Yes, I'm aware I've missed weeks. I struggle when it comes to fights. Ironic, considering I used to think I was good at it. I don't know. I'll let you guys be the judge. The only way to get past that is to dive head in.

Also yes, it's a Saturday. I lost track of days. That's my bad.

And before anyone asks, I'm not writing the Chopper flashbacks. Nothing changes if I write them, so I'm opting not to. I'll summarise instead.

So, I hope you enjoy!

It didn't take long before Zoro could see the fat former king and his friends riding on ahead of them. Smirking to himself, he drew his blades and turned to Dalton.

I see them up ahead," he said. "Let's finish this idiot!"

"I'm right behind you!" Dalton replied. Smirking, Zoro kicked Karoo's sides like he was a horse.

"Speed up, bird!" He shouted. "We're stopping these guys right here right now!" Karoo quacked unhappily, but he did as he was told and sped up a bit. Soon they were right up behind Wapol and his men. He kicked off of Karoo's back and raised his blades over his head, ready to bring them down on their heads.

"Three Sword Style! Dragon Twister!" Spinning his blades, the wind picked up and tossed the three men off of their mount, whatever the hell it was.

"What the hell!" Wapol shouted as he jumped up from the snow. "How did you catch up to us so fast! Robson is a White Walkie, there's no way you beat his speed!"

"Well that's weird, seeing as we did." Zoro replied as he rested a blade on his shoulder. "I'm going to have to ask you to not go back to your castle."

"And why is that?!" Wapol asked. "You're just some random pirate, don't order me around! Chess, Kuromarimo! Take care of these two while I go ahead!"

"Yes sir!" Chess said, Kuromarimo standing next to him. Dalton growled at this.

"Don't run you coward!" He shouted, running forward. He dashed past both of Wapol's men easily, aiming to bring his blade down on the mans head. An arrow shot through his shoulder, which prevented him from following through on his attack as he fell to the ground. Zoro knew that Dalton was in trouble now, so he advanced quickly and aimed his own blade at Chess' head, forcing both to turn their attention to him as Dalton retreated.

"Don't be so dumb next time!" Zoro said. "They aren't going to let us pass that easily!"

"I know, it was a foolish move." Dalton hissed, breaking the arrow apart but keeping the tip in his arm. It would be foolish to take it out, after all. "I won't make another mistake."

"You better not," Zoro said as he blocked Kuromarimo's strange gloved hands. "Because I don't want to be the people's hero all on my own!"

"We won't allow you two to follow King Wapol!" Chess said as he nocked another arrow. "He will reclaim that castle, and then this country! It is his birthright!"

"Yeah, keep talking." Zoro said as he pushed Kuromarimo away from him and slashed through the arrow that flew for him. "I sure care about your reasons."

"I'll distract Chess," Dalton said. "The last thing you want is to have to fight both of them at the same time."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Zoro said. "Guess you're my opponent afro!"

"Don't mock my hair!" Kuromarimo shouted as he advanced again, spikes protruding from his fists. "I'm the magistrate of the Drum Kingdom! My strength is unparalleled!"

"I'm sure it is!" Zoro said as the two's weapons connected. "Must be hard to be matched when you can just beat up on anyone with your trash kings permission huh?"

"Don't you dare talk about King Wapol like that!" Zoro grunted as Kuromarimo pushed even harder against his blades. "He's a kind and benevolent king! And he will take back the land that he was born to rule!"

"Must be why everyone loves him so much..." Zoro hissed under his breath. Thinking quickly, he raised his foot and kicked at Kuromarimo's stomach, forcing the man away from him. Raising his blades, he aimed them at the man. "Three Sword Style: Tiger Trap!" Raising both Yubashiri and Kitetsu, he burst forth and slashed at Kuromarimo, who fell to the ground in his attempt to dodge the attack.

"Gotcha!" The man shouted. "Chess!" Zoro made a face as the man scrambled away, looking down. A puff of hair was stuck to his leg, just hanging there. After a few seconds an arrow shot through it, and it burst into flames.

"What the hell is this?" He demanded, grimacing. "And what the hell is that smell?!"

"It's my afro gloves combined with Chess' flaming arrows!" Kuromarimo declared. "Enjoy being seared by it!" If anything is was just an annoyance for now, and if he really had to he could take a knee and dip it into the snow. That being said, that would leave him open for an attack from Kuromarimo, and that was the last thing he needed.

"I'm your opponent!" Dalton shouted, slashing at Chess with his blade. The tall man easily dodged the attack though, nocking another arrow.

"You'll have to reach me first, Dalton!" He declared with a laugh. "Can you do that while avoiding my barrages!" Zoro took too long observing the conversation, just barely raising his blades in time to stop Kuromarimo punching him square in the mouth.

"And you'd better stay focused too!" He shouted as Zoro forced him away. "Or else I'll take you out!" Zoro smirked and raised his swords.

"Bring it, afro."

Chopper took a deep breath as he managed to hide from the scrambling voices in the hallway. He could tell that those dumb pirates had been looking for him, yelling about meat and him somehow being a 'Little Bro', whatever that meant. Those people were a bunch of freaks, why the hell were they chasing him?!

"I figured you might be in here." Chopper screamed in surprise as the door to the broom closet was opened, revealing the blue haired girl from earlier. Nojiko, was her name? He couldn't recall.

"Leave me alone!" He shouted as he jumped to his feet. "I don't want anything to do with you pirates!"

"Well that's rude," she replied, crossing her arms as the door shut behind her. "Should I call Luffy over here?"

"Gah! No, don't!"

"That's what I thought." She said, sighing as she sat down on the ground with him. "I'm easier to talk to then those morons, trust me."

"I-I don't care!" Chopper said, turning away from her. The woman didn't seem very interested in listening to him, rubbing at her bandaged hands.

"Kureha told us about Hiriluk," she said, making Chopper's eyes widen and his stomach drop. "About you and him. It was pretty sad."

"I-I don't wanna talk about it." Chopper said weakly as his mind went back to those times. All it did was make him sad.

"It reminded me of my home," Nojiko said. "About my Mom and I." Chopper made a face at this and turned to face her, seeing she now had a far away look on her face.

"It did?" He asked. Nojiko nodded.

"She wasn't my real Mom," Nojiko said. "Nami - that's the redhead if you didn't know - we were adopted. Wasn't the most traditional upbringing, but we were happy with what we had...Until Arlong showed up. You heard of fishmen?"

"I've heard they're brutes." Chopper said, thinking back to the books he'd read on fishmen anatomy. "Big humanoid fish from an island they live on in the Grand Line."

"Right," Nojiko replied. "Arlong and his gang were fishmen pirates. Also huge racists when it came to humans. He came to our island and took it over...We had to pay him or else he killed us on the spot." Nojiko's gaze darkened at this. Chopper could tell it wasn't a happy memory for her at all.

"W-What happened?" Chopper asked, feeling bad for asking.

"We were poor," Nojiko said. "So of course we couldn't pay. Nami and I were too much for our Mom, Bellemere, to pay for. She could only afford herself, or the both of us...Well, I assume you can tell what she chose."

Well, it was pretty obvious.

"W-What did Arlong do?" Chopper asked weakly. The hate he saw grow in Nojiko's eyes worried him.

"Shot her right in front of us," she said, raising her fingers into a pistol shape and pretending to blow the hammer back. "Boom, she was gone. Just like that. Right in front of Nami and I." The story did seem eerily familiar now.

"I-I'm so sorry," Chopper said.

"Don't be, it wasn't your fault." Nojiko replied as she rested her head on the wall behind her. "It sucks, doesn't it? Having a loved one die right in front of you, powerless to stop it. Had Bellemere not adopted Nami and I, she'd still be alive. Had she lied like she was supposed to, it would have worked out. Maybe." Chopper felt bad for what Nojiko had to go through, but he was struggling to grasp her point.

"What does this have to do with me?" He asked. Nojiko turned her head to look at him.

"Well, I figured that hearing my story might make you less lonely." She said. "That and I think you and I were coping the same way."

"How so?" Chopper asked. Nojiko laughed weakly as she looked back up at the roof of the closet.

"Kureha told us how Hiriluk talked about pirates. How the Jolly Roger was the symbol of freedom. Of faith. That if he used it, he too could accomplish anything. It's a rather inspiring way to look at such a bleak symbol. But, you're still here, working, to honour his memory aren't you?"

"Of course I am!" Chopper said. "All the good Doctor wanted was to help this country and it's people, and he paid for it. I'll do it in his place. I'll make sure no one defames that flag atop this castle." Nojiko smiled at this.

"I figured," she said. "You're an honourable raccoon dog, you know that?"

"I'm a reindeer!"

"But, have you considered what Hiriluk would have wanted?" Chopper frowned at this.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I'm talking about your own dreams," Nojiko said. "Surely you have some of your own, right? Something you want to do before you die."

"Uh, I don't really know." Chopper said, knowing damn well that was a lie. "What about you?" This caused a more cheerful look to cross Nojiko's face.

"I wanted to see the world," she said, reaching out with her hand towards the roof. "I remember that from when I was little. I would read about all these fantastic places out there in the world. Where it rained lightning, or places made of candy. Hell, even floating islands or places were animals walked and talked like people, kinda like you. All manner of things that may or may not have existed out there, ready to be discovered." The almost childlike gleam in her eyes made Chopper smile at bit. That was a nice dream to have. "After what happened with Arlong, I'd nearly forgotten I ever had such a dream. I let it go, thinking it impossible or childish. But, so what if it is? My Captain wants to be the Pirate King for gods sake. I think I fit in."

"But what happened with Arlong?" Chopper asked. "You never said."

"Oh," Nojiko said. "That straw hat wearing doofus trying to cook you defeated him. Freed me and everyone else from his grip."

"Seriously?" Chopper demanded, trying to see the connection there. How was that moron responsible for saving anyone?

"It's hard to believe, I know." Nojiko said with a chuckle. "He's not exactly a picture perfect hero. Still, he's the one who showed up to help us. Defeated Arlong and freed my village. My sister. Myself." At this, she took her pistols from her belt and stared at them. "I took up these weapons and joined his crew. Not because I felt I owed him, but because...Well, maybe I'd get to see all sorts of things with him. He's already showed me what I thought was impossible, what else could I see if I was with him? Maybe places like I read about when I was a kid? Even grander?"

Chopper stared at her as Nojiko put her guns away. The way she spoke about her Captain, it seemed he was an okay guy. Well, for trying to cook him anyway. But regardless, Chopper didn't know what to do. He could tell Nojiko meant well, but...

His eyes widened as his nose alerted him to something he hadn't smelt in a long time.

"Oh no," he hissed as he jumped to his feet. "This is bad. Really bad."

"What's the matter?" Nojiko asked.

"Come with me!" Running out of the broom closet, Chopper ignored Nojiko's confused shouts as he ran for Kureha's smell.

"Doctorine!" He shouted as he burst into the office, startling Nami and Yosaku as they lay in bed. "Wapol! Wapol's back!"

"I know," she said flatly. "I see the fat bastard out the window." Gasping, Chopper ran to the window and saw that Wapol was indeed there, riding Robson and laughing manically as he stared up at the castle.

"What's going on?" Nojiko asked as she caught up.

"Wapol is back," Kureha said. "Presumably to tale his country back."

"Yo, you guys!" Chopper turned to see the Captain, Luffy, and the man wearing a blue jacket run into the room. "That fat guy who bit Merry is here!"

"This is bad!" Chopper shouted. "Listen, I need your help! All of you guys! We need to stop him!"

"You hate him too?" Luffy asked.

"He used to be King of this country, but he was a tyrant! He's a horrible man!" Chopper replied. The Captain's face hardened.

"Onward, Johnny!" He shouted as the man next to him gritted his teeth. "Fat guy needs to go!"

"As you wish, Big Bro Luffy!" Johnny shouted as he drew his blade. "Fat man will regret the day he crossed the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"Wait up, morons!" Nojiko shouted out the door after them. "Don't be stupid and get hurt even more! I'm coming after you!" With this she turned back to Chopper. "Coming, raccoon dog?"

"Of course!" Chopper shouted as he jumped from the windowsill. "They'll never get back in this castle! Never again!"

"Ease up, kid." Kureha said as she stood and swigged from her bottle. "I'll go and see him too. Maybe we can talk to him. I doubt it, but who knows." With this the trio left, leaving Yosaku and Nami to themselves.

"Think things will be okay?" Yosaku asked. Nami chuckled as she looked back out the window to see Luffy and Johnny already confronting Wapol with angry shouts and arm waving.

"I'm sure they'll be fine." She replied as she laid back down. "It's one guy."

"Listen up fat man!" Luffy shouted angrily. "You took a chunk out of Merry! And did some things to these people I guess, but I'm going to kick your ass for damaging Merry!"

"I knew you were here, you rubbery bastard!" Wapol shouted back. "Get the hell out of my castle, and my country! I swear, don't make me kill you!"

"Don't threaten my Captain!" Johnny said as he brandished his blade at Wapol. "Or else!"

"Or else what, Glasses?" Wapol asked smugly as everyone else from inside joined them save Yosaku and Nami. "Ah, you! Witch! What do you think you're doing in my castle?!"

"Well after you cowards left it abandoned Chopper insisted we move in." She replied as she played with her liquor bottle. "Insisted it was Hiriluk's graveyard, and that he needed to defend it. I don't really get it, but hey it makes him happy."

"Get out and begone!" Wapol shouted. "It's my castle! You can't have it!"

"It's you who needs to leave!" Chopper shouted. Luffy turned, and gasped as the small reindeer turned into a massive beast. He still somewhat resembled his small form, but he was absolutely massive now.

"Holy crap!" Luffy shouted. "You're huge! How does that work?!"

"I'll never let anyone take the good Doctor's flag down from up there!" Chopper shouted.

"What does he mean?" Luffy asked, turning to Johnny.

"I think he means that," Johnny replied, pointing upwards. Luffy looked, and saw that a Jolly Roger was painted on the flag atop the castle, accompanied by cheery blossoms.

It reminded him of the story he'd been told. At least, part of it.

"Oh, I get it now." he said, voice lower. "It's like that."

"Huh?" Johnny asked. Luffy didn't bother answering him, taking a step forward instead.

And then burst forth, driving a fist into Wapol's stomach.

"Gah!" Wapol shouted as he flew backwards, damn near off the mountain before he slid to a stop, Frowning, Luffy stood up straight and glared at the former King.

"Don't make me kick your ass," he said. "Even if you deserve it for what you did to Merry."

"Who is Merry?!" Wapol shouted back angrily as he clutched his stomach. "How dare you strike me! If Chess and Kuromarimo were here, they'd kill you!"

"Yeah, well, I don't see Checkers or Currymarriedmom anywhere. So you'll have to fight me yourself, your highness!" Wapol growled at this as he jumped to his feet, Robson just standing off to the side looking confused.

"I really wish they were here!" He shouted. "If they were, they might have spared you! But because it's me, I'll kill you! Munch-Munch Shock!" Luffy watched as the man expanded outwards, growing even fatter than he had been before. His arms morphed into cannons, and he aimed them at Luffy.

"What is that?" Luffy asked. Wapol laughed.

"It's the power of my Devil Fruit, the Munch-Munch Fruit!" He shouted. "I can eat and take on the properties of anything I want! Using it, I can use Munch-Munch Shock to take on the look of cannons!" He aimed them upwards, and Luffy's eyes widened as he looked up at the flag.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

"I'm getting rid of an eyesore!" Wapol shouted. "That man was a moron, and his flag is disgusting! I'm insulted that someone would fly such a horrific flag above my castle!"

"Don't!"

Wapol didn't listen, firing the cannon at the flag with no regard for Luffy's words.

Chopper could do nothing but watch as the flag disappeared in an explosion, smoke billowing out from the tip of the castle.

"N-No..." He hissed angrily. "Doctor...!" Rage filling his body, Chopper rushed Wapol and grabbed at him, taking the man by surprise.

"What, so worked up over a flag?!" He demanded as he grappled with Chopper. "Get a new one!"

"That flag was Doctor Hiriluk's!" He shouted angrily, tears threatening to fall. He remembered how his own family had ostracised him. Humans did the same. The only person who ever accepted him as he was was Hiriluk. And Wapol had the gall to shoot at that flag after everything that had happened?!

"Hey! Fatty!" Chopper and Wapol both froze, both looking upwards towards the voice in question. Luffy was standing atop the castle, holding the severed flag pole in his hand. Said flag looked a little tattered, but otherwise okay. Luffy though, he looked positively livid.

"How did he get up there?" Wapol demanded.

"You have no idea what this flag represents," Luffy said. "Those who fly it are dedicated to following their dream! No matter what that dream is! They'd die for that dream! And you think it's disgusting?! You're nothing but a coward! Chopper!" Chopper perked up as his name was called, and Luffy cast him a big smile. "I get it now. Defending a friends dream? There's nothing more honourable. But you're not in this alone!"

As if on cue, Chopper heard footsteps.

"Sword of the Sea: Crashing Tide!" Johnny slammed his blade horizontally into Wapol's stomach, knocking the wind out of the man and sending him sliding back. Gunshots flew off, clanging off of the now metallic chest of the former King.

"Don't worry about a thing, Little Bro Chopper!" Johnny shouted as he twirled his blade. "A real Pirate risks his life all the time! Especially for those he cares about!"

"Don't get cocky, Johnny." Nojiko called from behind him. "I'm getting some shots in on this bastard too." Chopper looked between all three of the pirates that stood by his side against Wapol, a feeling of wonder overtaking him.

These guys are real pirates...Warriors of the Sea, even...They're so cool!