I'm not entirely sure if I like this chapter. In the first one I struggled through how I wanted to solve the crew arriving on the island, but this one was more or less a breeze. So I don't know how exciting this is. Hopefully you'll all enjoy it either way?

Part 6: A white world

Chapter 2/5: This was Drum Kingdom

As to not put too much strain on Nami's arms and shoulders Ruffy was using her katana as an improvised sort of seat while Vivi secured Nami to Ruffy's back with a face full of misgivings and worry. Usopp couldn't say he didn't agree with her that this was a mad undertaking and that Nami was as crazy as Ruffy, which spoke volumes by itself all things considered, but he also agreed that more waiting around wasn't something any of them needed.

"Listen up, Ruffy," Usopp spoke warningly instead, poking his sister between the brows. "If Nami falls even ONCE, she'll most likely die. Understood?"

"What? Just once?"

"Exactly! Once! So no fighting monsters or doing crazy stunts. You take it nice and easy and get Nami to that doctor in one piece or else!"

"I'm coming too!" Sanji suddenly declared.

"Okay," Ruffy agreed easily, looking a little more nervous than before. "Really? Just once?"

"Just once!" Sanji and Usopp said in union.

"G-got it!"

Usopp nodded in satisfaction. Ruffy was crazy and reckless and too strong for any of them to handle, but she cared about Nami. And in reality Usopp knew if they lost Nami it would be Ruffy who'd suffer the most.

"I'm staying behind. I'd just slow you down," Vivi said with reluctance and defeat in her voice.

"Me too," Usopp said much more easily. He knew his own limits.

"Ready to go, Sanji? Hang on tight, Nami! I won't let you fall even once!"

Another weak laugh sounded from the bundle of cloth on Ruffy's back. "I trust you, captain."

During all this, Dalton had stood aside, silent and apparently staggered that they were really doing this. Now he stepped up to them.

"If you're serious I won't stop you," he said, and Usopp wondered if that was doubt or respect on his face. "But take my advice. Climb the mountain from the opposite side. The foot of the mountain on this side is home to Lapins, violent and carnivorous rabbits. You won't survive a run-in with them."

"I can't hear anything from here, so they can't be that strong. And we're in a hurry."

"I'll take care of anything that tries to attack," Sanji promised.

"Perfect! Then let's go before Nami dies!" Ruffy shouted and took off.

"Don't say such things!" Sanji yelled after her before he too started running.

Usopp watched them go, and wondered if he felt cold because of the weather or out of worry. Nami would be fine, probably, as long as she got to a doctor and was treated for whatever illness she'd gotten down with. But what if… What if!

"Is it too much to hope?" Dalton suddenly asked softly beside them.

"Hope away, sir. Those two are monsters anyway. They'll get to that doctor before night!"

"But can Nami-san really hold out that long?" Vivi posed the question Usopp was most afraid of.

"Ruffy will save her," Usopp said a lot more confidently than he felt. 'She has to,' he added silently. Because what if she didn't? Ruffy's heart was already in pieces, put back together into a bloody mess with only a small pool of calm waters in it. He knew because he sensed it. Sensed the cracks and abysses of shadows and whatever other horrors that were pulling at the chains. Nami, Zoro and even Sanji could dive into that darkness all they wanted. Usopp cared a lot more for that pool of precious memories to stay safe, to not be contaminated by blood and nightmares. He couldn't, no he wouldn't imagine what would become of Ruffy if that happened.

"It's cold out here. Why won't you come inside?" Dalton suddenly said, breaking through Usopp's spiralling thoughts.

"Thank you… really, but I… I'd rather stay out here," Vivi declined as politely as she could.

"Me too," Usopp huffed. The shadows of Ruffy and Sanji had long disappeared into the dunes of snow, and Usopp's eyes weren't sharp enough to follow their trail up the mountainside. But he still wanted to watch, even though the cold was prickling him like a thousand needles, injecting the chill into his very blood, causing his muscles to tense up and body to shiver endlessly.

"I see. Then allow me to keep you company," Dalton said and sat down beside them. He was smiling serenely at them, before his gaze started to wander. People were out and about, their voices carrying gossip and sighs over to Usopp in fragments. He heard something about not enough food, teared clothing, a happy voice was talking about a newborn lamb who had survived their first week, a woman sounded pleased as she talked about her daughter being courted. Usopp realized with some surprise the air here, with these people, was the same as in Syrup village. And here stood he in the middle of their normal everyday world that was so strange to him.

"We used to have them, before," Dalton suddenly spoke, and Usopp and Vivi both turned to him in question. "Doctors," the man elaborated. "But they disappeared, the whole lot of them, save for the witch."

Dalton gave the pirates a glance, but none of them asked, perhaps sensing his need to talk. And it was a need, an anger burning in his bones because he was little more than a spectator when he should have been an active party. But who here could he talk to? Share his view of himself when his history had somehow, without his notice, been altered by the people? He'd had ample time to analyse the chain of events that had led the country to this, ample time to take a look at the villages and see more than just people milling about without thought. He wondered why he ever saw them as a single-minded crowd rather than individuals of personality, character and dreams. Once he'd sat in a high place beside kings whose orders he followed and whose rule he agreed or disagreed with. For all the good that had ever done the people who were now looking to him as their commander.

"About six months ago this country was destroyed… utterly annihilated… by pirates."

"The whole country?!" the boy exclaimed. He sounded so genuinely astonished and Dalton could see the cogwheels in his brain failing to process the implication. Perhaps it had never been within his world of intentions to ruin kingdoms when choosing this occupation, but then again, how old could he even be? His eyes had nary a glint of malice in them.

The girl, however, seemed comprehensively horrified. "So that's why you were so hostile…" she said, understanding and compassion in her eyes. Dalton felt his insides twitch uncomfortably.

"The pirate crew consisted of only five people, the captain calling himself Blackbeard," Dalton informed them. He didn't say that crew and them were vastly different. Dalton held no illusions that Drum Kingdom was the first Blackbeard had ever raided and left in ruins. Their method spoke of more than just experience, but also enjoyment. "They destroyed the country with overwhelming strength, in the blink of an eye the whole island was burning."

"Only five pirates?! That's crazy!" the girl cried, startled.

"Blackbeard?" the boy repeated, the quirk to his brow giving away he'd never heard of this pirate before, but there was something in his voice. A thoughtfulness perhaps, and Dalton wondered about his own relief at it. Still, the boy wasn't going to forget this name, as a pirate, and Dalton knew he would probably file away everything he was told about this Blackbeard as important. More important than what had happened to Drum Kingdom. Acceptable, all things considered.

With a slight shrug, Dalton continued. "Well, there are some who thinks it was for the best."

"What?! That's absurd! What good can come from destruction?!" the girl argued, looking so perfectly appalled at the idea Dalton felt amusement twitch in the corners of his mouth. She was still so young and sweetly naïve.

"The king's… leadership, was nothing but tyrannical and the people suffered under his rule. Back then this country was officially known as Drum Kingdom, the king was named Wapol, truly the most despicable monarch there was."

"Wapol?!"

"That man?! Wait, I remember now! It was him!"

Dalton jerked upright in alarm. "You… you both familiar with him?" He made a quick reassessing of the pirates before him. Wapol had never been a fair fighter, and Dalton wouldn't put it past him to cajole a group of youngsters to act as messengers or scouts. But Wapol was also brutal and proud. He would never hide his identity, even for his life.

"Well, familiar is a strong word," the boy said. Dalton hadn't quite caught his name. "More like he tried to ambush us the other day, called himself a pirate. It was I who chased him off, of course… but now that you mention it, he did say something about Drum Kingdom."

"Yes, I remember now. I saw him once as a girl when father took me to the Council of Kings."

Dalton almost sputtered. "Council of Kings?! Who exactly…"

Just as he asked, Dalton finally recalled where he'd seen her face before. 'Why is…?'

"Ah! I-in any case!" the girl almost shouted, as if that would keep her identity undiscovered. "We came across Wapol only yesterday while on our way here."

Those were, indeed, horrifying enough news for Dalton to let the Alabastian princess keep her secret.

"Are you telling the truth?" he asked instead, his enmity against the former ruler colouring the words pressing through his throat.

"But what does this mean?" princess Vivi demanded. "The country was destroyed but the king is alive, and calling himself a pirate of all things?" she aimed the last words at her companion who just shrugged, as clueless as Dalton was about that particular detail, but the old soldier knew the man well enough to make an educated guess.

"It's camouflage, a disguise. He's most likely roving about searching for a way back, now that the danger has passed."

The princess got a strange look in her eye, apparently trying to piece the story together, though of course in a way that made sense to her. "So the people on that ship were the ministers and soldiers who were driven out to sea by the pirates?"

"Driven out?" Dalton spat. "Hardly. When the pirates attacked, Wapol never even tried to fight. He took his soldiers and retinue and fled."

"What?" The princess's voice was a quiet breath of disbelief.

"He abandoned this country faster than anyone, left the island defenceless and escaped at sea."

Vivi felt something inside her grow hot and sharp and painful. Dalton-san's sunken shoulders, the guns that had pointed at them when they arrived, Ruffy's back that protected her crew and Vivi's own deceit all somehow boiled down to something ugly and spiky inside Vivi's heart.

"THAT'S NOT THE ACT OF A KING!" She clasped her hands over her heart. "Despicable! How could a monarch abandon his own people?"

"You abandoned Alabasta."

'I didn't! Never!'

The old battle in Vivi's head that had started as soon as she'd been partnered with Mr. 9 was suddenly back. It had gone quiet since she boarded Merry because she was no longer having fun with her enemies, people she should fear and be angry and hateful at. She no longer shared food and wine and laughs with the people who were attacking Alabasta, seeing the glimpses of their real selves under the moon, in the demurely lowered lashes of a flattered girl when she and Vivi gossiped together, in the harsh instructions of seasoned assassins and whores who taught Vivi how to dress provocatively, show skin, never hesitate when striking, look your enemy square in the eye because that's how you lived longer.

Those people were now dead, Vivi suddenly realized. They'd been on Whiskey Peak. Mr. 9, Miss Monday…

"You abandoned them."

'I…'

"Exactly right," Dalton-san's voice startled Vivi out of her spiralling thoughts, sounding calm and… defeated? "But thanks to that, Wapol's reign of terror is now over. The country now belongs to its people and the island is recuperating." Dalton-san turned his head slightly, gaze far away. "What we fear, what all of us dread, is the return of Wapol. For a better tomorrow, he can never be allowed to set foot on this island again…"

The snow was heavier now. Dalton-san, sitting as he was, absentmindedly shook the white blanket off with a single shudder and a simple flick of his clothes as his gaze went to the sky and then towards the Drum Rockies. Whatever he saw, his eyes narrowed fractionally.

"Are those three all right, I wonder. As long as they don't run into Lapins…"

Usopp-san seemed rather unconcerned. "Well, you said they were carnivorous rabbits, but that means they're still just rabbits, right? How dangerous could they be?"

Dalton-san's face twitched. "I should have made sure to explain properly. They have the agility and hindleg power of a rabbit, but the bodies and strength of bears. And they hunt in packs."

"B-BEARS?!"

"Are they really…?" Vivi started, but slapped a hand over her mouth. She had made a fool of herself since they arrived by making assumptions. She really should learn to not apply her own logic to things she knew nothing about.

A woman suddenly hurried up to them. "Dalton-san!"

"Maria-san," the big man greeted back and stood. Behind Vivi was a sturdy woman with a basket full of leeks and an excited expression.

"Weren't you looking for the witch earlier? Well listen, listen. I just heard she's come down the mountain and is currently in Cocoa Weed."

"SHE'S WHAT!?"

"How long is a life? As long as the king allows. How keen a knife? No mind as keen as king Wapol. All hail the king of Drum kingdom."

Chess was once again assigned the post of Lookout by king Wapol. While his title was that of advisor, few hunters of Drum Kingdom were nearly as successful as Chess. He was currently passing the time by making up some lines of poetry, something he thought he was exceptionally good at.

"How long the night? Until the king awakens. How deep the snow. Only a day of rule of King Wapol."

Chess spun another circle, his spyglass searching the horizon. Then he stopped, went back and looked again.

Was it? Could it be?

He waited until he was certain. But truly, that beautiful white silhouette against the grey of the sky.

"Your majesty!"

"Yes, do you see those punk pirates from yesterday?" the monarch's grumpy voice called back. He'd been delightfully angry since they managed to save him from drowning, and Chess looked forward to his lord's revenge. It would be a glorious day. And now it would be even better.

"No, my lord. But look. After so many months, we have finally returned."

Dalton-san acted rapidly. He got out his sleigh and tied two wide-hoofed bucks before it within two minutes.

"Get in," he called and Vivi was just slightly behind Usopp-san. Dalton-san got the goats running with a whistle and firm clasp of the reins.

"We need to catch up with Ruffy-san and…" Vivi started.

"Forget it," Usopp-san cut her off. "Dalton, go straight for Cocoa Weed. We need to tell that witch to go back to the castle."

"But shouldn't we get those three?"

"We can't. They're most likely halfway up the mountain at this point."

Vivi swallowed a storm of worry. It was true that Nami should get to the doctor as soon as possible, but still. How was Ruffy-san scaling the cliffside with Nami-san tied to her? The strain on Nami-san could be too much! What if Ruffy-san lost her grip and they fell?

"My apologies," Dalton-san suddenly said. "I heard the doctor came down yesterday, so I thought she wouldn't be down for another couple days. I assumed incorrectly."

"Not your fault," Usopp-san said decisively. "It's not your fault Ruffy and Sanji are stupidly strong. The best we can do right now is get the witch to Nami."

Vivi blinked. Usopp-san was right. This was a chance. If they could brief the doctor on Nami's condition, they might save time, and if the witch really could fly she could save Nami-san from the strain of climbing!

"I'm sorry," Dalton-san said again "that we don't have doctors."

"What?" Vivi raised her hands. "Why should you apologize for that? You're not the… Let's just hurry." Vivi silently cursed at herself. She'd nearly slipped up again. Someone who was not the monarch couldn't be faulted for what the kingdom had and didn't have. As a princess she was well aware of this. And yet she knew so many people who took their land's shortcomings onto themselves. It was nobody's fault, but ignorance was wide-spread.

Dalton didn't glance back. It had been years, and he'd only seen her as a child, but she'd left a deep impression. The Council of Kings happened a few times a year, and Wapol had once wanted to start a conflict with Alabasta for humiliating him. He'd clapped the Alabastian princess hard on the head and called it an accident, blamed it on the child. But the princess had stood up, stopped her guards accusations and apologized for getting in Wapol's way. Dalton remembered bowing in silent, shamed apology to the girl's guard who had, understandably, not accepted it. He had also slipped behind a wall, stayed behind and heard the girl, once alone with her guard, start crying that it had hurt a lot.

Dalton urged his bucks to turn down the path to Cocoa Weed.

Ruffy felt better than she'd done in days, being able to move, knowing there was help to find at the end of the trail. Even Nami's heart beating against her own felt less stressed, more secure and safe. So the young girl captain was happily indulging in mindless chatter with Sanji while she pulled her legs away from the snapping jaws of a sharp-toothed bunny that had started following them. It was really cute, but between Nami, Sanji and the snow that was almost a living thing in this world, Ruffy couldn't hear the bunny's heartbeat at all, so she had to rely on instinct to avoid the little beast.

But it couldn't be that weak either. Ruffy caught sight of it as it got stuck with its teeth in a young pine, wiggled and put more strength behind the bite and snapped the tree. Ruffy propelled her smaller self forward to dive under the falling wood, but Sanji, tall and long-legged, slowed and jumped over it instead, not breaking from his current commentary of snow-country women and their white skin.

"Why white? I haven't seen a white face here yet. All of them are tan."

"The colour of the snow seeps into their skin," Sanji said, and Ruffy thought for a second the suddenly triumphant bunny would actually catch his leg. "In any case, KNOCK IT OFF! What the hell is this thing!"

"It's a little bunny with big teeth," Ruffy explained helpfully.

"I wasn't… never mind."

They kept going, and the snow got deeper and deeper. Nami's feet were starting to drag in the soft, white blanket.

"Careful, captain. Don't forget Nami-san is weakened. No jumping through this snow."

Ruffy, about to do just that, grimaced at having to slow her pace because wading through the snow was worse than trying to walk through water.

The sound of hearts reached her abruptly. A lot of them, and Shodai hummed slightly in her hands.

"Ruffy?" Sanji glanced at her before following her gaze. He stopped moving too. "What… are those."

"…polar bears," Ruffy decided, because that's the only creature she knew that could possibly be this big and have fur and heartbeats the same colour as the snow, and if there was one thing Ruffy absolutely didn't like, it was things she couldn't see or hear clearly.

The leader was female, with a nasty scar just above the left eye. Her heart and gaze was calm and prideful, but a soft sound connected with the little bunny from before, which was perched on her shoulder.

They were mother and child.

Ruffy took a second to wonder how a polar bear could mother a bunny. Just a second, because the leader suddenly jumped and a flash of bear-like mitts, complete with claws longer than Ruffy's forearms, aimed for her.

"Even once!" Usopp's voice echoed in Ruffy's head and she jumped backwards, avoiding the strike but got a shower of snow momentarily blocking her vision. She shook her head and only caught the tail end of Sanji's exclamation.

"…like a gorilla!"

"No, it's a polar bear!" Ruffy objected, hoping the beast wouldn't take offence and attack again.

"It's a shitty rabbit!" Sanji yelled back without taking his eyes off the animals and simultaneously backing up in snow that reached his knees.

"But you just called her a gorilla!"

"Dalton said something about carnivorous rabbits earlier. These must be those Lapins he mentioned. Shit, didn't expect this. What a disadvantage."

The polar bears advanced, a wall of them coming up behind their leader. None of them were nervous or angry. They radiated calm confidence, this being their home turf, and while that soothed Ruffy's anxiety, it didn't stop this from being a very bad situation and she couldn't jostle Nami or wield Shodai in defence.

"Leve them to me," Sanji said. "Don't lay a single finger on any of them. Any impact you give or receive will affect Nami-san and she will definitely die, you hear me?"

From Ruffy's throat rose a sound, a keening she hadn't intended to make and didn't know what it meant. It touched something in the heart of the leader bear, but whatever the noise was supposed to achieve, all it got in response was a rumbling promise of a quick death.

They attacked all at once.

Sanji swore up a storm around the butt of his cigarette while his captain tried to dodge the attacking beasts' claws and teeth using as small movements as possible. Sanji was blocking, kicking, dodging and protecting the girls with all his might as they tried to flee, but the snow wasn't solid enough for his attacks to be as effective as normal.

"Into the forest! I'll cover you!" Sanji roared as he finally managed to create an opening, and Ruffy was like an oily flash as she lowered her body and ploughed through the snow like a fish through water. That could not be good for Nami's knees, but it got the girls out of the direct line of attack and Sanji could protect them better when the Lapins were behind them rather than all around. But the enemy were seasoned hunters. One came up beside Ruffy, and Sanji just managed to catch her ankle, but happily used the surprising steadiness of her leg to get his first solid kick in.

"Idiot! Leave them to me! Just run!"

"Sorry!"

Another Lapin was in front of them. Sanji swore at first.

"Sanji! Cliff! Follow me!"

Ruffy unashamedly used the beast in front of her as a springboard and sailed upwards onto a rock, and then worked through the snow that wanted to bring her back down. Sanji followed the same way as his captain, ignoring the indignant howl from the animal. He was heavier than Ruffy, so his feet sank down to solid rock more easily and he could assist his captain in keeping Nami steady. He glanced behind them and pushed Ruffy to run faster.

"Why are they still coming?!" Ruffy shrieked.

"Just keep running! All the way to the top!"

And ran they did, until suddenly, the beasts fell behind. Sanji threw his eyes around the girls and himself, prepared for sneak-attacks, ambush, anything that could harm Nami-san, but… the Lapins were… not chasing them anymore?

"Did they give up?" Sanji asked, slowing his mad dash down to a jog.

"No?" Ruffy said, uncertain. "I don't know! I can't hear them properly! Their heartbeats sound just like the snow! I hate that this snow has a heartbeat!"

"How can snow have a heartbeat?!"

"Everything has a heartbeat if it's loved or old enough! And this snow is older than the island. It's almost an entity."

Sanji was a practical kind of person rather than philosophical, and the statement had him almost hit the brakes just to make sure he wasn't ploughing through something… living. But as he cast an eye around himself, he noticed the Lapins. For some reason they were jumping on the spot.

Ruffy turned too, but her gaze went far past the polar bear rabbits. The village they came from was burning. And amongst the flames she saw the same man who had almost eaten her yesterday. People were running, screaming and dead. The blood and flames were stark red against the white of the land.

Sanji had turned to continue their mission to find a doctor. At first he didn't think too much about the creaking noises around him. Not until he looked up. Not until he felt the ground beneath his feet shake.

His heart stuttered in his chest. He could fight anything, any beast or monster. But this?! This was not fair play!

"Oh those shitty fucking rabbits! RUFFY, RUN!"

"Run?! Where? Why… oh… OH NO!"

"JUST RUN!" Sanji hollered over the deafening noise from the oncoming avalanche.