Sickness Invades! We need a Doctor!
"What?! It increased?!"
Last time, our pirate friends had left Little Garden, only to be welcomed with a new problem.
Nami and Vivi rest in separate beds, their faces shade in red and breathing heavily. They had been bedridden for two days now.
Nojiko, the only one who had a slight knowledge of medicine, changed the wet towel of her sister. "It's stupid and it doesn't make sense!" She was frustrated as she turned to Luffy, Seth, Usopp, Sanji, and Carue. "Their fever just kept rising! Yesterday they were at 90, but now they are at 104!"
"Then let's throw some cold water on them," Luffy suggested.
Pow! Pow! Pow!
"Moron! Don't even suggest that!" Three out of four yelled at Luffy, who now had three bumps.
"Sanji! Is there anything you can do?!" Seth asked the cook.
"It's going to be difficult," Sanji said with a thoughtful expression, "I don't know if any of my dish recipes can even help. Worst case, I might make the situation worse."
"How much until Alabasta?!"
"Gin said that we'll probably need a week!" Usopp said.
"Too long!" Nojiko turned to her captain, "Luffy! We need a doctor, now!"
"Why? Is it bad?" He asked her.
"Of course it is! She can die!"
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" With panic overwhelming them, Luffy began to shout their need for a doctor. Sanji was crying rivers. Usopp and Carue were running around like ants working overtime.
"Shut up! You're going to wake them up!" Seth hit the four of them hard.
"N-No…"
Everyone looked at the bed to see Nami standing up.
"She's cured!" Luffy shouted in joy.
"No, she's not!" Nojiko hit his head. "Nami! Stay in bed!"
"I...can't," Nami responded in a weak tone, before looking at the unconscious Vivi. "We have...to reach Alabasta." She placed her hand under the pillow she was resting, taking out a roll of newspaper. "We...can't have detours."
Seth took the newspaper away from her and read it, his light-blue eyes looking at the words before widening in shock. "The Kingdom of Alabasta lost 300,000 Royal soldiers. They have joined the Rebels in the hope of bringing the current country system down." He read out before his breath hitch. "This newspaper...is three days old!"
Everyone gasps at the information. "See? We...can't stop." Nami says as she stood from the bed and began to walk, "I got...to navigate this ship." She didn't even move a single step when Nojiko blocked her. "Nojiko…"
"You are in no condition to stand up." The blue-haired woman placed her hands on her shoulder and pushed her back into the bed. "You are staying in bed."
"Don't say-"
"As your older sister, I forbid you to do any kind of navigating." Nojiko glared at her.
"You can't-"
"Nami!" Luffy appeared next to Nojiko, a serious look on his face, while wearing a medical mask. "You will stay here and try to recover! This is an order from your captain!"
"Luffy-"
"Listen to Luffy, Nami." Seth came to the other side, glaring at her while also wearing a mask. "Don't be stubborn. We don't know what kind of sickness you and Vivi are having. Or even if it is contagious for the rest of us."
"Yeah! We don't need more sick people! Who is going to take care of you guys if we get it too!" Usopp pointed out while putting the mask on him and passed one to Sanji and Carue.
Nami began wheezing heavily. She wanted to say things, but it was one against many. "W-Who...is watching the ship?"
"Zoro."
…
…
…
Nami looks at them with a deadpan expression. "Why...Just, why?"
"Look," Nojiko threw the blanket over her, "We'll try to find a nearby island as fast as we can. Just please, get some rest."
The concern from her sister was enough for Nami to give in and put her head on the pillow. "Fine...Just, tell someone to turn the helm south, lower the sails and catch wind portside."
Luffy and Seth look at each other and nod. "Sanji!" The captain took the cook with him, who only screamed in anger at being pulled without warning. "Usopp!" The sharpshooter perks up at hearing his name. "Talk to those two agents, they must know one island that is close to us! Pronto!" The long-nose salute before heading to talk with the Agents.
"Nojiko and the Duck." Nojiko and Carue look at Seth, "Keep an eye on them. We'll switch turns taking care of them every forty minutes."
"Roger." Nojiko nodded.
"Quack!" Carue salute with his wing.
Nodding in understanding, Seth headed outside to join Luffy and the others.
Outside, Luffy and Sanji had lowered the sails as Nami had requested. He headed to the kitchen, seeing Zoro training with his dumbbell, his shirt removed, and grunting in annoyance.
"Oy, Zoro," Seth called him out, making him stop momentarily and look at him. "We told you to keep an eye on the ship for a moment."
"What are you talking about? The ship's going straight." Zoro replied while looking at the sky, "See? That cloud has been there all this time."
The auburn-haired wanted to slap his face hard, "This is an entirely new level of retardness." He mumbled out before looking inside the room where the helm was, seeing Gin steering it. "How are you handing, Gin?"
"All clear." Gin informed.
"Hey, Seth." The auburn-haired turn back at Zoro, who had a thoughtful expression. "Can I ask you something?"
"No. You're not taking the helm." Seth deadpanned.
The green-haired swordsman looked at him in confusion, "What? No! Not that! Why would I even want that?"
"With you on the helm, we'll reach Raftel in two days," Seth said, causing Gin to snort in laughter.
"You wanna fucking die?!" Zoro felt insulted at that.
"I mean, I could bring it down to two hours, but that is even more embarrassing." Seth joked with a pout.
"Hahahahaha! It is!" For Zoro's misfortune, Sanji had heard Seth's comment, "We should probably have you navigate, making yourself useful other than swinging those swords!"
"You want to go, Ero-cook!" Sanji decided to ignore Zoro, focusing on Nami's request. Growling in anger, he turned to the cause of this, who whistled while looking away. "You are going to get it, cat!"
"Yeah, sure." Seth rolled his eyes, "Joking aside, what is your question?"
Zoro calmed down a bit before asking him, "...In your fight with that big lion," he thought back to when Seth was staying calm and managed to dodge the NL's bite. "You managed to dodge its attack without needing to look. It was like, you knew what was happening." He looked at him, "How did you do that?"
Seth stares at him, their eyes meeting one another. "...I was just doing what my Master told me," Seth confessed, resting on the rail, "Telling me to compare my arms to a sword; to see them as weapons. And with them, I should choose what to cut and what to protect."
Zoro looked at him surprised. Those words were the same ones his Master had told him when-
"From there, I just...felt calm and sensed things." Seth closed his eyes, "I could sense some sort of air from everywhere. The trees, the grass, the rocks, even the wind. It's was like-"
"Telling you what they were doing." Zoro finished.
Seth widened in surprise as he looked at the green-haired, "...Yeah...That's exactly what I felt!" He appeared in Zoro's personal space, "Do you know what that is?! My Master didn't even want to tell!"
Zoro reels back in surprise, "Don't need to put your face in mine!" He pushed Seth's face away, getting his space back before answering, "I don't know. My Master simply explained to me that there are swordsmen who can cut steel and not cut anything. I didn't understand what he meant, and I still don't, but I'm sure his words are important."
"Fuck." Seth drops to the floor, disappointed. "And here I thought I'll finally get the answer that Sora refused to give me."
"Woah!"
"Sanji! What happened?!"
The two men look up to see Sanji hanging by the mast. "Sorry. Wet part of the wood." He said before jumping back to his post.
"Pfft! A wet part of the wood made him almost fall? Pathetic." Zoro laughs at the blonde's accident.
"Didn't you get captured in Little Garden?" Seth asked with a raised eyebrow.
The green-haired flinch in embarrassment. "Shut it!" He coughs in his mouth, "B-Back to the topic...I guess you don't know how to get back in that state again?"
The auburn-haired boy hummed for a second, "...I mean, most of my blood was out of my system at that time, which my mind couldn't function properly. Making me calm at the time to have things clear-"
"How the fuck were you calm? You lost an arm!"
"Healing Factor."
"Toúche."
"And I might have developed pain resistance."
"Should I be jealous or concerned?"
"If I become addicted to pain, kill me."
"Deal."
They look at each other momentarily before bursting out in laughter at the random conversation they just did.
"Hehe…" Seth looked up at the sky, "You know...This is the second time we had a long conversation, Zoro."
Zoro looked at the sky in thought and realized that he was right. The first time they talked a lot was when Luffy got taken by that bird to the island where they met Nami. "Huh...Guess you are right."
"Heh...We got some adventures up to this point." Seth said. "Did you ever see yourself in this predicament?"
"No." Zoro responded as he went back to his weight lifting, "Honestly, most of my time I only wanted to find Mihawk and fight him. Never in my wildest dreams would I have found him when joining this crew."
"I know, right." Seth stood from the floor into a sitting position, "And is all thanks to our stupid rubber captain."
"...Speaking of it," Zoro looked at Seth, his hands continuing to workout. "How did the two of you meet? Knowing Luffy, he must have bothered you to join him."
That earned a laugh from Seth, "Oh, how right you are." He let a sigh out, "But that's a story for another time."
"Huh?" Zoro looked at him in confusion, "Why do you-?!"
FWOOSH
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
A sudden gust of air and the screams of Alvida brought Zoro's attention to her. She and the rest were looking at the side in shock. Following their trajectory, his eyes widened and his weights fell off his hand.
A gigantic cyclone was behind them, and this is where the Merry was heading.
"We were heading into that?!" Luffy's jaws drop in shock and amazement. "Awesome!"
"Thank God that Nami warned us about this!" Sanji said in relief.
"Incredible," Gin was horrified as he was amazed. "To think she was able to predict the state of the weather from her bed."
"Not even my navigator was this good." Alvida's respect for Nami had risen.
"Guys! Good news!" Usopp came out from the kitchen, a happy expression on his face. "We might be close to an island that has doctors!"
Perking up at the information, everyone turned to Luffy, who let a smirk out. "Yosh! Everyone be on high alert! We are going to find a doctor to cure Nami and Vivi!"
"Roger!"
…
..
.
"Drum Island?"
Seth had taken the liberty to be guided by Ms. Valentine. She was telling him about the island so they might find some help.
"Yeah. It's a winter island." Ms. Valentine explained as she took out a map from her pocket (what pocket? She's wearing a one-dress piece). "They specialize in advanced medicine, they have doctors who can patch an open stomach in seconds."
"That good, huh?" Seth had to admit, it is handy. "Hope we can get one of them in here."
"Kyahaha! You guys will be lucky alright." Ms. Valentine said.
"...Actually, why are the two of you helping us?" He asked her, "Not that we aren't appreciating. But weren't you guys in a hurry to Alabasta?"
The lemon-haired girl looked at him, a neutral expression on her face "...Why do you say that?" she asked.
"Well, for one, you both didn't try to argue with Usopp when he asked you for any nearby island." Seth said as he raised one finger, "Second, you neither were eager nor disappointed about changing routes, despite you telling me before that you needed to talk with our captain." He raised another finger, "And three, despite we being pirates, you two asked us to take you to Alabasta, so your opinions about what we do are important too."
The woman looked at him with a perplexed expression.
"There's also the fact that you are looking at me as if I just blew your mind." Seth pointed that as well, making her flinch and blush. "So? Go ahead and explain. I won't bite you."
Ms. Valentine felt her cheeks burn red a bit more before controlling herself, "Jeez...First accepting to take a Princess to her homeland, defending two strange giants for honor, and even hearing two people who were after your life not too long ago." She took a seat and sit on it while looking at the auburn-haired. "Are you guys seriously pirates?"
Seth responded by showing him and Luffy's wanted posters.
"Wow. Quick answer." Ms. Valentine sweatdrop. "...Honestly speaking, even we know when we are pushing our luck too much. I mean, we came at you and the swordsman and we still lost." She then took out a lemon (of fucking nowhere, that's what!) and brought out a glass. "With Mr. 3's failure, there's no way that our Boss would accept us back, even now that...we know his identity." She felt dread going through her spine, shuddering as she used her hand to squeeze the lemon into a paste, the liquid falling inside the glass.
She was working for a Warlord! A Fucking Warlord! That's like working for the World Government!
She felt dirty after saying that.
"Yeah, we are in the same boat," Seth said as he looked outside, seeing snow falling. "Oh, there's the snow you were talking about."
"Good. Drum Island should be around this area," Valentine replied as she drank her juice glass. "Keep it straight, no matter what."
"Got it. Thanks."
…
…
…
"You are strange, you know?"
"Hmm?" Seth looked at the woman, seeing her resting against the table with her hand.
"Nothing," Valentine said with a sigh. ('When I found you in that forest, and saw that Nemean Lion, I felt so scared for a moment. I could hardly move my legs or even speak, but you?')
(Flashback)
The ex-agent was floating in the sky, thanks to her Kilo-Kilo Devil Fruit. She searched far and wide, looking for anything related to the auburn-haired boy.
"Damn! Where are you, boy?" She asked herself. She knew Little Garden meant nothing for the giants, but how hard is it to find one person that has the one color that can't be mixed with?
"Roaaaaaaar!"
She stops her floating as she snaps her head in a certain direction. ('That's my cue.') She floated to the top of a tree before pushing herself into the direction of the noise.
As she got close, she saw Seth and the NL ducking it out, their attacks clashing with each other. "All right, there he is. I only to come close and tell him-"
FWOOSH!
Her thoughts came to a blunt end when Death (that's right, you didn't hear wrong) appeared in her eyes and caused her to freeze in terror.
The terror of you entering the domain of a monster, and it knows you have trespassed.
It was so much that she lost control of her weight and she rapidly began to fall. She kept going down until she regained her bearings and despairingly activated her devil fruit. She landed on her ass, but the lack of weight made sure she wasn't hurt.
Physical, that is, but mentally?
Her legs were okay, but they weren't responding to her. Her breathing was getting out of hand as the spirit inside bare recovered. ('I-I think this was a bad idea!') she thought as she looked at her surroundings.
Her fear returned when she saw the head of the Nemean Lion right in front of her.
Like, literally, it was piercing. It stared at her. The kind of a mother finding out that their child had done something horrible.
Tears began to come out as she felt helpless in front of the animal. ('I am going to die!') the NL growled as it raised its paw and swung it. ('I am going to die!')
Luckily, fate said otherwise.
Ms. Valentine felt herself being picked up and she only saw the figure of the animal far away from her, its giant limb crushing the place she was supposed to be.
"The hell do you think you are doing here?!"
She flinched at the shout of Seth, the one responsible for moving her. He had noticed her when the NL didn't attack him quickly and moved to attack her. Having no other option, he sprinted away and grabbed her, and was now hiding in the bushes.
He looks at her, glaring hard at the woman from Whiskey Peak, "You have until it finds me to explain what the hell are you doing here." He whispered to her.
The lemon-haired woman took a heavy load of saliva and gulped it. The look he was giving her was making the previous terror in her slowly dispenser out of her body.
It's not that much from the NL, but it was making sure that the woman shuddered in terror.
Biting her lips, she spoke quickly, "Your...crewmates have been captured by our associates." Her words caught her attention, intensive his glare. "Me and...my partner, wish to talk with your captain."
"...Why should I believe you?" Seth asked.
"I wouldn't even try to be here if we didn't mean it." She responded before seeing the NL heading her way. "It's here!"
Seth picked her up and jumped out of the way as the animal landed on his previous spot. Spinning in the air with Ms. Valentine, the Battle Cat landed on the ground and sprinted away.
"You are either brave or dumb to come to tell me this with that Nemean Lion on my tail!" Seth yelled as he looked at Ms. Valentine with a deadly smirk. "Not bad, lemon-girl!"
The blonde flinched in embarrassment at the nickname, "S-Shut up! Don't call me that!" She said before feeling her legs back to normal, "A-Anyways! We just want to talk, nothing more!"
Seth stood silent for a moment before throwing her into the sky, something she didn't expect. The reason being that he needed his hands to block the NL's attack, which sent him crashing against trees.
Ms. Valentine flinches in panic before activating her powers. Floating in the air, she saw how the white lion glared at her for a moment before receiving a hard leg strike from Seth.
"Go to our ship!" The auburn-haired boy shouted to her, "Wait there until we finished our business here!" He finished before being taken away by a tackle from the Nemean Lion.
Having a little option, that she didn't mind, not like she minded, the agent floated away. "Fine!" She shouted.
As she went away, she couldn't help herself to look back, seeing the pirate struggle with the mystical creature. She was taken back by the current expression of the auburn-haired.
He was happy. Even with the bloodlust coming out, his smile stretches like a kid in a candy store.
(End of Flashback)
('You had the biggest smile I had ever seeing in my life.') She thought as she finished her lemonade drink. ('And your captain is so happy about fighting Mr. 0...They are the weirdest pirates we have met.')
"Hey."
"Hmm?"
"What's your name?" Seth asked her.
"Does it matter?" Ms. Valentine asked back.
"So you want to be called 'Miss' for the rest of your life?" Seth smirked, "Are you older than I think you are?"
"Hick!" The woman flinched in embarrassment before throwing the glass at the back of Seth's head. "Idiot! I'm just 21-years old!" She slumped back on her seat, "Besides, I might as well let you in the first place."
…
…
...
The auburn-haired look at her for a second. "Your fucking name is Valentine?"
"Valerie 'Mikita' Valentine." Valerie (Thank God I can have an excuse to type her name) introduces herself. "That's the name I was blessed with."
"Were you born under a star when you became an agent?" Seth asked her. "Also, Mikita-"
"I know. It's not a name you expect," Valerie sighs. "My father gave me that name when I was young. So many children made fun of me for that. Stupid name."
"I think it is cute."
Valerie blink a few times before looking at him, "Eh?" She dumbly asked.
"Mikita means determination, strong-will." Seth explained to her, "Having that name might just mean that your father wanted you to always acknowledge your skills and believe in yourself."
"...Huh…" Valerie was left thinking. She didn't know that. "...Well, I kinda see why." She said with a nostalgic expression.
There was something she wanted to do other than bounty hunting, a small reminder of an old moment of her past.
"OY! SETH!" Luffy screamed from outside. "Look at this!"
Catching his attention, Seth left the helm and looked outside, "What is...Pfft!" He had to cover his mouth in horror, seeing from out-of-view the thing Luffy called him for. "The fuck is that?! An animal or something!?"
"My new snowman masterpiece!"
"That's not even close to a snowman! Whatever it is, it needs to be killed!" Usopp yelled through laughter, "Like, just put it out of its misery!"
"God. Not even I can feel pity for this." Gin's voiced out.
"Get that thing off the ship." Mr. 5 responded with a brutal comment.
"You guys don't appreciate talent!"
"What part is talent in that?! That looks like you trying to combine a dog with a penguin together, with a mouse and a cat to the side!" Seth walked out, "And it doesn't even resemble any of them!"
"H-Hey!" Valerie tried to call him back as she stood up and grabbed the helm, keeping it steady. "Don't leave the helm alone, you morons!" She shouted in anger, but didn't receive a response. She sweats while letting out a breath, "Yesh. Weird and carefree these guys are."
Several minutes had passed and the Going Merry sailed through the snowy sky and cold water, keeping an eye to find Drum Island.
They change their clothes to heavy clothes to combat the cold. Right now, Zoro and Gin took the crow's net. As they look around, they both watch through their binoculars in the same direction.
"Hey, Gin? Are you seeing this?"
"Yeah. But is it possible?"
Zoro stopped looking and called to the crew down below, "Oy, you guys!" The ones in the deck look at him, "Is it possible for people to walk on water?!"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Usopp asked in confusion.
The green-haired swordsman simply pointed and everyone followed it.
Luffy, Usopp, Alvida, Mr. 5, and Ms. Valentine had to blink several times, and clean their eyes, to make sure they weren't hallucinating.
For there was a figure, standing in the middle of the water.
IT WAS JESUS-!
-Experiencing technical problems-
Please wait a moment as we slap some sense into the writer!
...It was a man wearing a blue/green jester outfit, a bow strap on his back.
"Boy. Surely, it is cold out here." The man said casually.
"...Huh, it sure is it, right? Usopp said.
"Yeah. It is very cold." Luffy agreed.
"Eh? Really?" The man asked.
…
…
…
"Are you guys retarded or something?" Mr. 5 and Alvida had to ask with a sweatdrop. They were in the middle of a snowstorm in the ocean! Of course, it's cold!
(Meanwhile, down on the ship)
"Here, Vivi. Drink some."
"T-Thanks, Seth…" The princess said with a weak tone as she drank some water.
Vivi was now awake while Nami was unconscious who was being treated by Nojiko at the moment. "How are things above?" The blue-haired woman asked.
"Still no sign of the island." Sanji, who was there with a small soup, said. "But Greg and Valeri-chan said that we should be close by now."
"Greg?" Seth looked at the blonde cook in confusion.
"Greg 'Gem' Buster," Sanji said. "I know, that's a weird name, but then again, we all have."
"True." Nojiko and Seth replied.
"...Hey, Seth." The beast hummed to Sanji, "You...said that you were training with someone right?"
"Yeah?" Seth replied with a raised eyebrow.
"And...that person is named 'Sora' right?"
"Uhu?"
"...What a coincidence." The tone of his voice caught Seth and Nojiko by surprise as they looked back at him. Even more when his expression was sporting a sad smile. "My mother was called Sora as well."
"Eh? You don't say-"
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The conversation came to an end when something big caused a big noise and caused the ship to rocket around. The three of them quickly stabilized the beds of Nami and Vivi, impending that they would fall off.
"The hell are those morons doing?!" Seth and Sanji were raging as they marched outside.
Bursting out of inside the ship, they glared hard, "Oy fuckers! The fuck are you…"
Beat.
…
…
…
Sanji took a cigarette out of his cigarette box, placed it on his mouth, and lit it up.
Seth simply looked with a deadpan expression.
"So? The fuck happen?" They both asked.
Luffy, who was sitting on the rail, turned to them with a neutral expression. "We are being ambushed."
True to his words, the Merry was currently being raided by dozens of winter-clothed men, sneering at them while pointing their guns at the crew.
"Yeah, we can see that."
"Mwahahahaha!" From the enemy ship, which was an underwater ship, came a man. A fat balloon-like man with a tiny jaw on his face, tin armor that has expanded by sheer girth, and a cape made of a furry hippo's skin.
The most disturbing part of him was that he was eating a sword with meat on it. Yes, he was eating the sword as well.
I shudder at the thought.
"Ugh. That is not healthy." Valerie cringed at the chewing.
"I felt my jaw hurt a little." Usopp also cringed while having his hand up in the air.
"Hmm. There are nine of you?" The man spoke with a nasally-sounding voice. "Huh, it's not too much but it ain't that bad." He said before eating the remains of the metal and throwing the hold into the ocean, "Oh well. It's no bother to me. I have a question for you all, silly hippos. Is there a Log Pose or an Eternal Pose to Drum Island in here? We've been searching for it for a while now."
At hearing the name, everyone tense for a second before Mr. 5 spoke, "No idea. We have been sailing in these waters for a few minutes, but we haven't seen any islands." he said.
"If you are done asking, please leave," Luffy spoke with an annoyed expression. "We are in a hurry."
"Hmm. Well, that's fine." The fat-man said as he turned to the side of the ship, "We'll just take your gold." To the shock of everyone, his mouth grew for a moment and bit the Merry, taking off a chunk of wood.
"HE JUST BIT MERRY!?"
*Munch*Munch*Munch*
"And he's eating it!?"
"Hey! Stop eating our ship!" Luffy screamed at the fat weirdo, earning several guns aimed at him.
"Don't disturb King Wapol's lunchtime!" The random soldier shouted while pressing his rifle close to Luffy's cheek.
"Shut up!" Luffy responds by punching the guy, sending the man into the ocean.
"Why you!" The other soldiers respond by aiming at everyone, who got ready to fight. (except Usopp)
"Wait!"
Before a brawl could happen Seth yelled out with his extended hands in stop motion. Everyone tilted with question marks flying over their heads. Even Wapol stops eating as he stares in confusion.
"Before we start," Seth began to speak, turning his head at the tin man, "I have two questions to ask." For the Straw Hats confusion, the auburn-haired smile at the invading leader. "First, is the ship good?"
"Eh?" Everyone was looking at him weirdly.
"Uh...It tastes good." Wapol replied in confusion.
"That's nice." Seth said as he relaxed his form, "And the last question, what was it that you need again?"
Now the tin man raised an eyebrow, "Are you retarded or something? I said that we-"
POW!
Wapol coughs in pain as Seth punches his gut hard, sending him blasting off into the sky.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU NEED!"
"King Wapol!" Shouting in panic and horror, the soldiers dash back into the ship and sail away, in hope of saving their captain while screaming that the Straw Hats should remember them or something.
"There. Problem solve." Seth huffed away before heading inside, but before saying, "Called me if we reach the Goddamn island." He closed the door.
…
…
…
"Seth took all the credit. No fair!" Luffy pouted in annoyance while comically punching the air.
"I better go back and help him and Nojiko with the girls," Sanji said as he went after him.
"Going back to post." Zoro and Gin began to climb back to the nest.
"I'll take the helm now. " Alvida said, sporting a dreaming expression as small hearts float out of her eyes.
"I need to attend some business!" Usopp ran away to the bathroom.
The duo agents just turned comically white while staring in the direction where the tin-man was sent flying without effort. ('We are SO glad we stop hunting them.') They thought in horrifying relief.
…
…
…
"LAND HO!"
It was finally on sight.
An island that had three tall mountains that were covered in heavy snow. As they got close, they could see a bit better, and Usopp felt his mouth drop at the kilometer mountain. "They are HUGE!"
"Look! That waterfall must be melted snow!" Gin shouted as he watched the frozen river.
"Are you guys sure we are going to find a doctor in this place?" Alvida asked the two agents.
"Most likely." Mr. 5, or Greg, said.
"So, who is going ashore?" Sanji asked.
Before anyone could say anything, however, several sounds of guns loading echoed in the air. Turning to the chore of the island, they saw men with nasty expressions and weapons aiming at them.
"Turn around, Pirates!" One of the men shouted, "You aren't welcomed in this land!"
"Wait! Hold on!" Luffy quickly spoke up, "It's okay if you don't want us on the island, but please! Send a doctor!"
"We have two sick people!" Nojiko joined in. "They have a horrible fever and we don't have the resources to help them!"
"Liar!" One of the men yelled. The trigger finger on his shaking uncontrollably. "Our hometown has already suffered from pirates before!"
And that was when shit went loose.
Bang!
Out in panic, the man fired his gun, the bullet going straight at Nojiko's stomach. The blue-haired woman simply widened in horror as the pellet was already on her.
Shik!
The tearing of flesh was heard. Blood splattered on the deck.
The Straw Hats, the Ex-Agents, and the winter soldiers watched in horror at the catastrophe that just happened.
Nojiko's eyes tremble in disbelief before looking down at her stomach. That has been shield by another figure.
Lionel D. Seth grunted in slight pain as he had intercepted and took the bullet, feeling it pierced him. He pushed the pain away, but he found himself falling to his knees, holding his bleeding side.
"Seth!"Everyone screamed in horror at their hurt comrade.
Luffy turns to the men with a harsh glare, making them flinch in fear. "How dare you!" How dare they attack one of his Nakamas! "You guys want a fight!?" At his words, the strength of the crew readies themselves.
"Prepared to fire!" the men in the islands ready to intercept.
"LUFFY! STOP!"
The straw-hat captain freezes on his spot and looks back, seeing Seth standing up and walking next to him. "O-Oy Seth! They just attack you and Nojiko-!"
"Forget it, you idiot!" The auburn-haired shut him up, before dropping to his knees again, but instead of trying to stand up, he bowed his head. "Please! We need a doctor! We beg of you!"
His action surprised the soldiers and the crew.
"Luffy," Seth spoke to his friend, who listened. "Nami and Vivi are in horrible condition. They can't fight! These guys have guns, and one of them can land on either of them!" Luffy's eyes widened in realization, "You are the captain, dammit! What is more important right now!?"
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...You are right." Luffy followed Seth's example and bowed to the soldiers. "Nami and Vivi are important right now...So please! Bring a doctor to us!" He begged them.
The soldiers were perplexed and had no idea what to do, "...Then come along." However, one of them spoke up. The soldiers look behind them and gasp in realization at who it was.
It was a man, he had thick and heavyset, with a large torso. He had black, slicked-back hair and a goatee. He wore a long, white fur-lined green tunic with thick armor plates on his arms. This was their leader, everyone could tell.
"If it's that bad, then I'll take you to a doctor." the man said. "However, I must warn you...there's only one doctor on this island, and she is a witch."
"WE APPRECIATE IT!"
Having safely disembarked, the crew left Merry hidden in a small river that the soldiers showed them. They had taken out Nami and Vivi and put them in some makeshift beds and began to follow the leader of the group.
"No-named Island?" Nojiko raised an eyebrow at the words of Dalton, the leader of the clan. "But we were told by two of our companions that this place was called Drum Island."
Dalton sighs at this. "That is correct. This island was called the Kingdom of Drum until six months ago." He explained as they entered the village. "Our previous King was an egotistical tyrant that only cared about himself." Dalton saluted the villagers as they walked past them, "I once served the kingdom as its Commander. The King was a kind man who cared for his people and had an excellent knowledge of medicine. But then, he had two sons, and they resemble their father in body only." He clenched his fist in calm anger, "One was banished when his ego caused almost the destruction of the land, and the other, the previous king, let his ego be bigger than his stomach. He demanded that our best doctors work exclusively only for him, and the people needed to pay up if they wanted one of them to even help them."
"The problems of being born in royalty," Sanji said as he smoked out.
"And we were too late to see it," Dalton said, shame and disappointment were in his words.
They reach the house where Dalton was staying, quickly bringing Nami and Vivi inside.
"107.6?!" Dalton spoke in shock at hearing the current state of the girls. That's absurd!"
"We know, that's why we need a doctor now." Gin said. "Where can we find this doctor?"
Dalton pointed outside the window, "See that mountain in the middle?" He asked.
Everyone looked through it to…stared at a giant white lizard fighting a snowman?
…
…
…
"Yeah. We see it now." Sanji said. Behind him were the bodies of Luffy and Usopp, covered in bumps. Seth and Gin poking them with sticks.
"Dr. Kureha lives at the former castle of the King." Dalton said before sighing in defeat, "Unfortunately, we have no way of contacting her. She just comes and goes whenever she wants to."
"What kind of doctor is that?" Alvida couldn't help but ask in disbelief. "How in the world does she know when someone is sick? Like, right now." She pointed at the sick girls.
"Either sheer luck or perfect moment," he chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "She is one of our best and I mean it. But she is called a witch for a reason. For starters, she is 139-years old."
…
…
…
"What kind of bullshit God gave her the pill of immortality?" Seth asked with a jaw drop.
Dalton laughed at that, "No idea. But her skills are unquestionable, despite she being eccentric."
"Wait," Nojiko looked at the man with a questionable look, "I just thought of it now, but if she lives on that mountain, how in the world does she come down?"
"And that's another reason why we called her a witch," Dalton began to explain. "Rumors say that she comes down to the ground by flying through a sleight that has been pulled by a mysterious animal."
"...So you are saying that the woman took a page out of Santa Claus?"
Everyone looks at Seth with a weird out expression, before shrugging it off.
"I...have heard rumors but never seen it." Dalton finished speaking, "Either way, she is the only doctor on this island."
"Well, we are fuck," Gin scratch the back of his head in annoyance. "The only doctor here is on that mountain, which is ten times bigger than my previous Captain's ship."
"And we have no idea on how we are going to call her down here." Zoro said with a grunt, "We don't have many options."
As they comment and try to figure things out, Luffy and Seth begin to have a conversation with their eyes.
They both nod.
"Nami. Vivi."
The crew and Dalton turned to see Luffy waking the princess and the navigator up by slapping their cheeks. "Oy! Don't wake them up like that!"
Nami and Vivi open their eyes, breathing heavily as they look at their captain, "Lu...ffy." Nami spoke first before turning her attention to Seth, who was taking out some ropes from out of nowhere.
"Seth? What are you doing?" Alvida asked the auburn-haired.
"We are hiking the mountain."
They both responded, shocking everyone present. "Woah! Woah! Hold on," Greg spoke as he watched Seth get close to the sick people, "Are the two of you crazy?! That mountain is way big, and it doesn't look like it can be hiked, let alone with four people!"
"Will carry them." Luffy simply said.
"That's even more dangerous!" Valerie pointed out. "With the weather outside, it'll be a miracle if you both managed to climb that mountain, and the two of them still breathe!"
"We don't have much of a choice," Seth grabbed Nami and Vivi's jacket. "We don't know when the doctor will come down. The more we wait, the sick they both will be."
"...He's right."
Everyone looked at Nami, who was awake and breathing. "I…don't feel so good. And we... can't wait any longer." She turned to Seth and Luffy, raising her hands at them. "I'm counting on you... Captain. Seth."
Smiling at her, Luffy slapped her hand, "You bet!"
"Don't worry," Seth removed the blanket off her and gently stood her up. "We'll make it. You'll see." She smiled at those words.
He looked at Vivi, who was awake. "Vivi?"
"...There's no...much of a choice," The blue-haired princess breathed out as she raised her hand, giving a thumbs up. "I'm...in your care."
"Then it's settled!"
Dalton had to admit that these pirates were crazy. Two of them, their captains if he figured out correctly, just bluntly proclaimed that they were going to climb the Drum Rockies.
"Okay, listen here," the blue-haired woman, Nojiko, if he remembers right, tight the orange-haired girl to the back of the lion-looking boy. "She needs to get there quick, but you need to take it easy. No risky moves and no fighting, go it?"
"Don't worry, that's why we have Sanji and Greg with us." The one called Seth said.
"Of course I'm going!" Sanji proclaimed as he lit his cigarette again. "Our beautiful navigator and princess are currently in danger, I can't have you two get attacked and let them get harm!" His intentions were good...most of the part.
"I'm only going to escort you to the mountain," Greg said as his body shivered in the cold. "From there, you guys are on your own.
"Shishi! That's alright." Luffy said as Valerie and Usopp finished tightening Vivi on his back.
Nojiko let out a breath and kissed her sister's forehead, "Please get well quickly, Nami." She then moves to Seth, kissing his forehead as well, making Sanji flinch in anger and for Alvida to pout. "And you be careful. You are not entirely healed from the last fight."
Seth nodded at her, before having his face being pulled into a bosom huh, courtesy of Alvida, "We mean it, you furry cat." She spoke in a worried tone, clearly OOC of her. "We don't need one of our best fighters getting in trouble after surviving a death match."
With a blush on his face, and ignoring the glare of Sanji and Nojiko (except she was glaring at the mace-user) he slipped his face off her. "Okay. I get it. No fighting." Is not like he can anyway.
"I won't stop the two of you if you do plan on going." Dalton spoke up, catching their attention, "But I suggest you all climb the side of the mountain. There is a clan of monsters called Lapins. They are man-eating rabbits and they go in herds."
"Okay! We'll be careful!" Luffy said before turning to the crew. "Yosh! You guys wait here! Zoro, you are in charge while we are gone!"
"...Sure," Zoro replied.
"What?!" Usopp almost lost his eyes when they comically shot out from his sockets in disbelief. "Are you sure you want Zoro to take care of us while you are gone?!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Zoro looked at the sniper with a glare.
"Nojiko. Keep an eye on him." Seth told the girl.
"Okay." Nojiko nodded before turning to Luffy and Vivi, quickly kissing the forehead of the princess. "Get well, Vivi. Your country needs you alive." She whispered to her.
"Nojiko-swan!" Sanji began to be his pervert-self as his legs began to spin. "I'll do my duty and protect Nami with all my life!"
"I know, Sanji." Nojiko rolled her eyes at his intentions, which she appreciated.
"Give me a good-luck kiss too!" He jumped to her.
"Get fucking moving!" Nojiko punched his face, sending him to a tree.
"Yosh! Let's go!"
With that said, Luffy, Seth, Sanji (crying and with a bump) and Greg left the group heading inside the forest.
…
…
…
"It's getting cold," Dalton said as he opened the door. "You guys can come in and warm yourself."
"Don't mind if I do." Alvida accepts the hospitality. Even with warm clothes to cover her body, it doesn't help her skin since it's half-wet.
Valerie joins her inside, before turning to look at Zoro, Gin, Usopp, and Nojiko. "You guys are coming?"
"No, we should head back to the Merry." Gin said as he strapped his scarf around his neck. "Call it paranoid, but I feel that those pirates will come again since they are searching for this place."
"Agreed." Zoro was with Gin as he strapped his swords tight. He looked at the blue-haired woman, "Will you three be okay waiting here?"
"I think we are," Nojiko hummed before taking a snail transporter and gave it to them. "Here. Let's keep ourselves in contact. Call if you get attacked."
Gin took the snail before he and Zoro headed away...until he almost tripped when seeing the swordsman walk in the wrong direction.
"Oy, Zoro! You are going the wrong way!"
"Eh!?" Zoro flinched as he made a stop and returned.
"Good luck, you guys!" Usopp waved away...until Gin spun around and grabbed him by the overalls, "H-Hey! What are you doing?!" He asked as he tried to get off.
"You are helping with the ship." Gin replied, "I thought the ship was important to you since it was given by your girlfriend."
"Kaya! Is not my girlfriend!" Usopp yelled in embarrassment at that.
"That's not what the others said."
"The others?! Who was it?!" Usopp glared at Zoro….who was heading the wrong way again. "OY! Marimo! Wrong-way again!"
"Ack!" He spun around and followed Gin once again.
Nojiko sweatdropped at the arguing trio before making her way inside Dalton's house.
"What?! Wapol!"
Just in time to hear Valerie scream in shock, Alvida looked at the man in shock. "Are you kidding me? The tin-man is the King?"
"You know Wapol?" Dalton asked in tension.
"Yeah. He and his 'crew' were on the sea looking for this place." Alvida informed as she blew the steam off her hot chocolate. "They say they were pirates, but they were pathetic. Their captain didn't even last a second when Seth punched him into the sky."
Dalton felt happy at hearing that, "Then I must thank him when I see him again." He looked out of the window, "When our town was attacked by pirates, that coward didn't even bother to fight back. He took into the sea with his followers and the 20 doctors." A hurtful smile appeared, "I swore to his father that I would lead him, but now? I just want him gone."
"Kyahaha! With his attitude and what you told us? I do not blame you." Valerie said before noticing the presence of Nojko. "Oh, where are the boys?"
"They headed back to the Merry," Nojiko answered. "Making sure to protect it if a certain Tin-Can trash decides to appear."
That made the two girls laugh, "Imagine their surprise when Pirate Hunter and Demon-Man curb stomp them hard." Nojiko joins in the laughter.
"You girls sure trust your crew," Dalton commented, "By the way...That girl with blue hair. She wouldn't happen to be Vivi Nefertari, Princess of Alabasta, would she?" At hearing her full name, the girls tense before staring at him. Seeing their looks, he raised his hand and chuckled, "Worry not. It's just that I remembered her back when she was a child at the Reverie. Wapol was embarrassed by Cobra, the current King of Alabasta. He took his frustration out of her by 'accidentally' slamming into her."
Tick marks form on the girl trio's forehead, thinking of ways to hurt Wapol.
"But instead of getting his goal, she apologized for bumping into him, making him embarrassed and disgusted." Dalton finished his explanation with a smile, "She's a strong girl. Even when it hurt, she held tight her emotions and showed a proper face."
At that, Nojiko thought back to Whiskey Peak, where Vivi had to witness her escort getting blown up. "Ain't that true." She had to smile at her.
A knock on the door caught everyone's attention. Dalton quickly went to the door and opened it, seeing a villager, "Hey Dalton!" The man greeted. "I heard that you were looking for the doctor."
"Yeah?" Dalton raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Well, I just heard that she was last seen heading to Cocoa Weed."
…
…
…
Dead silence. Twenty minutes later after Luffy and the others left.
"FUCK!" Nojiko, Alvida, and Valerie summarize it pretty well.