Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece

A Rough Walk To A Mountain

A single sound could be heard across the room. It was the sound of disbelief and shock in one word that summarized how everyone felt at this very moment, "WHAT?"

Dalton coughed and explained to them everything, "Well, Dr. Kureha lives in a castle on the top of that mountain," he then shook his head a little, "And sadly enough she's the only doctor in the country, but her treatment methods make people call her a witch."

Sanji looked outside the window with a huge frown, "Damn it. We need to find a way to get into contact with her." He then looked at Robin, "Her situation is getting worse by the second."

Dalton sighed sadly, "Well, I still have more bad news. We don't have a way to connect her."

Sanji was shocked as Luffy yelled, "There has to be a way. Robin's life is in extreme danger." Sanji then mumbled under his breath, "Damned woman… and she calls herself a doctor."

Dalton then said, "Well, her skills are undeniable for she has treated people with various diseases," he then ran a hand through his face, "However, she is considered to be a bit of a crazy person. This is why people call her a witch among other reasons such as her age being 140…"

Sanji then began to imagine her looks as he said, "140 years?! How is she still alive?"

Nami shook her head, "Even though, is there anyone we can bring her here? We can't let Robin die. She's our friend and we don't want to see her in pain anymore." The look Dalton gave her made her deflate a little bit.

The man then said in a solemn tone, "Well, as much as I want to. There is no way to force her to come here and help you guys." This caused them to tilt their heads.

Vivi then asked in a panicked tone, "Well, how do people get treated if there isn't any way to call her? This sounds ridiculous that the only doctor can't be reached."

Dalton then explained, "Well to put it in simple terms, this woman comes down whenever she wants and goes around the villages and helps the people who need her, but as payment, she tends to take whatever she wants from them even if she left them penniless."

Everyone was shocked by the description of the doctor. At this point, she seemed more like a vicious pirate rather than a doctor who helps the sick and weakened.

Dalton then carried on, "However something interesting about her is that eyewitness accounts say that once she comes from the mountain, she could be seen floating in her sleigh with a reindeer pulling her. I guess that's one of the main reasons people suspect that she's a witch."

He then put a hand on his chin, "Plus, people also saw her moving around with some monster following her…"

This caused Usopp to begin to cry in fear begging them not to go to her.

Luffy in a burst of excitement jumped up, "So cool, I should ask…" he then shook his head, "Focus… heal Robin first, then talk about cool witch…"

Dalton talked once more, "Even though she's a doctor, she's of the people I prefer to have nothing to do with," he looked at them with a sympathetic look, "All I can tell you is to wait and hope that she comes down and help you save your friend. I'm truly sorry."

Nami flopped to the ground with an unreadable expression, "So that's it. We're at her mercy."

Sanji punched the door frame, "What the hell? Of all the places to end up lost in, it had to be the only country that has one doctor in its borders. How come the country has one doctor in the first place?" he then turned to see Luffy walking up to Robin.

Luffy then began to gently wake her up, "Oi, Robin, beautiful flower…" Sanji grumbled under his breath while Vivi couldn't help, but swoon a bit. The black-haired girl opened her eyes as Luffy said, "Robin seems that the doctor lives upside some mountain. I will carry up there."

Nami ran up to him and slapped him upside the head, "Did you lose your mind, you idiot? Take her up there? What kind of lousy plan is this? Don't you have the slightest sense of reality?"

Luffy rubbed the back of his head, "Like I said I'll carry here, and my plane is ten times better than sitting and waiting here for the witch doctor that might or might not come, and I'm not risking it."

Sanji then said, "But still, it's very risky. I know you want her to heal, but the dangers are too…"

The boy cut him off, "It'll be fine. I'm carrying her so nothing could possibly go wrong."

Vivi argued, "Captain Luffy, look at that mountain. It's roughly 3 miles at a 90-degree angle. You can't possibly hope to climb it without destroying your hands, and if Robin falls…"

Luffy sighed, "Look, I know that it's dangerous, but sitting here is even more so. Our best option right now is to climb that mountain even if it destroys my hands…"

Nami butted in, "Forget your hands, you might be able to handle it, but Robin can't. if she falls from that mountain, she'll most likely die. Aren't you afraid for her?"

The boy looked at her, "Of course, I am, but sitting here and waiting for a miracle to happen isn't going to do us any good. I'm going and that's final…"

Robin then supported herself and looked at Luffy. She remembered how Luffy carried her on his back on her island as he jumped from one tree to the other to their safety, "I trust Luffy. Let's do it."

Everyone looked at her and was shocked. Some started to argue with her telling her to reconsider while others were coming up with plans to make sure that she makes it safe up there…

Nami then said, "Alright, give me a couple of blankets so I can put them on Robin while this numbskull climbs up with her. We need to make that she isn't vulnerable to the elements."

While Nami was preparing Robin with Vivi, Sanji walked up to Luffy, "Oi, shitty captain…"

The boy looked at him, "I'm coming with you to make sure that you reach this place in one piece."

A couple of minutes later, Nami came and tied Robin to Luffy's back as Usopp warned him to be extra careful with her given that the slightest hit can cause her to die. Luffy promised to be extra careful with this journey knowing the risks.

While Sanji and Luffy got ready to set off, Dalton gave them a warning, "Look since you two seem serious about climbing this mountain, I suggest that you go to the other side of it since the top from this route is filled with lapins… these are carnivorous rabbits who are extremely hostile to anything. If you come across a pack, then there's no telling what might happen."

Luffy smiled as he ran forward with Sanji with the man yelling, "Be careful, you moron."

As the two went off, Usopp said, "I hope that they can save Robin's life. I'll even begin listening to her morbid jokes… I don't want her to die…"

Dalton then said, "I'm worried about the 3 of them. I hope that they all survive… these mountains aren't forgiving. One slip-up and you're dead. This isn't going to be easy."

Nami then said, "Well, given how Luffy loves Robin, I think everything will be alright. He won't give till she's in tip-top condition. This is kinda romantic in a way if you leave out the death part."

Vivi then added, "I hope that Robin hangs on till they reach the top. She doesn't seem so good."

A huge puff of cold wind blew by them, Dalton looked at them, "Why don't you go inside? It's getting rather cold and I'm sure that you folks aren't used to such cold temperatures."

Nami declined, "No, this reminds me of the nights that issued to in the cold weather at the sea."

Vivi then said, "I don't want to go inside the weather is beautiful even if it's cold…"

Usopp tried to play the cold off saying, "I'm not even cold. I still remember the time that I…" The boy then went on to talk about a time when he fought yetis in a snowstorm on an iceberg that was quickly sinking into the sea while holding a baby on another iceberg.

Dalton then sat on the ground, "Well, if that's the case then I might as well join you people…"

The man looked around and sighed a bit, "This wasn't the situation a few months ago. I mean the doctors that is. There used to be doctors, however, something happened."

Vivi then asked, "What happened if I can ask?"

Dalton then said, "A group of pirates attacked the country and almost wiped it from the face of existence…" Two of them were shocked while the third was sued to what cruelties pirates can do, "it was a small group of 5 and their captain called himself 'Blackbeard', but they totally destroyed everything…"

Usopp whistled, "Wow, for such a small group of pirates to do this. They must have some serious firepower under their belts…"

"But still, their attack as destructive as it was, came with a hidden mercy…" he said wistfully.

The blue-haired girl then blurted out, "What? What good can come from a destructive pirate attack that left an entire country in ruins? I fail to see the mercy in it…" Usopp and Nami agreed with her.

"Well, you see before that attack, we used to have an extremely cruel king who only cared about himself. Once the attack happened, he fled like a coward taking the doctors with him. His name was Wapol, and this kingdom was named 'Drum Kingdom'. This man was a despicable human being who only carried about filling his stomach with food. He was hated by the people for he had brought his country to ruin, but that he's gone was can rebuild it from the ground up…"

Nami then looked at the other two, "Wait wasn't that the name of the man that we saw?"

Dalton looked at them, "What are talking about? How do you know about him?"

Usopp then explained, "When were at sea, we were attacked by a pirate crew whose captain said his name was Wapol and that he was the king of 'Drum Island', but we threw him off board."

Vivi then said, "I know him. I remember from back at the Council of Kings when I was a kid."

Dalton then lifted an eyebrow, "Council of Kings… Hmm… who just are you? People don't just go there for vacation. Are you perhaps royalty?" the girl began to panic, but Nami rescued her.

Nami quickly changed the subject and explained their encounter in detail. The man hummed, "So that punk went to the sea and became a lowly pirate to hide. Scumbag…"

Vivi shook her head, "There's something I can't understand. Why is the king at sea? Why didn't he stay here? Were the forces too much that he was forced to escape the country?"

"Wapol… huh, that monster didn't lift a finger and didn't do anything…" Dalton said with a scowl.

"What do you mean? Did he really just leave?" the blue-haired girl asked shocked that a king would just leave his people in their time of need.

"The moment it was clear that the pirates were too strong to resist, that bastard took the doctors of the countries and left to the sea as I told you before. He didn't even lift a finger to stop them." The man explained looking down at the ground with anger in his eyes.

Vivi then yelled, "HE JUST LEFT. WHAT KIND OF KING JUST LEAVES HIS PEOPLE TO THE WOLVES?"

Everyone looked at her and she said, "How cruel for a king to let his people die while he lives happily. I don't how he can do that and sleep at night…"

Dalton then said, "It is for that reason the pirate attack was a hidden mercy. With Wapol gone, we can begin a new country for those who are left behind."

Nami smiled, "That sounds nice. I hope that you all find peace after that…"

Dalton smiled, "That is what I hope. We are in the process of beginning a new country away from Wapol and his influence. That's why I dread the return of Wapol for he will reverse everything a thousand years back. All our sacrifices will be lost."

He looked in the distance, "That's why we will protect this at all costs."

Sanji and Luffy were currently walking to the bottom of the mountain holding the castle. Luffy then said, "Man, the weather is really cold. I feel my toes are being frozen as we speak."

Sanji yelled, "Why the hell are you wearing sandals in the goddman snow? Just looking at them makes me feel extremely cold on your behalf."

Luffy shrugged, "Sorry, but that's my policy in life. Plus, it makes my feet feel much more comfortable compared to when I use shows. It keeps them free just like I like them."

Sanji looked at him and raised an eyebrow, "I highly doubt that you even know what the word policy even means to begin with…"

He was cut off by Luffy, "Hey, just because I act a little dumb for comic relief, it doesn't mean I don't have brain power." The boy scoffed looking away causing Sanji to apologize.

The two then continued to talk as they ran not noticing a new guest being added to their midst.

Luffy suddenly asked him, "Do you know that people in snowy countries don't ever sleep?"

Sanji looked at him surprised, "Huh? How come? I never heard of something like that."

"Well, if they slept, they are going to die." Sanji looked at him contemplating if he should tell him that he was a moron, but chose to shake his need at this idiocy.

Luffy looked at him and frowned, "What? You don't believe me? I swear that it's true. A guy told me once when I was in a bar back in my village even Robin knows it."

They both heard some type of growl and looked back only to see a small rabbit chasing them, but they decided to ignore it. The little ball of fur then went and started to attack them.

Sanji then said, "How there's a bed in Dalton's house?" he stopped for a moment ducking as the rabbit passed by him asking another question, "Well, Robin slept. How come she didn't die?"

The rabbit bit into a tree breaking it in half as Luffy answered Sanji, "Well, the bed must be for the time that he dies." He then added, "Plus, Robin isn't from a snow island. That's why she can sleep without dying. It's only logical that she isn't affected by this."

Sanji facepalmed jumping to the side from another attack from the rabbit, "That's stupid."

Sanji then said, "Do you know that women from snowy countries have smooth skins?"

Luffy shut him down entirely as he jumped from an attack, "Look Sanji, I like you and all, but you're a pervert and I have a girlfriend. I can't think about these things with her life on the line."

Sanji then burst into flames melting some snow, "Rub it in my face, why won't you?"

The small rabbit monster let out a huge roar as it attacked Sanji who was already pissed off, but the cook kicked it hard, "Leave us the fuck alone. Man, this thing is annoying."

Luffy then said, "What's up with that thing? Do you think that's the Lapin that Dalton man spoke about?" he said jogging. "Hang in there, Robin. We're almost there."

Sanji then berated him, "Be careful. You could hurt her running like a savage in the snow."

They both then stopped as they looked in front of them as an army of huge rabbits stood facing them. Sanji said, "I guess that the baby rabbit is pissed off about me kicking him."

Back with the rest of the crew, Dalton looked up and said, "I hope they're fine. Those Lapins are quite troublesome if you come across them…" This made the crew worried.

Nami then said, "They can't be that bad. I mean sure they eat meat, but they're still cute rabbits." Usopp cursed Nami silently for tempting fate to mess with them.

Dalton then said, "Yeah, the only thing that sets them apart from regular rabbits is that they're the size of a bear, have agility that is found nowhere else, and hunt in packs."

Usopp deflated into the ground, "Yeah, they're the picture-perfect example of cute bunnies."

Dalton then saw a lady walking up to him, "Hey, Dalton. Didn't you say that you had a patient in your house that needed immediate medical attention?"

The man nodded his head only for the woman to say, "Well, guess what? Dr. Kureha went down her mountain to the neighboring village." Everyone then fell to the ground shocked at this unprecedented turn of events.

In a nearby village, a child was crying inside a bar as his father tried to get to the root of the problem because they were about to be kicked out due to the disturbance the child was causing.

Outside the bar, a lady was walking with her pet reindeer, "Do you hear that Chopper? Hehehe…" the woman patted her pet and carried on, "A child's cry is a sure sign of a disease."

The woman then walked up to the door and yelled, "Ready or not? Here, I come." She then punched it open shocking everyone inside the bar as they yelled, "D-D-Doctor Kureha?"

The woman walked in with a smile, "That's my name. don't wear it out because I still need it."

She then asked everyone, "Do you want to know the secret of my youth?" no one said anything except one brave soul who pointed out, "But you look ancient…"

The woman then punched him so hard, he went flying through the wall as she yelled, "Hey, listen here punk and listen well; I'm still in my youthful years…" No one dared to say otherwise.

She then looked at the father, "Do you want me to heal your son or do you want him to cry his eyes out till they run out of tears?"

The man looked confused, "But my son isn't sick. He's just throwing a tantrum."

Kureha smirked, "And are you a doctor like I am?" he was silent. The woman then put the child on the table and her bag. She looked at her reindeer, "Let's go, Chopper."

The boy looked at her and whined, "My hand hurts…" The woman hummed a little examining him.

She then grabbed his leg and squeezed it, "Tell me does this hurt?" the boy began to yell in pain.

The father began to yell in protest, but the woman carried on with her work not minding him. She quickly discovered that there was an infection in the bone of his leg. She looked at her reindeer and said, "Chopper, go and fetch the antibiotics."

The woman looked at the man, "Consider yourself lucky that this can be solved in its early stages, but to be honest, your son was one step away from visiting the cemetery." The man was scared.

The woman then began her treatment of the boy, though he seemed that he was about to die in her hands, but when she stopped, she gave the father some instructions.

The woman then said, "As for your payment, I need some toilet paper, food, rum, and 50% of your money." This caused an outrage in the bar with people calling her a con, but all this stopped when the child thanked her for helping him feel better causing the father to pay up.

With that, the doctor left the bar looking for another target to heal and swindle his money away.

Back with the crew, the guys were with Dalton on a sleigh pulled by two dogs trying to catch up with the witch doctor. Dalton apologized to them, "I'm sorry. I heard that she went down yesterday so I assumed we won't see her till a couple of days later, but I jumped to conclusions."

Usopp then said, "This isn't your fault, so don't worry about it."

Dalton then said, "The problem is now with your crewmates. Even if we rush up the mountain, we won't be able to reach them in time, so the best we can hope is that we reach the doctor and convince her to go back to her castle so she can meet them up there."

The man then apologized again only for Vivi and Nami to counter again telling him that this isn't his fault. The man then focused on the trip ahead of him.

Back with Sanji and Luffy, they both jumped away as one of the huge rabbits attacked them. Sanji then said, "That thing can jump this high? What is it? Some kind of gorilla?"

Luffy then said, "It must be that Lapin that Dalton told us about." The rabbits attacked again, but Sanji kicked one of them away only for both of them to see an army of huge rabbits looking back at them making them feel worried.

Luffy then readied himself to fight, but Sanji lifted his hand, "Don't even think about it, Luffy?" the boy looked at him confused, "You may be in a condition that allows you to fight, but Robin isn't. any movement is fatal to her."

Luffy nodded his head as the rabbits began to attack them both with Sanji trying to hold them at bay, but finally, they were forced to run away from them…

This caused the rabbit to give them chase as Sanji said, "They're following us. Damn it."

Luffy yelled, "I don't care. We have to try and lose them or else Robin might die."

On the shores of the island, Wapol's ship landed as the greedy king looked with a goofy expression, "I'm so happy that I finally returned to my island. I bet the people missed their king."

He said this while his highest guards stood on the defeated forms of the island's coastguard.

The man then looked into the distance, "Oh, look at this sight. Those majestic mountains oversee everything else." He then looked at one of his chiefs, "Chess, tell me if my castle is still fine."

Chess was the sad clown-looking man. The man replied, "Your majesty, the castle seems to be fine. We can head to it right now if you want."

The man then cheered in happiness, "Then let's move to my castle men. I can't wait to go back to being a king and let behind the miserable life of a pirate on the high seas."

The man then kicked his wooly hippo, "Alright, let's get moving, Robson." The hippo didn't move, but it only let out annoyed puffs of steam from its nose, "What's the matter with you? Don't tell me you're still sad about your brother. I'll make it up to you by giving you more food." This seemed to appease the creature as it began to move.

As the king prepared to go to his castle, one of his men came running saying they had something important to say. Wapol looked at him, "What do you to have to me?"

"Your majesty, the pirates we encountered," the soldier then pointed his finger into the distance, "Their ship is on the island. It's docked over there. What are your orders?"

Wapol was furious that the strawhats had come to his island after what happened between them, so he yelled, "Go and kill everyone you find on the ship."

The soldier then said, "But sir, there is no one on the ship, right now…"

Chess then said, "They seem to be incompetent. Leaving behind footprints that will lead them to their location. I don't think that they're smart."

Kuromarimo, the second chief of Wapol, said, "Judging by the direction. This leads to Big Horn, sir."

Wapol scowled angrily, "Well then let's head to Big Horn. Let's begin the return of Drum Kingdom by exterminating some scum from the face of existence."

Dalton sighed heavily with Usopp and the others as he leaned back into his chair, "She already left. I can't believe that we missed her. I guess we have to head back to my village then."

Usopp slumped onto the floor and said, "We missed her. That's so depressing."

A child looked at Dalton and said, "She treated my leg a little ago. I think my dad might know where she is heading. I heard him talking to her."

Nami then walked up to his father, "Please sir, can you tell us where she is? My friend is sick and we really need her help."

The man rubbed the back of his head and said, "I'm not sure, but I heard her talking about going to Gyasta."

Vivi then asked, "And where is this town?"

Dalton explained, "It is a town by a lake further up north. It is a popular place for ice skating."

Nami then said, "Alright, let's start heading there. Every minute we waste standing here and talking with each other might cause Robin her life. I going outside to get ready…"

The doors of the bar were opened by a man who seemed that he had been through hell and back. Dalton looked at him shock evident on his face, "Aren't you supposed to be…"

The man cut him off, "Dalton, we were protecting the coast, but suddenly a ship emerged from the sea and took everyone down except me. You gotta help us…"

Dalton then placed his hands on the man's shoulders, "Calm down so I can understand you."

The man looked at him with a dreadful face, "He's back, Dalton. Wapol is back, and he seems that he is heading toward Big Horn as we speak." Dalton then ran out of the bar and rode a horse toward his village, but he was transforming into a hybrid of an ox and man with the only thing on his mind ending Wapol's reign once and for all.

The man jumped from the horse becoming a full ox as he charged toward Wapol.

Back with the crew, they jumped on the sleigh they came with to head toward Gyasta, but they got lost on the way due to the terrain being extremely snowy, and they missed a sign pointing toward the village that they needed to go to.

Meanwhile, calls of arming and mobilization were being called across the entire Kingdom to protect it for Wapol. People began arming them and heading toward Big Horn to fight.

In Big Horn, Wapol stood munching on the remains of the village having destroyed most of it. The village was on fire, and all of its houses were almost leveled to the ground.

The man then stood up and yelled, "This was delicious. This country and everything in it are nothing, but a snack to me." His men then began to praise him.

Kuromarimo then said, "Your majesty, according to the reports, the pirates are heading toward your castle on the Drum Rocky." This confused the mad king, but his second chief in command explained, "It seems one of their crewmates is sick, and they heard that the witch doctor Kureha resides in your castle so they headed there to get her healed."

Wapol's eyes expanded, "What? That crazy hag is living in my castle. I'll have her executed for this." He then looked at his men, "Straight ahead to the castle…"

He didn't manage to finish his statement as Dalton came down on him striking him with his weapon. The man fell to the ground bleeding from Dalton's hit, "That's as far as you go."

Wapol's men were in shock. No one dared to hurt their king like that.

The man himself was yelling on the ground, "I'm bleeding. I'm going to die. Somebody, save me."

Dalton stood up and said, "That was what I was hoping for, Wapol. You have no place here. Leave and never come back."

Chess and Kuromarimo then pointed their weapons at Dalton wondering how was he alive, but the man pointed out that Drum Kingdom was known for its medical knowledge so they shouldn't be surprised that he cheated death. Kuromarimo then said, "And speaking of medical knowledge, mid-20 come out and heal your king."

A couple of doctors wearing surgery garments came out and began healing Wapol till he was brand new much to Dalton's anger and irritation.

The man hummed happily as he looked at Dalton, "And what did you say? Wapol; I'm sure that it's 'Your Majesty' for you Dalton," the people began to shout at him telling him to leave the island and never come for the crimes that he committed.

Dalton then said, "You took all the doctors for yourself and then forced the people to take impossible measures to get treatment, and even after that you humiliated them," the man clenched his fist, "No citizen should be turned a hostage inside his own country. That's a crime against humanity. And your crime ends here."

Wapol crossed his arms and looked at him, "Did you finish your nonsense? You did? Good." He looked at his soldiers and ordered them, "Kill this man."

Dalton then began to transform, "I was trying to talk out things with you hoping you would see the error of your ways because your father was a great man, but it appears I was wrong in thinking that you would ever become a human being…"

The man then resembled the hybrid from before and Wapol's men began to panic, "This is the power Ox-Ox fruit: Model Bison. Be careful and shoot."

Dalton quickly dodged all of their bullets shocking them before taking them down with one attack, "Fiddle Banff," leaving Wapol and his two chiefs.

The people were amazed by Dalton's power saying that it was the power of a wild animal present inside of a zoan-type devil fruit.

Dalton then repeated his earlier threat, "You have no place here. A kingdom that abandoned its people in their moment of need is better off destroyed, so leave before I force."

Chess scoffed, "Look at him going on and spewing stupid nonsense…"

Kuromarimo mocked him, "Dalton, we used to be chiefs together. Even you know that you can't face me and Chess at the same time. Give up."

Chess then lifted a bow and pointed the arrows at something, "We've known for far too long so that means…" the arrows were being pointed at the people fighting with Dalton, "…I know what hurts you the most."

The people ran toward Dalton telling him that they came to support him only to see him impaled by three large arrows as Chess mocked him, "That soft heart of yours is your downfall."

Suddenly everything began to shake…

With Luffy and Sanji a few moments ago, Sanji looked back to notice that the huge rabbits have stopped chasing them causing him to ask, "Did they stop, but why?"

Luffy frowned as he tightened the binds holding Robin to his back, "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling about this. Something doesn't feel right."

Sanji turned his attention to the rabbits who for some odd reason began to jump up and down. He didn't know what they were doing till it was too late to stop them. "Don't tell me that they're causing…" he saw an onslaught of snow heading toward them, "…an avalanche."

He grabbed Luffy and yelled, "Start running Luffy…" The rubber boy did as he was told trying to hopelessly outrun the oncoming snow… "I swear that when I see those rabbits next time, I'll make them a delicious soup for you to eat."

Luffy yelled through the noise, "What do we do now? We can't outrun it forever."

Sanji replied, "I don't know. I never thought that we'd face suicidal death bunnies today. The only thing I care about is protecting Robin-chwan with our lives." This made Luffy frown.

Luffy then asked, "And how do we do that if we die from being buried alive?"

Sanji then looked around and saw a cliff and pointed toward it, "Let's go to that cliff and hide there till the snow calms down and settle." Luffy nodded his head and they both reached the cliff only to be shocked that they weren't high enough and were about to be covered in snow.

They were thrown into the air, and Sanji was about to be taken away by the snow, but Luffy caught him at the last moment and used a broken tree as a surfing board, but their problem now was that all of their progress was being taken away as they went down with the snow.

Sanji snarled, "All of our hard work to save Robin-chwan is doing down the drain due to some filthy rabbits. I swear that I'll make them into stew the next time I catch them."

Luffy saw something and nudged Sanji, "Sanji, we have guests." He then pointed at something.

The blond-haired man turned his gaze toward the place where Luffy pointed, "For the love…"

Using tree barks as surfing boards, the rabbits were still giving chase to Luffy and Sanji angering the blond man more than he already was, "Alright, that tears it. I'm going to make them extinct."

The bunnies began to attack them with Sanji trying his best to defend them, but the blond man suddenly pushed Luffy off the tree. Luffy was shocked, "What are you doing?"

Sanji smiled, "What a gentleman would do. Protecting a lady." The tree then crashed into a rocky cliff shredding it into pieces as Sanji was dragged beneath the snow. Luffy tried to save him, but Sanji's mitt slipped off the man's hand.

Luffy then put Robin with hat down on the same rocky cliff that they almost died on, "Hang tight, Robin. I'll be back. I just need to save Sanji." The boy felt a gentle squeeze. He wasn't if it was real or not, but he smiled nonetheless before diving into the snow.

Back in the village, Wapol saw the snow coming their way so he yelled, "Chess, Kuromarimo, hop on Robson, so we can leave this place and get out of danger." Wapol's other man began to run away in fear, but the man hardly cared.

As he was making his way to safety, the doctors begged him to take them with him, but his only reply was for them to find a way of their own to survive, but they were all eventually engulfed by the snow that stampeded over everything it came in contact with.

A few moments later, Wapol came out of the snow and spat out Robson, Kuromarimo, and Chess. The man was fuming, "Didn't you say that the brats were going up to my castle." One of his chiefs nodded, "So they must have made this avalanche to slow me down. I'll teach them a lesson when I see them…"

Back at the top of the mountain, a lapin was trying to dig one of its parents out of the snow. It then heard a commotion nearby and turned to see Luffy walking with Robin tied to his back and Sanji being held by him on his shoulder.

The boy looked at it and walked toward it. The creature growled at the boy but was shocked when he freed its parent from the snow. The small lapin hugged its parent as they watched the boy walk into the distance.

Luffy looked at the drum mountain and said, "I'll get us up there, but don't die on me both of you."

Luffy continued to walk till a vice caught his attention, "Look lord Wapol, it's them." The boy looked back to distinctly make out the idiot he threw off his ship not a day back, "Let's kill them all, my lord."

Author's notes:

Hey guys and welcome to a new chapter of my story. In this chapter, we saw the beginning of Luffy's trek to reach the doctor, the introduction to the witch doctor and her reindeer Chopper, and the return of Wapol. The next chapter will carry on from Luffy's confrontation with Wapol to his arrival at the castle and Chopper's backstory in addition to the beginning of the final fight with Wapol.

As always please take care of yourselves, give us your opinion on the current chapter in the review, and tell me which arc you're most excited for.

And finally, I hope that you all enjoy reading my work, and see you next time with a brand new chapter.