(A/N: Happy birthday, Usopp! I know I normally post on Sundays and Wednesdays, but today's so special, I wanted to update today! Enjoy!)

Chapter 7: Blue-Nosed Reindeer! Chopper's Secret

"Who are you?"

Nami stared on in confusion at the small, wary creature. "Isn't that... backwards?" All that was hidden was his right eye; everything else was clearly exposed. Being cautious, he switched himself around, and peeked back out at her. "You're too slow," She pointed out, "And you're not completely hiding either. Just what are you?"

He glared at her through his nervousness. "Sh-shut up, human!" She was silent with surprise. He talked, like a person! "And how's your fever?"

"It talked!" She screamed. Horribly startled, he fell back in the room, which was followed by a series of concerning clatters.

"Be quiet, Chopper!" A woman's voice scolded. Nami turned to see a tall, slender, old woman dressed for a tropical island, rather than one of winter. "Your fever seems to have come down a little, girl. Are you happy?"

Nami was silent, as the woman put her finger on her forehead, chugging a beverage at the same time. "Who are you?"

"38.2 degrees. Hmm, you're doing more or less all right. I'm a doctor; Dr. Kureha. Call me Doctorine."

"Doctor..." Nami whispered, and turned to face forward, "Then I'm in the-"

"My secret to staying young?"

"No, I didn't ask that."

Kureha chugged down another drink. "You're right. You're in the castle on top of the mountain."

"Then there were three others besides me, right?"

"Yeah, the boys are sleeping in the next room, very deeply. What tough guys. The little girl's right there." Nami heard Venus' light breathing behind the head of the bed. What happened to her? Before she could ask, Kureha sat by her, and pulled her shirt up, surprising her. "This was the cause."

"What is this?" There was a blotchy, purple spot on her stomach.

"You were bitten by a bug called Kestia. It's a poisonous tick that lives in jungles with high temperature and humidity. Once you were bitten by it, bacteria came in, and keep you in pain by lying dormant inside your body for 5 days. It causes high fever of above 40 degrees, coinfection, myocarditis, arteritis, cerebritis! Given the infection's progression from the bitten area, I'd say you've been infected for three days. The suffering must've been unusually harsh, but it would've eased up in 2 more days, even without any treatment."

"In 2 more days?"

Kureha smiled darkly. "Yeah, because you would've died in two days."

"What?!" Nami's breath shuddered.

Kureha stood on the floor. "It's called the "5-day disease." I heard that Kestia died out 100 years ago, but it was useful that I kept the antibiotic, just in case. Where did you guys come from? Were you out walking around with your belly exposed in a jungle, or an ancient island, or something?" She laughed like a classic witch. "Well, that's just silly."

"Ah-" A disgruntled Nami began to explain, but was cut off.

"That ring a bell? What a crazy girl. Now," She pushed her back down on the slightly bouncy mattress, "Stay in bed. Your treatment hasn't completely finished yet."

Nami smiled gratefully from the bed. "Thank you so much. So long as my fever comes down, I'll be fine. My body will take care of itself after that, right?"

"You're too optimistic. This disease normally takes at least 10 days to fully treat. Of course, if you want to suffer some more, and die; even with my medicine, you'll have to rest at least 3 days."

"What?" Nami urgently sat up. "I can't stay here for 3 days! We have to take Vivi to Alabasta soon!"

To her shock, Kureha pinned her back down effortlessly, with a scalpel pointed at her neck. "When a patient of mine leaves me, she's either cured, or dead. I won't let you get away."

In the other room, the small reindeer, Chopper, was changing Luffy's bandages as he, Sanji, and Venus slept. Luffy's limbs and torso, were covered, plus his hands and feet, as was Sanji's torso and biceps, while Venus mainly had them on her hands. Chopper watched Luffy in awe, as he remembered rescuing the four of them.

"He climbed this mountain with his bare hands?!" Kureha exclaimed in shock. "This 5000m high Drum Rock?!" Luffy and Venus shivered in place, though were barely awake. "His entire body is nearly frostbitten. What was he thinking, dressing like this? Heat water immediately, and throw him in it."

Chopper opened an unconscious Sanji's coat and shirt, taking note of his lacerations. "This guy's bleeding badly." He carefully felt his chest. "6 broken ribs, and a spinal fissure. Can I operate on him?"

Kureha scooped Nami up from the snow. "Apparently, the most critical one is this girl. She's dying. Chopper! Have phenicol, cardiotonic, and tialcillin ready!"

"Does she have an infection?"

"Yeah. The pathogen isn't from this island."

"What about her?" Chopper asked, looking over Venus, before pressing on her back. "Her spine feels intact."

"Yes, it seems she was the luckiest," Kureha remarked, but noticed the reddening snow at her hands, where her gloves were ripped. She picked them up to investigate, and noticed the battered ends. "Her fingertips however, are in rough shape." A hand suddenly grabbed her arm, catching hers and Chopper's attention. "Hm?" It was Luffy. He tried to speak, but he was shivering too much. "Don't worry. I'll make both the bleeding kid, and these girls all better. So rest assured."

Luffy glared through his shivering. "They're my friends!"

He was stunned at that. This guy had just gone through hell and back, for his friends' sake. "I get the picture. I'll save them. Chopper! Let's begin treatment!"

Chopper continued watching him, as his words rang through his mind. 'They're my friends!'

"I'm," Luffy muttered, "I'm hungry." His eyes blinked open groggily, and he turned around; after his vision cleared, he saw the reindeer standing by the bed. "Meat."

Chopper panicked when he started drooling, and crashed into Sanji's bed, knocking the tray of surgical tools to the floor. "Venison stew needs to be cooked in a pot for 3 hours," Sanji mumbled, "Then the meat becomes properly tender." At his smirk, Chopper backed away even further.

Luffy sat up deliriously, and turned to him hungrily. "Meat," He continued drooling.

Chopper looked for a way out, but Sanji, still mostly out, grabbed his arm. "Venison."

As the famished stares burned through his soul, he let out a scream. "Ahhhh! Help!" Just when Nami turned around, he burst into the room, the boys dragging behind him.

"Wait, meat!" Luffy repeatedly tried to take a bite out of his limbs.

"Wait, Luffy! I'll cook this guy!"

As Nami watched, the scuffle was taken outside the room... then right back in. "Hm?" Luffy stopped in realization, and eagerly backtracked at seeing the navigator awake. "Nami..."

"Nami-san!" Sanji skipped over gleefully.

"You got better?" Luffy beamed.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Okay, then!" Sanji held his bicep. "I'll make a nutritious venison dish for Nami-san! And Venus-chan! Where is she?"

"There," Nami pointed behind her back.

Chopper tried to sneak out while they were distracted, but their gazes immediately landed back on him, so he stopped dead. "Wait!"

Kureha listened in amusement, as clattering rang from the other room. "I'm surprised! They can already move around?"

"What's that talking stuffed deer with a blue nose?" Nami asked.

"You asking me what he is? His name is Chopper. He's just a reindeer with a blue nose."

"Reindeers don't speak."

"If he's different from ordinary reindeers in some way..."

"If he's different?"

"It's just because he ate a Human-Human Fruit. That's all."

"A Human-Human Fruit... one of the Devil Fruits."

"Yeah. He's a reindeer, who gained the humans' abilities. And I taught him everything I know about medicine."

"Don't run away, meat!" Luffy ordered through the chase.

"Wait, Luffy! I'm telling you not to eat it yet!"

"Stop it, humans!" Chopper tried to push them away, but to no avail. "S-stop it, you jerks!" Finally, to their shock, he turned into a humanoid, hulking beast. "I'm not food!" He punched them both into the ground, before returning to his small form, and retreating outside. "Rats! Rats!"

Back in the village, the search for an ailed comrade was still commencing. "Dalton-san!"

"Dalton-san!"

"Did you find him?!"

"Dalton-san!" Vivi dug with a shovel. "Don't die!"

Usopp dug with both hands, glaring in determination. "We'll find him in time, for sure! Be alive, Dalton-san!"

Zoro only looked on in confusion. "Who's that?"

"Don't just stand there!" Usopp commanded. "Help- gotta bow." He bowed before a Hiking Bear, until it left. "Like I said, don't just stand there, and help us!" With that, he went back to digging.

Zoro watched the bear walk away. "What the heck is that thing?!"

"We found him!" One resident found frozen arrows sticking out of a snow mound. "We found Dalton-san!"

"What?!" Usopp turned in his direction. "They found him?!"

"Great!" Vivi smiled in relief, and ran after him.

"Dalton-san!"

"Dalton-san!"

Zoro stayed put, still out of the loop. "So, who is that?!"

The man looked in horror, as his hands were on Dalton's chest. "This is terrible. There's no heartbeat."

"Become one of my crew!" Luffy requested after a hearty meal, without venison. "Please, old lady! We need a doctor on our ship!"

"Luffy," She held her finger up to stop him, "You said that's your name, right?"

"Yeah."

"Did you just say "old lady"?"

"Yeah, I did, old la-" A kick to the face cut him off.

"Watch what you say!" Kureha's attack sent him crashing into the wall above the door. "I'm still in my youthful 130's."

"Whoa," Sanji remarked, sitting across from her at a small table, "What an incredible old hag."

He was kicked into the wall. "Are you asking me to be a pirate?" Sanji slid down to the floor. "Don't be ridiculous! It'll be a waste of my glorious time. I'm not interested in the sea."

Luffy pushed himself up, and beamed brightly. "Who cares? Let's go on an adventure, old lady!"

"Hey, hey," She scolded, "I just told you to watch what you say, didn't I?"

Chopper watched from the other room, ineffectively hiding at the doorway again. 'So they're pirates.'

"Hm?" Sanji looked up deliriously.

"Hm?" Luffy turned to the doorway.

After a second of silence, the boys' jaws dropped. "Ah!"

"Wait, meat!" The chase restarted yet again.

"Wait!" Sanji ran after him, as did Luffy.

"Wait, meat!"

"Hold it, brats!" Kureha began pursuing after them throughout the castle.

"Wait!" They ran back through the room.

"Hold on, Nami-san!" Sanji ran in place by her bed. "I'll cook a nutritious, reindeer dish!"

"Before that, I'll eat you guys!" Kureha suddenly blocked their path, startling them.

"Old hag!" They gaped in horror.

"Where the heck did she come from?" Sanji exclaimed.

"She's coming! She's coming!" Luffy rambled. "She's coming!"

Nami stayed nonchalant, as they ran out of the room. "I don't care about the food. I just want some peace and quiet." Just then, strangely, snow blew in. "Snow? Even though this is inside the castle? Cold!" She shivered, and began to slide out of bed. "I should close the door."

"Stay in bed!" Chopper ordered, suddenly back in the room. "You still have a fever!"

"I don't. It seems like it's pretty much gone."

As she spoke, Chopper glanced around cautiously. "Looks like I lost them. Even so, no!" He ran to the open door. "Since Doctorine's medicine works well, the fever goes away quickly. But Kestia's bacteria still remain in your body." He closed the door. "Have the antibiotic shot, and stay in bed, or you'll..." He trailed off.

"Thank you."

"Hm?"

"You've been attending me, right?"

"Sh... shut up!" Nami's smile disappeared. "I don't wanna be thanked by a human!" Immediately after, he laughed modestly, before reverting back to defensive mode. "Don't mock me! You jerk!" He waved his arms in a little dance, and kicked his foot. "Don't be silly, you dummy! Seriously, don't be so..."

Nami looked behind her back with a smirk. "He's the type that can't hide their emotions," She remarked.

Chopper cautiously reached one hoof to Nami's hand. "Are you guys pirates?"

"Yes," She replied.

He tapped her hand. "R-real ones?"

"Real ones."

"You have a flag with a skull?"

"It's attached to our ship. Are you interested in pirates?"

"No!" He jumped back in a panic. "You idiot! No!" Books fell from the bookcase he crashed into, and some dropped on his head. "You idiot!"

Nami smiled sheepishly, sensing she hit a nerve. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Chopper panted, still wary. "But... then... wanna come too?"

"What?!" He shouted.

"To the sea!" She clarified, now smiling more genuinely. "Why don't you come with us? Hm? If you do, that'll help me a lot! If we have a doctor on our ship, I won't have to stay here for 3 days, right? On top of that, on our ship, we-"

"D-don't be ridiculous! I'm a reindeer! There's no way I can stay with humans!" He regained his composure. "To start with, don't you get scared when you see me? I'm a reindeer, but I stand on two legs, and I even speak."

"What? Are you trying to scare me?"

Chopper was suddenly melancholic, his eyes on his lap. "My nose is blue, too." The room was silent for several seconds.

Just then, Venus yawned and moaned sleepily, as she sat up. "Mm, what'd I miss?" Her eye blinked to clear her blurry vision. "Huh? W-where am I?" She glanced around the room, noticing her coat was now draped at the foot of the bed.

"Finally awake, huh?" Nami snarked.

"Yeah, whatever. Hm?" Venus noticed the small creature, before smiling widely. "So cuuuute~!"

"There you are!" Luffy burst in, followed by Sanji. "Reindeer!"

"Come here!" She pulled her coat on, and joined the chase. But when they were outside, she suddenly shoved them down, stopping them. "Wait, little guy! I wanna squeeze you!" She sprinted after him, holding her hands out. "You look so cuddly!"

"No! I'm not a stuffed animal! Go away, small human!"

"Small?" She quirked her brow, before giggling. "You're one to talk!" She teased.

Just then, as a bemused Nami watched on again, Kureha entered the room. "Those brats sure are quick." She sat back at the table. "I don't like it; and the little one sleeps like a damn corpse. Girl."

"What?"

"Are you tempting the reindeer without my permission, while I'm not here?"

"Oh?" Nami smirked. "Do I need permission to make a move on a man?"

Kureha laughed. "No, you don't. If you wanna take him, go right ahead. But it won't be easy. He has a scar in his heart; it's a big scar, that even I can't cure. The moment he was born into this world, his group and even his parents abandoned him."

"What?" Nami frowned sympathetically.

"Because he had a blue nose. He always walked at the very back of the group all by himself, even though he was a newborn child. And one day, he ate a Devil Fruit, and was treated as a monster even more. The reindeers fiercely pressured him to leave. He was no longer an ordinary reindeer in any way. Still, he wanted friends; so, he went down to a village, as a human this time."

"Hey, what's that creature?"

"But his figure wasn't exactly human either. For some reason, his nose stayed blue too."

"It must be a yeti!"

"It's dangerous! Get the children inside, quickly!"

"A gun! Bring me a gun!"

"Shoot him to death!"

"You damn monster!"

"Go away!"

A rock was thrown at Chopper, cutting his forehead, followed by a gunshot. He finally ran away, dodging many shots. "He didn't know what was wrong. Nor did he know what to blame."

"You damn monster!"

"He just wanted friends, yet he was called a monster. He was no longer a reindeer; he wasn't a human, either." His arm got pierced by a bullet; he held the fresh wound, as he staggered away. "He's lived all alone like that. Can you guys heal the scar in his heart?"

Meanwhile, after the boys caught up with Venus, they lost their target. "Hey, look at that door at the front entrance," Sanji pointed out, "It's wide open."

"Hm?" Snow was blown inside by a freezing wind. "No wonder it's cold," He shivered.

"In any case, let's close this door," Sanji suggested, "With it open like this, there's no difference between outside, and inside the castle."

"Hey!" Chopper stopped the trio from coming closer. "Stop it! Don't touch that door!"

"Huh?" Luffy hummed, following by silent seconds of gawking up at him.

"Never mind what he says," Sanji dismissed him, "Let's close it, or we'll freeze to death."

"True," Venus agreed.

"Hey!" An angry Chopper began changing form. "Didn't I tell you to..." Now huge again, he threw his fists in the air. "Stop it?!"

Luffy frantically jumped away from the fence, broken off by Chopper's wrath. "What's with him? Why is he angry?"

"Hey, guys," Sanji called, "Come over here."

"Hm?" Luffy peeked around the corner, as the chef lit a cigarette.

"Look up there."

Luffy gazed upward, alongside Venus, and perked up. "Ah!"

"Oh!" Venus beamed.

"They're baby snowbirds," Sanji explained, as Chopper walked away, reverting back to his small form, "Well, if we close the door, they'll fall."

"That's why they can't close it," Luffy remarked.

"Yeah, keep it open!" Venus added. "We can't let them fall!"

After a blissful moment of hearing them chirp, they started shivering. "It's cold!" They made a mad dash inside.

"Hold on a sec," Luffy stayed behind Sanji and Venus.

"What is it?" He stopped behind Luffy with her, startling him.

"Wasn't he speaking earlier?!"

"The reindeer?" Venus asked, before perking up. "Yeah! He was!"

"Well, come to think of it, I sort of remember him standing on two legs," Sanji recalled.

"He's a monster!" They both shouted together.

"Wh-what the heck is that?" Luffy wondered aloud. "He's walking on two legs..."

"He's a reindeer," Sanji added.

"He's fluffy-"

"He's short-"

"He becomes big-"

"And he's a monster!" They concluded simultaneously, as Venus frowned throughout the exchange. The three were oblivious to the fact that Chopper heard all of what they were saying, walking away sadly.

"Guys, you're being rude!" She scolded, before noticing their ecstasy. "Hm?"

"What a cool guy! He's interesting!" Luffy praised, after the reindeer was out of earshot. "Sanji! Let's have him join us!"

(A/N: Looks like Luffy's got his heart set on a new crewmember! You know the disclaimer. And once again, happy birthday to my all-time fave, Usopp!)