to see him again."
"No way I'm meeting him again." Lucy retorted. "This guy gives me chills."
"Juvia is so happy that she doesn't want to change her body again." Gray affirmed (Juvia).
" Me, I like your new personalities. " Luffy sneered.
" No way. "
"Hey, samurai, where are you?" Brook wanted to know.
"Tsss! Because of that damn snowstorm, we can't see any footprints." Zoro growled, as he shielded his face from the freezing winds.
"And you can't see it from the sky." Carla (Grey) remarked, as the exceed flopped onto Brook's afro. "Not to mention that I can't go any higher because of the wind."
"Stay alert." Erza advised. "With this snow, we can pass by him without realizing it."
However, she skidded at that moment, on a patch of ice and began to fall backwards.
" Warning, Erza-sama. " Nami (Sanji) cried, immediately rushing towards her.
However, slippery too, he collapsed on the snow, while Zoro managed to grab hold of Erza's arm before she did the same.
"Hey, don't give advice if you're not careful on your end."
Rising to her feet, while blushing slightly in shame, Erza retorted.
"It was just a moment of inattention on my part! Nevertheless, thank you for your help, Zoko."
"I'm Zoro." The man growled.
"Zoro, motherfucker." Nami (Sanji) roared, getting to his feet.
"What? What's wrong with you, again?"
"You know that very well." Nami (Sanji) roared, grabbing him by the collar of his coat. "You dared to take my place! How dare you, you...?"
A powerful punch slammed into his head, knocking him into a coma.
"No arguing." Erza ordered, with a smoldering fist. "Only teamwork can help us find the samurai! So, I don't want any more fights, do you understand?"
Eyes widening, seeing their comrade knocked out in one blow, Zoro and Brook could only nod. Already used to this kind of scene, Carla (Grey), continued on her way, before seeing a very strange hole in front of her.
"Hum?" Carla (Grey) wondered, taking off to gain some height.
Immediately, her look betrayed her surprise, as she declared.
"Hey, guys, should you see this?."
"Huh?" The others said, before running up to him.
Pausing then, Brook let his jaws open before asking.
" What is that ? "
Unable to answer him, the other three could only stare at the giant footprint, which lay in front of them, equaling them all together, in size.
Drinking a cup of tea, Doctor Fronk couldn't hide his disgust any longer.
"Put this away before you make me vomit."
" Tsss! You don't know anything about the beauty of such a thing. " Caesar affirmed, continuing to admire the heart that Law had just entrusted to him. "The heart of a Navy vice admiral? It's not every day that I get to hold that in my hands."
Letting the suction cups on his fingers stick cookies to a tray right in front of him, Cameo flicked his long chameleon tongue out to grab them, before asking.
"What about Brownbeard, master? Do you want me to infiltrate the enemy ranks to rescue him?"
"And then, we have to take back the children that those damned pirates kidnapped." Pisca added. "Without your help, they will die."
Turning then, a mere second, to change his face, Caesar ends up staring at them, while pretending to sob.
"Yes, you're right! We can't leave them alone, in the hands of these monsters! But don't worry! I've already called on the Yetis Cool Brothers to help them! With them, it's not is only a matter of time before Mugiwara is killed."
"Master, you have such a big heart."
" What a duo of idiots. " Thought Doctor Fronk, Monet as well as Law, seeing very well the cruel smile which was hidden behind the false tears of Caesar.
"What about the Navy?" Doctor Fronk wanted to know. "Are you going to capture them as guinea pigs or just kill them all at once so they don't get us into more trouble?"
" Already, we have to guess their plan of action. " Affirmed Caesar. "And it is very simple! Now that Law has destroyed their boat, they will try to steal ours so that they can seek help! Of course, I have already taken my precautions and posted our defense troops at the outside to stop them! Still, I doubt that will stop Smoker, even in his new body."
"In that case, let us fight him." Pisca offered.
"Against us, he won't stand a chance." Cameo assured.
"I'm so touched, my dear generals." Caesar declared, pretending to cry again. "Knowing that you are ready to fight for my cause fills me with endless happiness."
"Don't worry, we'll do it with pleasure." The duo assured, before leaving the room.
It was once they left that Caesar looked exasperated and ended up collapsing on a couch.
"Tsss! To think that I always have to play comedy when these two idiots are in the same room as me! They are really very lucky to have a little potential otherwise, I would have killed them a long time ago."
