The Chronicler

by C-Hablerie

Reality is law. Logic is king. Reason is good. Throw all these out the window and all you are left with is the reality you make for yourself. Some call me The Chronicler, and this is the story of the story I lived. And how I came to chronicle the Legend of the Straw Hat. "I have no idea where I am.[Officially Cancelled. Rewrite: 'Imagine Dreamers', in the making...]

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Return of the Tyrant! Rise Up, Selfless Guardian Angel!

The chill of this place truly was something else. It was a whole new experience.

An uncomfortable one. I had never felt something so cold in my life, having grown so used to the climate of the island, Little Garden, which was quite warm all the time, save the occasional chilly night. This place was completely different.

And there was all this white stuff, falling from the air. What was it called again… snow? It was soft, and fluffy, but so cold. Like rain, but not. It was really pretty…

I just watch it fall slowly from underneath my blankets. It's at least a bit warm under here.

This… ship is my territory. It's up to me to protect it from any intruders. That is what I was. A… Ship Guard. This was an important role, and it was mine. I wonder, if I do a good job will Atalanta be proud of me? I hope she is…

I wasn't alone, of course. There was the green-haired human with the sharp weapons(Zoro, I think his name was) and the duck who still smells like prey to me. But I can't indulge on that instinct, because they are my… pack? Yes, they are part of my pack that I must protect! No eating!

I let my vision wander around the deck. Thanks to how my eyes are, my range of vision is wide, so I'm pretty good at it. The weapon human… I mean, Zoro has shed some of their clothes, which I find strange. Don't humans need those for warmth? So strange.

{What is he doing?} I wonder aloud, though no one will hear my words.

The duck(I am not sure if I remember their name) rests on the other side of the ship, huddled in blankets also. I suppose I'm not the only one who is cold in this strange weather. They are about as far away from me as possible, always. Even when their… something, Vivi, comes to say hello. I like Vivi. But I suppose I understand. They must register me as a predator, just as they are prey to me.

"Alright then," the green-haired human says suddenly, drawing my attention.

The hu… Zoro does some stretches, before leaping off of the ship with a running start, much to my alarm. For a moment I think. Warmth or safety of the pack… The latter wins in the end, and I stand up, shrugging the blankets off of my form, stalking swiftly to the edge of the ship to see.

It soon becomes apparent that my worries were largely unfounded, as I see hu- Zoro stand on the snow-covered ground not too far away. Still, they could have fallen into the water between the ship and land, and even I know that the cold becomes even worse when one is wet.

And then they actually step into the water! Why?!

"Whoah, it's really freezing here!" Zoro stammers while trying to hug themselves for warmth. "My whole body's already going numb!" Again, I must wonder why he seems so intent on suffering this cold.

{Why do you do this?} I ask, not really expecting a response, but it was nice to at least try now that I had actual company.

"Hm?" He sends a look my way, then trailing to the side, where I spot the duck also looking out to the human, despite side-eying me constantly. "Hey, you wanna come here too? Training to resist this cold is really beneficial. It helps build muscle, mental fortitude, and character."

I give him my flattest look. Even to one as inexperienced as me, that sounds asinine. What benefit is there to cold and discomfort? {Are you an idiot?}

{No way, no way, no way!} I blink, looking sideways to the duck firmly shaking its head. Not so much the reaction, but… I could understand that. Somewhat. My wide range of vision then let me notice the human actually dive underneath the cold water, much to my mounting bafflement.

The duck, after done fretting, hadn't been so observant.

{AAH!} The duck screamed, mortified, before making for a jump after the, from its point of view, suddenly missing human. {HE'LL DROWN!}

Unfortunately, their footing wasn't the best, nor did they gain much distance from such a haphazard leap, and would have surely just plummeted into the water below. I wasn't about to just stand idly by.

With my reflexes I was moving the instant I saw the duck's legs flex in preparation, and moved swiftly, extending my arms outwards while bracing on the rail with my clawed feet for purchase, my tail low to act as a counterbalance as I dived forward to grab the duck. She ship slightly tilted for a moment to the side because I was big and heavy. I was as careful and gentle as I could with my claws as not to hurt the duck(harder than I thought it would be), who promptly started flailing in my grasp.

{AAAAAAH! IT'S GOT ME! PREDATOR'S GOT ME!}

{H-hey, stop moving so much!} I growl at the duck, trying so hard not to cause any undue harm. {My hold is hard to do already! My claws might-}

I hear a creak from the part of the ship my foot is clamped on that I find very distressing.

{H-hey, please stop! The railing-}

{AHH, PREDATOR! I'M GONNA BE EATEN!}

*Creak*

{N-no, h-hey! Calm down before-}

There is one last creak the railing beneath my leg snaps, and I'm tilting forward due to losing my foothold and my weight being improperly balanced. I can't stop it!

{YOU PESKY INSOLENT MEAT!} I scream before both the duck and I fall into the water below.

The immediate cold draws the breath out of my lungs and causes my body to turn numb. It's so… so horrifying. It… it hurts! Being in this water hurts!

I release my hold of the duck and try to force my eyes open so I can see. It hurts my eyes, but I need to see. I'm on a deeper part, I just need to grasp onto the shallows, drag myself out! But my body is so hard to move… I don't know how to swim!

My tail! I can propel myself with my tail! Momentum in water is all about pushing water to move! My tail can do that!

I give my tail a few hard swings, as powerful as I can manage. It lets me reach the shallows, where I can drag myself out of the water as fast as I can.

As the absolute bite of the air digs into me, I realize this was a mistake, and that I hate everything about this. I try in vain to hug myself as Zoro had earlier, but my arms are very insufficient for the task. It so… horrible.

A splash of the water's surface tells me all I need to know. The duck comes to the surface, seeming just as bad as I feel right now. And freezes in place pinned down by the burning inferno of fury in my eyes.

{Y-you…} I growl, snarling so my teeth are very visible, unable to not shiver as the air lashes against my body.

The duck gulps, shivering just as badly. At least having the decency to look remorseful. {A-ah… s-sorry…}

At this point, I'm not sure if I'm shaking out of the cold or the burning desire to rend this miserable creature into pieces. To claw, and bite, and MAIM, AND KILL! … But I force that feeling down, closing my eyes and taking deep breaths. The cold burns my nostrils, reminding me of all that fury all over again… but I'm better than this! I am not longer that mad animal!

Finally calming myself, I can confirm that now I just shiver from the cold. It is unpleasant, but it's preferable to falling back to what I had once been. I open my eyes and give the frightened duck a more measured look.

{It's… I'm not going to eat you,} I state clearly. {I just…} I shake my head, frustrated at not knowing what to say. Instead, I look over to the ship. Getting back up will be a bit of a task. And my blankets are over there…

I realize I'm still standing in the water, as is the duck, too afraid of me to move, apparently. I sigh and turn to at least move to the snow-covered shore. {Come, before you freeze.}

The duck looks at me apprehensively as I sneak a glance, inviting them to follow, but ultimately decides that I am preferable to freezing to death. {K-kay…}

The duck slowly follows me, at a distance. I try so hard to restrain my belligerent feelings, but despite the predator-prey instincts at play, the distant behavior… kind of hurts…

I suppose, now that I've had a taste for… for what social companionship is like, to be denied it stings, now that I'm aware how… how wonderful it can be. And I can understand the duck, and they can understand me… Back at Little Garden, I was too deep in my own insanity to even try communication with others of my like. Even then, they seemed so much more… dull. Not as intelligent.

Not like me. The duck was… not quite that, but much closer. Even as I understood them, it was more simple than my words. Like the words came out slightly altered but were still comprehensible. I lack a word for it.

…

{Are you okay?} I ask the duck, giving it a sideways look.

The duck hesitates, momentarily stumbling when my attention shifts to them. But they nod shallowly. {Y-yeah. J-just c-cold.} And apparently dealing with it worse than I am. Makes sense, I suppose. My body is larger, so it makes more heat. At least, I think that's how it works. I'm by no means comfortable, just better off.

Then something catches my sharp senses. Sharp sounds I recognize from memories that seem so distant, but ever so fresh.

Gunshots. Many of them. Not too far away.

{Do you hear that?} I ask the duck. They look around before giving a small, worried nod. My eyes sharpen, as my hearing tries to identify where the gunshots are coming from. It can't be good. {What is your name, duck?}

{E-eh?} The duck startles. {Um, a-ah, C-Carue!}

{Alright. Follow me closely, Carue,} I instruct. {Those sounds are too close. They are a threat to the ship. I must go see what this is about, and would rather not leave you alone here. Do you understand?}

{U-uuh,} Carue fumbles, uncertainty clear in the way they move. {S-sure…}

I nod, and drop low on all-fours, stalking forward. I need to protect this ship, my territory from this potential threat. But first I need to see what that threat is…

-o~O-O~o-

Back at the village of Bighorn. While Usopp and Mikita were talking to Dalton, Vivi took the opportunity to speak to the steely-eyed nurse in private about something on her mind.

"Excuse me, Ms. Nightingale?"

"Hm?" Florence hums, giving her a patient look, waiting for her to continue and say her piece.

"It's just… the way you spoke, back at our ship. When you calmed every one of those people," Vivi spoke, trying to convey her appreciation and wonder, "it was absolutely brilliant. You really have a way with words. And the way you just commanded attention, while maintaining a peaceful front… it was amazing! You pierced right through the discord in their hearts…"

Florence's smile turned a bit crooked as her head tilted a bit to the side. "I simply did the best I could, given the situation." She let her eyes wander the town, and the people going about their business. "Back when under Wapol's thumb, these people suffered greatly. It isn't surprising that the harrowing experiences of that time still linger fresh in their minds."

She looks up at the sky, as the wind is starting to blow snow around. "I simply want to help them heal, and be better off from all this. I want to heal not only the wounds and ails of the body but the wounds on their hearts as well. But I am a mere nurse, so I can only do so much…"

"What do you mean?" Vivi asks, confused. "These people, they seem to adore you. Every time I've seen these people look at you, I can tell. You're a hero to them! Something I… I want to be as well…" Her mood drops, as she recalls what is happening in her home. How that is exactly who she needs to be.

A hero.

"… I'm sorry, Miss," Florence says sadly, turning her steel-like eyes on Vivi. "I know what you talk off. I see it with my own eyes, hear with my own ears, every day. And yet…" She holds up her gloved hand and stares down at her own palm. A snowflake falls on it. "It all seems like a lie, or so my mind keeps insisting."

She shakes her head and raises her head to look Vivi dead in the eyes. "I know you wish for guidance of some sort. Please, elaborate on your situation, and I'll see if I have wisdom to share."

At this, Vivi hesitated. To get an answer she wanted- no, needed, she'd have to reveal her identity. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Dalton telling a story of some sort to a horrified Usopp and an absolutely livid looking Mikita. Vivi took a deep breath and made her choice.

"…I request that you not share this to anyone… please," Vivi pleaded, looking at the nurse for a response, which she got almost instantly in a form of a kindly smile and a nod. "My name is Nefertari Vivi. I was… am the Princess of Kingdom of Alabasta. And my home is in the midst of a horrible civil war orchestrated by a third party seeking to take total control."

"Ah," Florence speaks, "I can see why this is a matter of confidence." She beckoned with her arm. "Please, continue, Miss Vivi. I am all ears."

Vivi bit her lip and swallowed her nerves. "I… I fled my country some time ago, to infiltrate Baroque Works, the criminal organization that is the third party I speak off. Their boss is a very, very bad man, manipulating my kingdom, my home, to destroy itself so that he can take over once the dust settles and everyone is weakened."

Her hands clenched into fists as she thinks of that man. Sir Crocodile. "These pirates… they're helping me return so I can stop the fighting before it can escalate to a bloodbath. To reveal to everyone the truth of what is happening, of who is to blame. I have to stop my home from tearing itself apart!"

Florence listens with the patience of a saint, but as Vivi finishes, the smile on her lips has turned into a stiff line. The nurse's red eyes stare right through her as if seeing into her very soul.

"… I assume you wish for honesty out of this exchange." Vivi nods. Florence's breath comes out in a sigh as her eyes closed for a moment. "Very well."

When she opens her eyes, she's looking at Vivi with an intense look that sends a shiver down her spine. "You are painfully naive."

"E-huh?" Vivi almost recoils at the sharp words. "W-what-"

"You assume your task to be simpler than it is," Florence cuts her off with a shake of her head. "You hope for a bloodless conclusion, where there is none. You hope to resolve a conflict, alone, where such just is not feasible. Your plan will not work."

Vivi can only gape at the sudden harshness coming from the kindly woman. "B-but… if I just get them to talk, to listen to one another, to hear the truth-"

"Your enemy will simply make use of the supposed peace talks to incite more conflict," Florence states with absolute certainty. "You are not the only one who can infiltrate enemy forces, do not think so for a second. There will be enemy units within both the 'loyal' and 'rebel' camps, who will take any opportunity to stoke the flames of hatred if they are about to go out. No matter what you do, blood will be shed, lives will be lost. Just informing someone that a snake has a head controlling it does not stop the head from making their own moves. Only it's severance will lead to results."

Having her dreams and aspirations torn down so cruelly, Vivi couldn't help but grow a bit angry. "How can you be sure? How are you so certain that what you say is true? What kind of authority on the subject do you think you have?!"

"Because I have seen war." Vivi's anger quells almost the moment she sees the look in Florence's eyes as if dunked in cold water. The nurse's eyes, still hard as steel, showcase the darkness underneath unmasked and unrestrained.

Vivi has never seen such burning, hollow eyes.

"I served as a war nurse in the front lines," Florence said, her voice clear and measured. "I saw soldiers brought to the medical tents, all day, all night. Those injured by gunfire, shrapnel, burns, and so much more. I witnessed people whose legs and arms I needed to assist in amputating. People who writhed from their burned skin peeling off. People whose faces were so damaged that one could barely identify them as human.

"Day after day, night after night. There was no end to the injured. The battle outside blind to their suffering, uncaring of their pain. Only doctors and nurses, who barely could sleep due to how many needed them, cared for them. And even then, some needed their attention more than others. The whole tent reeked of disinfectant and blood and burned flesh, nothing to hear but the groans, moans, and screams of discomfort and pain.

"I stood vigil over them, each and every night, with only a lamp to guide my step and hand, doing all I could to ease their suffering. But I knew my efforts would only give momentary peace of mind because even if they left the tents alive, the beds would be filled again by the end of the day, and it would all start again, and again, and again-"

"Florence!"

The nurse jolts out of her episode, eyes opening wide, realizing that her whole body is shaking, only kept steady by a firm, strong hand gripping her shoulder. She blinked, first seeing Vivi, sprawled on her behind in the snow, wearing a look of horrified guilt. Then here eyes track to the hand holding her, grounding her, pulling her in.

Dalton pulled the still shaking woman into a gentle embrace to make her at ease, and to calm her mind. An embrace that Florence accepts and leans into, only then remembering to breathe, inhaling and exhaling shakily, trying to collect herself. Leaning her forehead into Dalton's firm chest, she breathed in, and out. Slowly, in a rhythm.

Rubbing soothing circles on the nurse's back, Dalton shoots Vivi a stern glare. "What happened?"

"I-I," Vivi tries to stammer out, unable to look away at the woman who had just completely unraveled in front of her eyes. Because of her. "I'm sorry, I didn't- didn't mean to… I-"

"No," Florence intersects, her voice more steady. "This was… my misstep. I… apologize for losing it like that, and frightening you, Miss Vivi."

"Florence, none of this is your fault," Dalton gently admonishes the woman in his arms, ignoring the slight recollection the spoken name causes in his mind for now.

The woman slowly pushed against Dalton, who lets her go as she steps back, breathing now even and her eyes back to their normal steely look. Still seeming a bit rattled but masking it well, she turns to the people around her, namely Vivi, and Usopp and Mikita whose eyes were also on her. They all were clearly worried about her.

"I'm fine now. Just a momentary lapse," Florence tries to wave off and ease their concerns with a shallow smile. "It… happens, from time to time." She stepped closer to help Vivi back on her feet.

Vivi, too afraid to say anything for the fear of making things worse, and just accepted the woman's help. She couldn't wipe the guilty expression off her face, however. She almost flinched when Florence's hand rested on her shoulder as the woman leaned in to whisper in a quiet, low voice.

"The ending you seek is not easy or simple. But chase your goal regardless, with all your heart. But do not ignore the cruel realities of the world."

Vivi was left blinking as Florence stepped back and immediately headed back inside Dalton's homestead with a measured gait that tried very hard to not seem like someone desperate to run away from sight.

Vivi couldn't meet Dalton's eyes, her guilt too heavy. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't…"

"No, it's okay," Dalton cut her off, hand lightly raised. "You couldn't have known of Florence's issues. Not many do. Your genuine remorse is enough." He sent his own home a look, brow frowned in worry. "Sometimes she wakes up in the dead of night due to the nightmares. They've been lessening lately, and I do all I can to ease her worries. But some things just cling onto us, no matter what we do."

"… You got that right," Mikita says, hugging herself for warmth. "I've… seen something like that before, but never that strong of a reaction."

"Seems like she's had it rough," Usopp mumbles, looking deep in thought. "I guess even people like that aren't invincible."

"None of us are," Dalton agreed. "What matters is we do what we can with the hand we're dealt."

"Oh, there you are, Dalton!" The man saw a large woman approach them. "Seems you're being busy, as usual."

"You could say that," Dalton agrees with a slight smile. "Helping these people get in contact with the doctor is quite a task. Their friends are well on their way to the Drum Rockies by now."

"The doctor? Oh, that's a shame," the woman said cheerfully. "See, I heard that she was in the next town over right now!"

…

And then everyone erupted.

"WHAT?!"

-o~O-O~o-

"What the hell is with these rabbits?!" Sanji shouts as he sends another of the rotund, human-sized rabbits flying back with a kick, only for it to hop back on their trail almost immediately. And Sanji wasn't pulling his punches- err, kicks. "Seriously, stay down already!"

"Gum-Gum Bazooka!" Luffy exclaimed, slamming his hands onto another Lapahn, sending it flying even further. At least that one would have to catch up. "Man, these guys are really tough!"

"Their thick fur and a layer of fat protect them from most of your strikes," Atalanta said in her bear form, as she dodged a Lapahn that got past her perimeter guard, which was swiftly dealt by a brutal kick to the head from Arlong.

"Blunt force is ineffective," the Saw-Shark fishman growled. "That's fine! I've got ways around that!"

"No, please don't seriously harm them!"

Sanji gave Atalanta a strange look. "I'm sorry, Atalanta-chan, but they are really-" A kick. "-intent on tearing us to pieces!"

"They're just protecting their territory and hunting for food!" Atalanta protested passionately. "Please, just keep fending them off, and don't cause severe injuries! Those could be fatal in this sort of climate!"

"Tch!" Arlong scoffed, strongly backhanding a Lapahn leaping at him into another one behind it. "You're too soft, human!"

"They have families to feed and homes to protect! I cannot hate them or wish them harm knowing that!" Atalanta yelled out, hopping to the side to avoid a Lapahn that Luffy kicked away. "So please, just trust me like I trust you and keep running!"

"I trust you, Atalanta!" Luffy declared, briefly turning around to send a barrage of punches to the horde chasing them. "Gum-Gum Gatling!"

The two humans, one fishman, and a human-turned-bear then ran for their lives, while chased by the carnivorous Lapahn, that were proving increasingly determined to catch them. Fortunately for Atalanta, Sanji, Luffy, and Arlong were incredibly proficient at keeping the ferocious animals at bay. Only a few could get past them, but those Atalanta's polar bear form could evade easily enough.

The bear-huntress was not upset that she could not help them that much because she knew how important her role truly was. Keeping Nami safe was their top priority, and the weight of that literally rested on her shoulders.

"H-hey, I think they gave up!" Sanji calls out. The three others turned, and the Lapahn had indeed stopped their pursuit, instead glaring at them from a distance.

Immediately, Atalanta's primal instincts flared.

"Halt!" She exclaimed, stopping and pivoting in a single fluid movement that seemed infeasible for her current size. Her three guards stopped slightly behind her.

"Atalanta, what's wrong?" Luffy asked, perhaps sensing the urgency in Atalanta's tone.

"They stopped, so why have we?" Arlong growls, his guard refusing to lower.

"Something is wrong… they stopped too suddenly," Atalanta speaks, observing the Lapahn with a keen eye. "They've stopped for a reason. See, they're looking at us. We're still the center of their attention, but they ceased their chase."

"… They have a plan," Sanji concludes severely.

"Exactly," Atalanta agrees.

And then the large rabbits start hopping in place, causing quite the ruckus. But more importantly, causing tremors in the earth.

Atalanta frowned. "Why are they…"

It is Sanji who clues in first to what is about to happen. "No way…"

"Hey, what are they doing?" Luffy asked.

"They are trying to cause an avalanche!" Sanji shouted.

"What is that?" Atalanta asked, having grown up in an area of the world that did not experience much in terms of heavy snowfall, therefore not having experience in what was about to happen.

"It's like a mudslide, but with snow!" Sanji tried to explain.

"WHAT?! That's incredibly bad!" Atalanta screamed out, already turning around. "We need to run, now!"

And then the avalanche started, and utter chaos ensued.

-o~O-O~o-

Meanwhile, back at Bighorn…

"…Oh my," Florence spoke out loud, covering her mouth with a hand as she inspected the damage. After loads of prodding and a stern order, she'd managed to wrestle Abel into taking off his clothes to take a look at the injuries on his back. She had expected… well, what she expected was not this.

"Yup," Abel said, popping the 'p'. "Pretty bad."

That was, in Florence's own professional medical opinion, a stark understatement.

"… please, inform me as to how this could have possibly happened," Florence asked- no, pleaded for an answer that made sense with what she was looking at.

"Back slashed by claws from a genetically engineered super-dinosaur on a rage bender- you've seen them, back at the ship, we call them Indora -followed by a powerful experimental explosive detonating prematurely behind me at close range, which involved a lot of heat and fire, capping the course of events in me slamming back first into a tree after a nice roll in the dirt from the blast."

"…" Florence had no words, only seeking some indication that what the man had just said was a joke from the other person in the room. To her utter dismay, young Marianne just gave her a look and a very resolute nod. "…That is… a lot." And would explain how this injury came to be.

But that raised even more questions.

Abel's back had been almost literally split apart close to the spine, the three gashes going almost vertically down their back, and running deep. A wound like that would have led to death by blood loss in short order, if not for the accidental cauterization, which had happened while a LITERAL EXPLOSION had agitated the wounds further. By all rights, Abel should not be physically able to move, much less walk as he did.

"And… you treated this…" Florence was almost afraid to ask.

"Cleaned up the wounds with strong alcohol and covered it up. About the best anyone could do, since none of us are exactly surgeons," Abel provided, further shocking the nurse with how… casual he was being about a literal life-threatening injury. But it was the best move, Florence admitted. Trying to fix… this would be taxing, even from a trained surgeon. A novice with no clue what they were doing would just make it worse.

Granted, the scarring would be permanent and very extensive. His back would forever retain a rough, leathery texture and the three prominent slash marks. But as bad as Abel's back looked, by his account, which Florence had to accept as accurate, his back should be far, far worse. He should be close to paralyzed for weeks, perhaps even months from just how severe the burns were alone. His back should not be healing as well as it was, not at such a fast rate. Healing to this stage should have taken several weeks, not literal days!

It made no sense, and it most assuredly was not normal. There was something strange about the man by the alias Cain Abel.

Even his base physique was strange. Despite clearly being male, his physiology held far too many female characteristics. Light skin, so pale it almost bordered on albinism. A curvaceous waistline and slightly wider hips. His facial bone structure was also feminine, heart-shaped with slightly pronounced cheekbones. Even his eyelashes were longer and fuller than usual for men. Florence theorized it might be some form of an extensive genetic defect. Perhaps he was born with a severe hormone imbalance? Mutated chromosomes?

"So, is your professional curiosity sated? Can I put my clothes back on now?"

Florence snapped back into focus and out of her line of thought. She shook her head. "No, I am quite done. There's not much I could do to assist at this stage, anyway."

Abel rolled his eyes and started reapplying his multiple layers of clothing. That was another oddity Florence noted. Abel was hypersensitive to cold temperatures, for some reason.

"So, now that I've indulged you," Abel spoke up, taking his old post on Marianne's blanket right next to the fireplace, "do you mind to indulge me for a bit?"

"I suppose it's only fair." Florence had been a bit forceful in her inquiries. Out of medical necessity, of course. She truly just wanted to see if Abel was alright… even if she still found her findings hard to process. So she just took a seat on the nearby guest bed, her bed, and allowed herself to relax a bit.

"So, you've been here a while?"

"Yes, almost two years now, I believe." It had been… quite an eventful day, full of confusion and questions. "It was… quite a shock, to suddenly not be home. I was lucky to have help along the way from the kind people of this island."

Abel gave her a sidelong look. "Would that be shortly after the war?"

And just like that Florence's mood dropped slightly, but she didn't let it show. "Ah. Yes, I believe you are right in your assumption. I ended up here… well, not even half a year after the conflicts in Crimea drew to a close."

"…You doing okay?"

Florence recognized that. A loaded question, but one made with good intentions. Vague enough to leave an out, in case the answerer got too anxious to tell the complete truth. Endearingly considerate, which made Florence smile crookedly.

"I'll admit, I still have dreams of those days," she admitted but chose not to dwell on the memories that threatened to bubble up. "Dalton has done a lot to help me through my issues, and I cannot thank him enough for making the effort for a mere nurse like me."

"And yet you downplay yourself for the umpteenth time today," Abel remarked in a light, playful tone. It actually managed to draw a short chuckle out of Florence.

"I suppose you are correct," she admitted again, her smile turning a bit less crooked. Healing, after all, was a slow process. "You are very perceptive, 'Mr. Cain'."

"Urg," The crossdresser gagged. "Please never do that again. Makes me feel so old. I'm not even thirty for a few weeks!" He took a teacup Marianne offered and stood up to walk over and hand it over to her. "Tea?"

"Oh, please," Florence accepted readily, giving the warm beverage a deep inhale to smell the pleasant aroma. No matter what happened, you couldn't get the love of tea out of an Englishman, or woman. "You look very youthful for your age."

"It's a blessing, and a curse," Abel replied in good humor. He then waited for Florence to try the tea. It was green tea and perfectly brewed. Warm, but not too hot. It was absolutely lovely. "So, about Dalton…"

Florence merely hummed in response, the tea causing her to relax.

"You fucking?"

It was only through a herculean effort that she kept the tea in her mouth, even if she did inhale some down the wrong pipe. She swallowed the rest and coughed the tea out of her lungs, but at least she didn't spit it out. Very unladylike. And based on the amused smirk on Abel's mug, it had very much been his intention.

"E-excuse me?" Florence stammered amidst her coughing, feeling the heat of her blood rushing to her face out of sheer mortification.

"Come on, it's so painfully obvious that there's something with you two," Abel rolled his eyes, sipping his own tea. "So spill. What's up?"

"Must you be so crude?" Florence deflected with a frown, trying to get her blush under control. "There are children present!"

"I'm sixteen, not five," Marianne spoke up, breaking a long silent streak.

"You're sixteen?" Abel asked, shooting the diminutive artist a look. "Damn, you're tiny."

"And you look like a girl," Marianne shot back with a blank look on her face. "Your point?"

"Touché," Abel admits, shooting the young girl double finger guns, who just rolled her eyes before returning her attention to her tea and rice crackers. Unfortunately, this meant that his attention was right back to Florence, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "Soooo?"

Even without a single specific word, the overt implications of his query caused the very reserved Florence to almost burst into a tomato-faced fool all over again.

"I…"

"M-Miss Florence!"

Oh, thank God, a distraction!

Florence schooled her features and tried to act like she hadn't been quite flustered just moments prior, as she faced the woman who had just burst in. An occasional patient of hers, so she knew her by name. And she looked very distressed. "Yes, Margory?"

"I-it's him! He's back!"

And like that, awkward questions were the furthest thing from Florence's mind. Her expression grew grave. "I see." She turned to the guests at her- Dalton's home. "I'm sorry, but I have to ask you to stay out of sight, where it is safe."

"Say no more," Abel responds with a confident grin, both hands going to his skirt pockets, pulling out a black derringer in one hand. "We're good."

Florence gave a brief nod, turning back to Margory. "Please, find shelter in case things escalate." And with that, she departed. She had people to protect.

…

Abel looked at his other, empty, derringer free hand. That lacked the white twin of his other tiny firearm.

…

"Where the fuck is Satanael?"

-o~O-O~o-

Outside, Bighorn had already suffered damage thanks to the former ruler's voracious Devil Fruit induced appetite. Houses here and there were missing big chunks bitten off by a rotund man's size-shifting jaws. The people were doing their best to stay out of sight and out of the crosshairs of the armed forces and their cruel leader.

"Ah, it's good to be back!" Wapol cheered, utterly uncaring of the disturbance he was causing.

"Indeed, a most wonderful feeling, King Wapol," remarked his jester-like lackey, and former Minister of Defense, Chess. "It has been far too long since this place has beheld the privilege of your presence!"

"Darn right! Maaaaaahahahahaha!" Wapol cackled in egomaniacal glee.

"News, my King," his other lackey, Kuromarimo spoke up as he approached. "Seems your suspicions were confirmed. The Straw Hats were seen heading for your castle."

"Huh?" Wapol asked with a sneer. "What possible use would they have for heading for that empty place? We took every damn thing when we left." Well, save for the things in the weapons vault, but no one needed to know that.

"Well, it seems that Kureha has rudely taken residence in the castle during your absence," Kuromarimo explained.

"That hag? In my castle?!" Wapol sneered in rage. "That woman has some nerve! I'll punish her for this transgression! And those Straw Hats while I'm at it! I'll-"

"You will do nothing."

"Huh?!" Wapol snarls in disdain at being interrupted, looking for the perpetrator of this most severe transgression. "Which one of you cretins dares interrupt the king?!"

Amongst some of the people in hiding, a woman stepped forth. A woman who Wapol vaguely recognized, but couldn't remember. "Eh, who the heck are you?"

"My king, that is the nurse who refused to enter your service, Nightingale Florence," Chess provided.

"Oh, that damned bleeding heart of a fool," Wapol remarked in faint recollection. "So just another traitor."

"The only traitor in this place is you, Wapol," Florence stated, glaring at the obese former monarch. Her heart held no place for fear, only duty. "You ceased being the king of this island the moment you fled it in their time of need, like the spineless coward you are."

"You dare insult me?" Wapol growled. "You'll regret that!"

Florence stood her ground, her eyes not focusing on Wapol or any of his goons. Instead, she was searching for something beyond them.

"Men, show that woman how we punish traitors!" Wapol ordered, pointing at the woman with cold, cruel eyes. "Take aim!" At his call, his men aimed their guns at Florence without any hesitation. On the inside, the woman scoffed at the fact that these people would follow a slime like Wapol so willingly.

"Now, if you get on your knees and beg, I might find it in my heart to forgive you! Mahaha-!"

"That won't be necessary," Florence cut off the tyrant's obnoxious laughter. "It is likely you all will be too blind to see such things." Out of the corner of her eye, Florence saw some of the villagers whisper amongst each other, as most of them got out of the line of sight. She smiled faintly at them catching on to her subtle message.

"Huh?" Wapol sneered. "What's that supposed to-"

Wapol's eyes, as well as those of Chess, Kuromarimo, and his guards, were on her. Florence grinned as she spread her arms wide. It was a perfect time.

"Angel Flash!"

Before he could finish his sentence, two things happened at once, in almost perfect synergy. First, Florence's form shone with a blinding light, making everyone present shield their eyes as the light shot into the air. Second, a charging Dalton crashed into Wapol, knocking him off his mount and slashing at him with his spade-blade.

Meanwhile, the light in the air dispersed, revealing Florence in her Full Zoan Form. A halo of light shone brightly above her head, and her eyes glowed gold. From her back sprouted six large, pure white wings, four spread out and the two middle wings crossed over her middle. She held out her arms as if embracing those below, as her wings glowed brightly.

"Seraphim Binds!"

Bolts of light shot out from her wings and rained down into Wapol's armed guard, striking at their weapons with enough force to disarm them, and then locking their arms together in binds of light.

"W-what the hell?!"

"This light's like a pair of manacles! How's it this solid?!"

"What kind of Devil Fruit is that?!"

Unfortunately, only about twenty of Wapol's men were restrained. The rest were already recovering and aiming their weapons at the airborne angel and firing, which the woman swiftly dodged due to her superior aerial mobility her multiple wings granted. They were quickly dealt with, cut down by Dalton's fast attacks.

Kuromarimo quickly took stock of the situation, choosing to focus on having Wapol healed by the doctors in their employ. Chess had other ideas. The jester-like man grinned.

"What a sneaky tactic. How unlike you, Dalton." He drew his bow and three arrows, aiming at the crowd of people charging their location. "But you both are just too predictable!"

In the air, Florence had a good view of what was about to happen, while Dalton was momentarily distracted and too far to do anything. While his Half-Bison Form was fast, Florence knew that in a bind she was faster. Her wings glowing, she rocketed herself in front of the people just as Chess released his three arrows loose. All of her wings folded protectively around her as she reached out with her hands, a sheet of hard light appearing before her. Her concentration was already strained from keeping some of Wapol's men bound, so it was not as strong as she'd hoped. It would have to do.

"Heaven's Wall!"

The first arrow hit the wall of light and bounced off.

The second arrow hit the wall and also bounced off, but made it crack.

The third arrow pierced the wall partially, making the cracks widen. But the wall of light held, and Florence allowed herself to sigh in relief that her defenses had held. This momentary lapse in concentration was her sole mistake.

A fourth arrow, unseen by her, penetrated the wall and shattered it. Florence gasped, her eyes shooting wide as her wings and the halo over her head broke into light and vanished in an instant. Simultaneously, all the men her light had bound were freed.

"Miss Florence!" The people behind her screamed in horror. Forcing herself to stand on her feet as she stumbled a step backward, she looked down at the arrow that had impaled her right through the chest and out the back. The woman of medicine in her instantly realized it had pierced her left lung. Not instantly fatal, but still quite severe. Perilous, but survivable. Her feet stumbled back, but she refused to fall just yet, even as she struggled to breathe through the pain the action brought.

"Bleeding hearts, the both of you traitors. So predictable," Chess chuckled, notching another arrow to finish the job he started. "For assaulting the King's armed forces, I sentence you to death, you insolent woman."

Florence tried to muster her powers for even a weak hard light barrier, but the glow in her hands flickered on and off. She couldn't concentrate enough. Her light powers required concentration, and her Zoan was not really good for combat, as she was no fighter. But this meant that if injured severely enough, Florence would be almost defenseless.

Chess released his arrow, aimed straight at Florence's heart. Time slowed to a crawl for the nurse. She could stumble out of the way, but then the arrow would hit the people behind her. She would not allow that. She was thankful it was meant for her, and not the people she had grown to cherish with all her heart.

So, accepting her fate, Florence stared death head-on, just as she had every night in her dreams for the last two years, even as her legs threatened to fail her. Only to be gently brushed aside and caught in a strong embrace as a form stood in front of her to accept the blow meant for her.

"Dalton!" The people yelled out as the man in his half-bison form took the arrow to the shoulder with a stalwart expression.

Florence stared up at the man holding her. The man who had given her his hospitality when she first appeared on this island, who had earned her deepest admiration for his nobility and his caring soul. She tried to speak, "D-Dal-GHK-" only to end up coughing up blood, sending bursts of pain to course through her chest.

"Mahahahahaha!" Wapol, no fully healed, laughed. "Found a woman, have you? Pathetically soft, a perfect fit for you! That heart of yours was always your weakness, Dalton! Mahahahahaha!"

Dalton glared thunderously at the monarch mocking the most noble, selfless woman he'd ever met. "You bastard…"

"Chess, kill these traitors!" Wapol ordered with a wicked smile.

"Oh well," Chess said, reaching for more arrows, "I suppose I'll get to finish off the both of you at onc-EEEEEEEAAAH!"

In the middle of his motion, Chess was blindsided and picked up by the middle in a crushing grip filled with sharp teeth. Everyone could only stare in shocked bafflement as a large black dinosaur rushed past the scene almost out of nowhere, dragging the former Minister of Defense along.

"W-w-w-w-w-WHAAAAAT?!" Wapol exclaimed, eyes popping out of his skull, many of his men mirroring his reaction.

"GYYYYYAAH!" Chess screeched as he was throttled in the toothy jaws, the motion causing teeth to cut into his middle like a saw. Then he was tossed into the air, as the dinosaur pivoted sharply, slamming its powerful tail right into Chess' face and slamming him straight into the ground.

The man landed onto the cold snow in a heap, totally knocked out and bleeding heavily from his middle. Finally, a clawed foot stomped down on the already beaten man's back, eliciting an unconscious yelp.

Standing tall and proud on two legs, Indora let out a fearsome roar, before setting its burning crimson eyes on the men it had been trailing for the past few hours. The soldiers in Wapol's employ quivered at the fearsome beast straight from the depths of hell.

"I-is that a dinosaur?!" One of the militia asked in open awe.

"That it is," Dalton answered, a grin forming on his face. He'd seen it stand guard at the Straw Hats' ship, glaring at them all with burning purpose even as his men had held them all at gunpoint. "It's on our side, so don't attack it!"

Dalton could swear that at his declaration the dinosaur shot him a grin before focusing all its fearsome fury at Wapol and his forces.

But before anyone could do a thing, a rumbling took everyone's attention, as a cascading plume of white quickly approached the village.

"Aah, an avalanche!" Wapol yelled and hopped onto his mount, Robson the White Walkie. Kuromarimo quickly sprinted to hop onto the mount and thew two started to flee, abandoning their men, Chess, and the doctors to their fate.

Meanwhile, Carue, who had been in hiding all this time, staring at Indora's fearsome and fearless acts in awe, sprinted into action and ran for the injured pair of Dalton and Florence.

But time was short before the avalanche ran over the town…

-o~O-O~o-

A webbed hand pushed out of the thick snow, and with his above-human strength, Arlong pulled himself free from his cold prison. Taking a deep breath, he let out a few coughs at nearly suffocating under the layers of snow. What an undignified thing for a fishman to die from. To drown in frozen water.

Even with his resistance to cold, he was really starting to feel it after that experience. With one last push, he was free to stand on the snow, looking around. Annoyingly, and somewhat worryingly, he saw no one else. Not the Straw Hat, not the Cook, nor the Bear-shaped Huntress. Which also meant that Nami was nowhere to be seen.

"Damnit…" Arlong growled. The avalanche had really gotten them all off-guard. And his hat was gone! Damn those bear-rabbits…

Spotting slight movement out of the corner of his eye, Arlong snapped into a combat-ready stance. This week was just an ongoing series of annoying events, and he was about done with today in general. So when a black-tipped snout poked out of the snow to sniff at the air, he was ready to pummel whatever came out within an inch of its life.

Then large paws erupted out of the snow, following them a form of a familiar large polar bear. The sight made Arlong both relax and do a double-take in worry.

There was no one on the bears back.

"Whoo! That was close," the bear gasps cheerfully, pulling herself fully out of the snow and shaking the snow out of her fur.

"Where's the girl?" Arlong asks casually, very intent on masking his worries.

"Hm? Oh, don't worry!" the woman in bear-form said, waving a paw at him in a placating gesture. "When things got rough, I tossed Nami to Luffy, who could look after her better in that avalanche thing. Good thing too! I was absolutely buried down there! Thankfully bear claws are really good at digging through this stuff!"

Arlong sighed in relief, masking it as a scoff. He then looked around. "Any clue where the others are?"

"Unfortunately, not one," the woman says, sniffing the air. "I can't find their scents. The snow has completely masked them." She then looked at Arlong with a determined expression. "But I have full confidence that they are well! We should head closer to the mountain and meet with them there!"

"Not look for them?" Arlong asked, out of idle curiosity.

"We don't have the time," Atalanta responded easily. "There's too much area to check. Our best bet is to head towards the biggest mountain and wait near the base, or climb to the top. We have to trust that our companions will meet us there."

Arlong nodded. The reasoning was sound.

"Great! Let's go, friend Arlong!" Atalanta turned around and started running towards the mountain in the distance. Arlong grunted at the unnecessary addition before his name, but followed after, easily keeping pace with the bear's gait.

It went on like this for a few minutes, just a fishman following a large polar bear.

"By the way, I've been wondering something for a while now," Atalanta wondered out loud.

"Hm?"

"What are you, exactly?"

Despite himself, Arlong tripped on his own feet and ate snow in surprise.

"Hey, you okay?" Atalanta halted, looking back as Arlong coughed snow out of his mouth.

"Fine," Arlong grumbled, somewhat embarrassed by his slip-up as he got up to his feet again and kept running, with Atalanta following beside him. "I assumed you knew."

"Why?" the huntress asked, cocking her head.

"Because you never made a big deal about it," Arlong answered.

"Huh? Why would I?"

It boggled Arlong's mind, how innocent and sincere the question was. The years of unquestioned cynicism made it all the more jarring and hard to believe… but that was why he was here, to begin with, wasn't it? Because that cynicism had been cracked by that infuriatingly adamant crossdresser.

"Never mind." Arlong didn't wish to answer that question. "I'm a fishman, part of a race that live predominantly underwater, on the Fishman Island at the bottom of the sea."

"Oh, like a mermaid or the Nereid?"

"Don't know what a Nereid is, but Mermaids are part of the Merfolk. A sister species, sort of," Arlong tried to explain. The genealogy of fishmen and merfolk were… complicated. His own mermaid half-sister came to mind.

"Ah, I see," Atalanta nodded with a beaming smile on her bear muzzle. "Your kind must be beloved by Poseidon."

Arlong almost fell over again but managed to right himself after a brief stumble. That was a very old name, from old fairy tales. Arlong himself only recognized the name, not the story behind it. And if Atalanta was just like Abel, that is to say from another world… "How do you know that name?"

"Ah, sorry. I just assumed, since I still tend to forget that this is not my realm, but I'm surprised we share a commonality," Atalanta said with a chuckle. "Back in my world, and time I guess, Poseidon is the God of the Sea and Water. He and his brothers, Zeus and Hades, are the three reigning gods of our Pantheon, ruling the skies, the sea, and the underworld respectively."

"Not the earth?" Arlong asks, somewhat curious to learn of the woman's world.

"Not as such. As far as the gods are concerned, the earth belongs to the mortal races," Atalanta explains the best she can. "It is where people, animals, and creatures thrive, their place in the world. The gods may hold dominion over the places they are worshiped in, but they mostly leave things to their own devices… usually, anyway."

Arlong grunted in return. That certainly sounded fairer than what the "gods" of this world considered everything else. The mere thought of them was revolting to Arlong's very being… but with all that had happened in his life up to this point, part of that revulsion was with how similar to them he'd acted, not so long ago. The realization had been… eye-opening, and perhaps the biggest reason he was still even here.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

The two stopped dead on their tracks at the ghastly sound, almost like a roar. It did not take long to figure out where the noise originated, as right in their path, up the slope, a figure stood. And immediately the fishman and Bear Human were on high-alert, as their instincts screamed one thing.

DANGER!

The creature heavily resembled one of the Lapahn rabbits from before, only lacking the rotund body-shape. Instead, this Lapahn had a thin physique, with eerily long arms, proportionally longer legs, with long floppy ears that reached its lower chest area. Its general body shape was uncomfortably human, at a glance. Its sapphire blue eyes almost glowed when the sun hit them, glaring down at the fishman and bear. It was that look that was the source of their instincts going crazy.

The strange Lapahn looked down at them with utter malice.

Then, the Lapahn flung its arms wide, as it let out another piercing screech, revealing a row of incredibly deadly looking fangs.

"WRYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"

Then the Lapahn, it's entire being overflowing with hatred, rested its intelligent, sharp eyes at the fishman and bear below. The aberrant Lapahn tensed, as the famed cryptid of Drum Island prepared to claim its next victims.

As Frigid of the Frost exhaled through their mouth, their breath came out as a gust of hoarfrost.

"Wryyyyy…"

-o~O-O~o-

…

…

…

"…Sooo," I drawl out slowly, glancing at the blocked doorway, "never been snowed in by an avalanche before. You?"

"Nope," Marianne replies airily, nibbling at a rice cracker.

…

…

…

"You ever feel kind of," I ask, gazing into my cup of tea, "sidelined? Like all of a sudden you have no real presence in the plot anymore?"

"Getting too metaphysical," the young painter points out.

"Yeah, I guess," I reluctantly admit, taking a sip of my hot tea. It instantly melts away all my worries. "Ahh~. So warm~." My expression soured almost immediately. "Still gonna kill Vivi later. Leaving my gun at Little Garden! Oh, you will rue that day, young lady…"

-o~O-O~o-

Being a ship guard is the dullest thing ever, so Indora just has to be pulled into shenanigans by Carue's panicky carelessness. I like to believe that Indora and Carue could communicate on some level since dinosaurs are SUPER distantly related to birds. It's sort of like someone speaking with a really thick, broken accent, but you still get the basic meaning.

Meanwhile, Vivi accidentally triggers our dear nurse. Florence suffers from PTSD from her time in the Crimean War, which was quite… gruesome, especially if you were a medical professional sent to aid the military. The horrors you'd have to see on a daily basis would no doubt change a person, and leave permanent mental scars. Florence is a dedicated, selfless woman with a will of steel, but even someone like that isn't unbreakable.

Wapol has a punchable face and is a massive jerk. So are his lackeys. Having Indora pull a heroic save is just the best. Good boy/girl/dinosaur!

Arlong and Atalanta bond, just a little, and run into the local cryptid that seems to be looking for a fight. Can the unlikely duo overcome the danger posed by Frigid of the Frost, the Mutant Lapahn? The answers lie in the next chapter!

Meanwhile Abel continues being useless this arc, yet even more strange things about him become apparent.

Next Chapter: Frigid Assault! The Mutant of a Frozen Heart!

-Owner of a Heart of Ice, C-Hablerie