Author's Note: Here is the Appenzell Island Arc's finale. The Baba Yaga Arc begins next chapter, and I am very excited to begin it. There's going to be a princess, several key characters, and maybe a Blaise and Sadie appearance. This next arc is going to be great.
Disclaimer: Eichiiro Oda still owns One Piece. 3D2Y is still on October 2nd, so, read this fic on October 2nd, since this fic takes place in the post-timeskip year.
Ch. 24: "Race to Ageha's Clinic!"
On top of the mountain, Shiro stood on a plateau, looking down at the down as she talked on a DenDen Mushi.
"Ban, what the hell do you mean by 'Kuro got defeated by a girl' when he's supposed to be our captain? I have to take THAT GIRL on all because I'm first mate? You disgust me, Ban!" Shiro yelled into the DenDen Mushi before she angrily hung up. "Looks like we're going to have to go to guerilla warfare now since Kuro got defeated."
"Are you sure you need all of this ink and all of these scrolls?" An old mapmaker asked Hana, who was holding a few rolls of paper and several bottles of ink.
"Yes. We don't know if the next island will have mapmaking equipment," Hana explained.
"Better now than later," Aria added. The old mapmaker began to sweat as Hana put some beri onto the counter.
"Keep the change," Hana said right before Ban came crashing through the roof.
"Stop right there, ladies!" Ban yelled as he got out a raiper and a pistol. Hana slowly set down her purchases as Aria got out her gun.
"You've made the mistake of bringing a sword to a gun fight," Aria remarked before she shot her gun. Ban rolled out of the way and the bullets hit a map hanging on the wall. Ban shot back, only for Hana to block the bullets with her staff.
"Hana, get down!" Aria yelled before Ban slashed at Hana, who jumped over the counter and got down.
"You're in the way! It's either this old man's money, or your lives!" Ban yelled. Aria looked over to the old mapmaker and Hana, who got an idea.
"Hold still, I have an idea," Hana mouthed to Aria. Hana then went through her bag until she found a bottle of ink. Hana then threw the bottle of ink at Ban's face.
"Run!" Hana yelled.
"There's been an avalance outside, so, you're going to have to take the underground route," The old mapmaker explained as he pushed a bookcase aside, revealing a hidden flight of stairs.
"Thanks, mister!" Hana said before she and Aria ran down the stairs.
"Stay safe out there!" The old mapmaker advised the two pirates.
Back at Ageha's clinic, Matsu was sneaking around the hallways, trying to get back to Kartik's room against Ageha's wishes.
"I hope Kartik is feeling better. Ageha must be a really good doctor if she's insisting that he can't have visitors," Matsu thought to as she heard footsteps.
"Who's there?" Matsu cried as she got out her needles. But, it turned out that it was Heathcliffe.
"Woah, chill, Matsu. Is this about Kartik?" Heathcliffe asked Matsu.
"Yes. I really want to stay at his bedside to cheer him up, but, Ageha won't let me," Matsu explained. Heathcliffe sighed.
"Dude, just go visit him. What's stopping you?" Heathcliffe asked Matsu.
"A whip," Matsu answered.
"Uhh… I'll be back in the waiting room if you need me," Heathcliffe said nervously before he ran as she quietly entered Kartik's room, where he was up a chair and sat next to Kartik's bed. As if on cue, Kartik struggled to open his eyes.
"Hi, Kartik, how are you feeling?" Matsu asked Kartik.
"Where… Where am I?" Kartik weakly asked Matsu.
"You're at a medical clinic. We found you a doctor and you're going to get better, I just know it," Matsu said.
"Well, I don't feel as weak as I was earlier, so, maybe I am feeling better," Kartik said.
"That's wonderful," Matsu said with a smile.
"Is Karin here?" Kartik asked Matsu.
"No, I sent her to go shopping with Drusilla and Z.G.," Matsu answered.
"That's good. The last thing I'd want is my stalker to come and visit and leave me with no sleep," Kartik pulled out a few books.
"I sent Molly out to a bookstore to get you some books to cheer you up. I hope this will be okay," Matsu said as she placed the books on the nightstand.
"Thank you, Matsu. You've made me feel a little better," Kartik said as he put on his glasses and picked up a book. "Ah, it appears that Molly got me a rare book I was looking for."
With Sebastian's group, they were making their way through the snow and toward Ageha's clinic.
"Hatori, how much more do we have until we get to the clinic?" Sebastian asked Hatori.
"We have about a mile. If we can get back in time, we can avoid any potential avalance," Hatori explained. But, Chernyi was blocking their path.
"Going somewhere?" Chernyi asked the group.
"We're going to the medical clinic. Our shipwright got sick, and, we –" Sebastian explained before Chernyi cut him off.
"Before you go, I want all of your supplies," Chernyi demanded.
"Excuse me, but, I don't think that's possible. We need those supplies since we're on a very long voyage and –" Sebastian explained before Chernyi got out an arrow tipped with a purple liquid.
"Sebastian, duck!" Hatori yelled as just as Chernyi threw the arrow. Hatori pushed Sebastian to the ground. The arrow gazed Daisuke's neck before Yulia caught it and threw it into Chernyi's shoulder. Cheryi fell to the ground, unconscious.
"Hmm… Looks like this girl is a newbie," Daisuke commented. "Let's go, guys."
Kaoru, Mina, Yulia, Sebastian, Daisuke, and Hatori began walking again. But, Daisuke began to stumble a bit.
"You okay, Daisuke?" Yulia asked Daisuke.
"Yeah, I'm all good. It's probably the icy pathway," Daisuke answered. After walking a few feet, Daisuke began stumbling even more.
"Are you sure you're okay?" Mina asked Daisuke.
"Well, I do feel a little dizzy," Daisuke answered.
"Don't worry; we're on our way to the clinic. Ageha can give you a check-up when we get there," Kaoru explained.
"Good. Now, we –" Daisuke explained before he threw up.
"Okay, what is seriously going on?" Yulia asked everyone. Hatori then noticed a cut on Daisuke's neck that was oozing purplish-black liquid.
"Hey, do you think that arrow attack had something to do with Daisuke's injury?" Hatori asked everyone.
"Looks like it. It doesn't look too good as well," Sebastian commented as a paper blew at his feet. He picked it up and read it, realizing that it was Chernyi's wanted poster.
"Oh, no! We just fought a poisons expert!" Sebastian cried.
"We've got to get to Ageha's clinic, stat!" Hatori yelled as they ran to the medical clinic. But, when they got there, the door was covered in snow. At that point, Daisuke was now coughing up poison and some of his own blood.
"Hatori, Yulia, dig up the door! Kaoru and I will try and treat Daisuke right here while we wait!" Sebastian explained.
"You know what to do?" Hatori asked Sebastian.
"I do. I was able to do this to my dad once when he got stung by a poisonious sea king while fishing," Sebastian explained as he took off his glove and put some snow inside of it as Kaoru used his Devil Fruit powers to drain some infected blood from Daisuke.
"I drained a small amount of blood from Daisuke. He should be okay if we get him to Ageha A.S.A.P.," Kaoru explained as he wiped some blood from his mouth. Sebastian kneeled down and put the ice-filled glove onto Daisuke's wound.
"Are you guys making any progress?" Sebastian asked Hatori and Yulia.
"We're trying!" Hatori yelled.
Inside the clinic, it was a different story. Since Shiro followed Yuki-Rin and Kazuma through the underground network of tunnels, Yuki-Rin and Kazuma were now battling Shiro inside the lobby. Yuki-Rin and Kazuma were now losing over Shiro's ice needles.
"Have enough yet, brats?" Shiro asked Yuki-Rin and Kazuma.
"Hell no! Have YOU had enough?" Kazuma asked Shiro, who froze him to the ground.
"Kazuma!" Yuki-Rin cried. Shiro shot an ice needle at her feet, but Yuki-Rin jumped up and over Kazuma.
"Kazuma, I don't think we're going to win," Yuki-Rin said.
"Keep fighting until we get help. I know Shiro is MUCH tougher than us, but, how have to hold out until the end. It's a man's way of fighting," Kazuma explained. With a nod, Yuki-Rin stepped forward, but, she slipped due to the icy floor. Shiro laughed.
"I'm afraid that you lose. Now, give me your katana," Shiro said as she stuck her hand out for Yuki-Rin's katana.
"No! It's my katana!" Yuki-Rin cried as she put it back in it's sheath. From above, Heathcliffe, his brothers, Aki, Molly, and Ageha were watching.
"It looks like Yuki-Rin's screwed," Soren commented.
"Aki, are you a good fighter?" Ageha asked Aki, who shook her head.
"I'm sorry, I've never fought in my life," Aki apologized. Holden then got an idea.
"Hey, bro, remember those new bullets I bought at the last island?" Holden asked Soren.
"Yep. They were also these new types of bullets," Soren said. Holden turned to Ageha.
"On my cue, use your whip to deflect the bullet toward Yuki-Rin and Kazuma's enemy," Holden explained as he loaded his gun with a single bullet. "Fire bullet!"
Holden shot the gun, which was shot in the direction toward the door.
"Now, Ageha!" Holden shouted. Ageha then whipped the bullet and it pierced Shiro's arm.
"What the fuck? Did these people ruin my plans?" Shiro asked herself.
"Time for the final blow. Hellfire!" Heathcliffe yelled. With a swing of his scythe, the room heated up to a boiling temperature, and then decreased back to the normal temperature, melting the ice and defeating Shiro.
"What? We lost? Impossible!" Shiro yelled as she banged her fists onto the floor. Yuki-Rin smiled as Hatori, Yulia, Kaoru, and Sebastian entered with an unconscious Daisuke.
"Doctor Ageha, help us! Daisuke's been poisoned!" Sebastian cried as he handed Daisuke to Ageha. In the background, Shiro was still ranting angrily about her loss.
"Oh, dear! Daisuke needs immediate medical attention!" Ageha cried. "Have you drawn any of his blood and put ice on the wound?"
"We did," Sebastian answered.
"Perfect. Because of you, Daisuke's chances of survival will increase," Ageha explained.
Two days later, Ageha was preparing to leave Appenzell Island with the Capricorn Pirates. Kartik and Daisuke recovered and the Tuxedo Penguin Pirates left the island.
"Ageha, are you sure you want to do this? I mean, you are – were – working at the island's busiest medical clinic," Yuki asked Ageha.
"I do. I realized that without me, these pirates would probably die one by one out on the high seas," Ageha explained. A dark aura surrounded the Capricorn Pirates.
"How depressing," Maki-chan commented.
"Well, take care, Ageha," Yuki said.
"Toodles," Ageha said before she and the Capricorn Pirates walked toward the Hyperion.
"Hey, Yuki-Rin, do I get my own medical office?" Ageha asked her new captain.
"You get your own office and sick bay," Yuki-Rin explained.
"Thank you, captain!" Ageha thanked Yuki-Rin.
"Oh, you don't have to be that formal with me," Yuki-Rin said. Several minutes later, after the Capricorns set sail…
"Yuki-Rin, why does my training room have beds and medical equipment in it?" Kazuma asked Yuki-Rin.
Ending Note: Crew standing time!
Captain - Yuki-Rin
First Mate - Molly O'Flannigan
Musicians - Heathcliffe, Holden, and Soren Sarutobi
Fisherman - Hatori Chidori
Swordsman - Kazuma Miyafuji
"Resident Ghost" - Isabella Sarutobi
Shipwright - Kartik Abingdon
Snipers - Karin Kotetsu, "Blind" Drusilla, and Z.G.
Singer - Maki-chan
Tailors - Matsu Takeshima and Aki Chung-Feng
Navigator - Hana Yakushi
Gunner - Aria Yakushi
Thieves - Yulia Tadase and Daisuke Saburo
Chef - Sebastian Hozuki
Chroniclers - Kaoru Kimura and Mina Nishikori
Boat Rigger - Showtarou Shinohara
Mascot - Ajax
Doctor - Ageha Midori
Review if you want to see the long-awaited Baba Yaga Arc!