Disclaimer: Nobody send me any bullshit offers to make my stories into comics in the comments. That's just pointless and wastes space.
Luffy spent some time working to make Chopper his friend, which honestly confused the little reindeer after so much rejection. Luffy wound up chasing Chopper all around the castle, Lithos or Merone occasionally catching the former whenever he tripped and making sure his medical equipment didn't break in the process.
"Help me, Doctorine!" Chopper cried as he kept running from the exuberant Luffy.
Kureha couldn't help but laugh at the situation.
"Ah, that boy is going to have to accept it sooner or later."
"By the way, how did Chopper come to be in your care in the first place?" Nami asked.
"Well, as it turns out there was one man who was willing to accept he was able to open up to when he was alone," Kureha explained. "His name was Doctor Hiriluk. The man was a quack, but he did care for Chopper. He gave Chopper his name and called him son."
"Awwww..." Ed cooed.
"Wait, was?" Hsiao asked. "You mean he's dead?"
Kureha nodded sadly. "Honestly, Chopper was probably the best thing to ever happen to Hiriluk. He suffered an incurable disease before some doctor helped push the disease back. Of course, no one knows the doctor in question, so Hiruklik then said the sight of cherry blossoms cured his sickness. And he then became dedicated to filling the kingdom with cherry blossoms. If anything you pirates would be the kind of people Hirulik would have adored and trusted Chopper too. Flying flags to show off their freedom and determination…"
"Okay, I'm gonna have to stop you right there for a moment," Hunter interrupted. "I get that Hiriluk admired pirates, and likely only met the swashbuckling adventurer kind, but pirates are far more nuanced than what he described. Being on a ship there's a lot of responsibilities."
"You need someone to take care of your health, to look over the ship and resources, to keep the crew in line. You need someone to make sure the crew is always ready for battle, and keep an eye out for enemies." Lithos added. "And being on a voyage for days at a time can get boring, so it's important to have a musician on hand to keep morale up and keep things lively with singing and dancing."
"And believe us, Luffy has been bugging us on that last bit ever since we started our journey," Merone said.
"Wow, there's a lot more to pirates than what Hiriluk said." Chopper said.
"That's why being a pirate is so cool!" Sonson said. "Because if you do it just right, you can be as free as the wind."
Chopper remembered Hiriluk also saying that pirates were the coolest thing ever as Kureha cleared her throat.
"Can I get back to the story now?"
"Sorry ma'am." The Straw Hats bowed.
Kureha sighed. "Sadly, the disease came back with a vengeance and Hirulik had no cure or doctor willing to help him out. Not wanting to burden Chopper and spare him the heartbreak, he tried to shoo him away, who remembered overhearing some of the guards talking about a mushroom that can cure anything," Kureha explained. "When he overheard that Hiriluk was dying he went through every reference book the quack had. At the same time, Hiriluk continued to work on his crazy idea of making cherry blossoms bloom on the island. And Chopper traveled to find the mushroom he'd heard about, even fighting against any reindeer that tried to attack him."
"What sort of mushroom was he looking for?" Nami asked.
"The one he found was the Amiudake," Kureha replied. "Hiriluk was over the moon to see Chopper again when the lad returned with the mushroom in hand, especially when hearing how Chopper fought like a pirate against the other reindeer. Around that time, Wapol showed more of his unnecessary cruelty; he ordered an official notice to the citizens that the Twenty MDs had all fallen ill."
"And the people fell for that?" Sanji asked.
"Heck no, they weren't idiots. But there wasn't anything they could do about it."Kureha said. "Anyway, while that was happening Hiriluk managed to complete his research. He brought me the finished product, knowing he didn't have enough time left. He wanted someone to finish what he started and thought I was the right person for the job. I was about to refuse him when he made an addendum... He wanted me to teach Chopper medical science. He literally prostrated before begging me to let Chopper's kind heart become that of a doctor's."
"Let me guess, you tried to turn him down," Zoro said.
"I certainly wanted to, even kicked him out on his rear when he begged. Then I realized what he was planning to do." Kureha sighed. "He charged right at the guard post giving Wapol's notice and bombed it, then forced the guards to take the ropeway up to the castle. At the same time, I learned about Chopper feeding him the Amiudake and was horrified. You see, that mushroom is actually poisonous. Eating it will kill you in half a day."
To the group's shock, tears started streaming down her eyes.
"Hiriluk may have been a quack, but he wasn't stupid. His medical books were the real deal. There's no way he didn't know the true nature of that mushroom. But he ate the soup Chopper made with it anyway, just to make him feel better."
"But how could Chopper have made such a mistake?" Hsiao wondered.
"A silly thing, to be honest. He saw a picture of a skull next to the mushroom and didn't realize it was meant to symbolize a poisonous substance. After all, he still remembered Hiriluk declaring the skull of the pirate flag as his way of standing up to disease. No medicine can work for all diseases in this world." Kureha explained. "I believe Hiriluk was right in saying that any disease can be cured if you only research it enough, but a single cure-all is just impossible. Otherwise, there would be no need for doctors. A kind heart can certainly help with treatment, but it needs to be backed by actual medical knowledge and skills. I told Chopper all this, and bless his heart he tried to believe otherwise."
She sighed in regret.
"But in the end, he couldn't deny it, and he just cried his eyes out. I knew then and there, that I needed to agree to Hiriluk's request."
"So what happened to Hiriluk?" Luffy asked.
"He went to the castle. Wapol, in his arrogance, believed he had successfully tricked the doctor. But like I said, Hiriluk was a quack, not an idiot. Wapol thought he was luring Hiriluk into his own execution, but he chose to go out on his own terms." Kureha explained. "In his own words, a man only dies when people forget him. Dalton later explained to me what happened. Hiriluk spoke about how his dream would still come true and cure the country of its illness. His words brought Dalton to tears, but apparently, their meaning was lost on that idiot Wapol."
She chuckled before drinking from her bottle.
"Hiriluk then let Dalton know that Chopper would be coming and asked that he not be harmed. I think he knew Chopper would rush over when he learned what was going on. Hiriluk took one last drink and then caused an explosion to go off at the castle. He made sure he'd go out on his own terms, and be remembered in the minds of all those soldiers."
"What caused the explosion?" Lithos asked.
"Knowing him an explosive concoction that he actually drank. Like I said, he went out on his own terms. Hell, Dalton said that Hiriluk was glad the doctors weren't actually sick." Kureha said. "Wapol laughed at Hiriluk's death, and that set Chopper off. He unleashed the full power of his Devil Fruit and charged at the castle. Luckily Dalton had already eaten the Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Bison by then, so he was able to stop Chopper and convince him to back down. Otherwise, I don't know if Chopper would be alive today. Dalton's tears were enough to convince Chopper of his kind nature, and he left without further incident. Dalton had apparently told off Wapol for laughing at the incident, saying there's no medicine that can cure fools."
"So it was after that you took Chopper in," Choi surmised.
Kureha nodded. "I saw him back in the forest, waving Hiriluk's flag and asking to be taught how to be a proper doctor. It was then that he described his dream; to become an all-purpose medicine, a doctor who can cure anything, even a country. So I agreed to teach him. As for Dalton, he was imprisoned for his actions. Well, until Blackbeard and his crew attacked, that is."
Chopper's nose then picked up. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the scent before Grahambel's voice came in over the group's ears.
"Wapol's heading up to your location! Usopp just spotted him climbing up using that giant hippo of his!"
"Looks like we need to teach that bastard his place once and for all," Luffy decided.
"We especially can't let him claim the castle while Nami is still recovering," Sanji said.
Outside, Wapol looked up at the castle and spotted Hiriluk's flag flying at the top.
"What is that strange flag and who dared to put it on my castle?! Where is the flag of Drum Kingdom?!"
"Oh, that old thing?" Kureha said as she came out. "I had it burned."
Wapol sneered. "Well if it isn't Doctor Kureha, the last survivor of the Doctor Hunt. Just what are you doing in my castle?"
"This castle isn't yours anymore. You abandoned it months ago when you fled from those pirates with your tail between your legs!" Kureha stated. "Rotten brats like you can't possibly run a country! The Drum Kingdom is dead! You might as well leave."
"AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THE DIRECTIONS OUT OF HERE!" Sonson shouted.
"GANGWAY!" Luffy called out.
Kureha quickly moved to the side as Luffy, Lithos, Merone, Sonson, Choi, Hsiao, and Hunter all charged forward.
"It's those Straw Hats again!" Chess called out.
"GUM-GUM PISTOL!"
"TITANSTONE KNUCKLE!"
"WATER HAMMER!"
"MONKEY'S VAULTING DROPKICK!"
"RAKE ROCK SMASHER!"
"DRAGON TAIL DANCE!"
"GREAT APE DROPKICK!"
The seven unleashed their powers and slammed their attacks into Wapol's face, sending him flying right to the edge of the mountain.
"LORD WAPOL!" Chess and Kuromarimo cried out in alarm.
They managed to grab him just as he fell off the cliff, then pulled him back up. It was clear from the look on Wapol's face that the combined attacks left him dazed and confused.
"But, Daddy, we can just wait for the castle fairy to fix the damage..."
"There, there, little man. There's plenty to be ashamed of." Ed said as he, Sanji, and Zoro came out.
"Y-You bastards!" Kuromarimo called out. "How dare you strike Lord Wapol, king of the Drum Kingdom!"
"Hey, we're pirates. Law and authority mean little to us." Merone pointed out.
Chess and Kuromarimo couldn't help but stare slack-jawed at how brazenly Merone said that as Wapol managed to recover and wiped his nose.
"Okay, now they're really making me mad."
"By the way, is it just you guys? Where's the rest of your forces?" Sanji asked.
Down below, the village was cheering at having beaten the soldiers with the help of the Straw Hats, sharing food and drink as several kids kicked the fallen soldiers where the sun didn't shine.
"I've never seen the people so happy. Now if your captain can just do something about Wapol himself." Dalton said,
"I'm sure we'll hear him come flying down the mountain before long," Romaz said.
"DRINKS ARE ON ME, PEOPLE!" Eddy cheered with a laugh.
Wapol grumbled. "Probably beaten up by the rest of your crew. I'll tend to that later, but right now the reclamation of my kingdom comes first! Starting with that strange flag!"
"That flag marks Hiriluk's grave," Kureha clarified. "What, do you think I took up residence in this run-down castle because I enjoyed it? But Chopper here insisted on flying Hiriluk's flag here, so I agreed."
"Doctor Hiriluk fought to save this country by raising that flag!" Chopper declared. "This castle is where he died!"
Wapol laughed "That stupid doctor's grave!?"
He continued laughing right up until a blast of water and ice slammed into his gut.
"Learn some tact, you phony king!" Hsiao called out, having turned into her Hybrid Form, and breathed out a gout of ice while Merone fired a burst of water.
Chess and Kuromarimo both stared gobsmacked at what just happened as Wapol got up and growled.
"Damn it all! I want that flag burned and those dissenters executed!"
"You won't even make it inside this castle!" Chopper said as he shifted his form from reindeer to human.
"Wait a moment...That's the monster from the day of Hiriluk's death! The one Dalton stopped!" Chess realized.
"This flag is Hiriluk's faith!" Chopper declared. "I won't let you take it down!"
Kuromarimo sneered. "We'll clean up these small fries in no time!"
He launched a ball from his glove right at Kureha, but it got easily blocked by Sanji's kick.
"You better start keeping time. And a brother should never throw an afro at a lady."
"Respect your elders!" Ed added, wagging his finger in a scolding manner.
"That's an afro?" Luffy asked. "Whatever it is, it's stuck to your leg."
Kuromarimo laughed. "That thing's stuck to you thanks to static electricity!"
"Oooh! Can I try!" Ed said as he yanked off the afro and absorbed its properties through his arms as he held it in both hands.
"Thanks for that, Ed." Sanji said gratefully.
Zoro rolled his eyes. "I can respect you using only your legs to fight but there's still plenty of uses for your hands besides cooking."
"Oh there's a lot more of that coming," Kuromarimo taunted.
"Zoro...give him a haircut!" Luffy said.
"With pleasure," Zoro smirked, drawing his swords.
"Just try it!" Kuromarimo called out. "MARIMO STATIC CLING!"
He started pulling off his hair to puff up and throw, only for each pull ball to get sliced to pieces. Chess quickly started knocking arrows, this time on fire.
"CHECKMATE!"
He fired off the arrows, only for Sanji to knock them aside easily by spinning his legs with a powerful kick. Wapol looked over stunned, then realized Luffy was charging at him again. However, he then turned around and started running to Lithos. Wapol was confused until he saw Lithos create a stone wall.
"ROCK WALL!"
"GUM-GUM ROCKET!"
Lithos had positioned the wall just in front of the gate so Luffy could stretch using it to launch at Wapol, slamming into him so hard he knocked into Robson and sent the beast flying off into the horizon. Kureha smirked as she took another swig.
"I never did like that hippo."
"Lord Wapol! Are you alright?!" Kuromarimo asked.
"No, Daddy, we can just get more clothes from the clothing fairy..." Wapol said in a dazed tone.
"The sad thing is he really believes things magically appear before royalty just because," Kureha quipped.
"Wow, he's gotta be dumber than Ed!" Hsiao laughed. "No offense, big guy."
"Zappity-Zap-Zap!" Ed said as he was busy making static electricity through his afro arms.
"Damn it, we underestimated those bastards!" Chess cursed.
Wapol got up. "Alright then. It's time to show them the true power of the Munch-Munch Fruit! Chess! Call out what I ate today!"
Chess got out his notebook. "One butter-sauteed cannon and one raw cannon on the ship. A cannonball and gunpowder salad. And a toasted house from the village."
"Man, this guy's got an appetite that could rival Luffy's!" Choi laughed.
"What can I say? The Munch-Munch Fruit leaves me with an eternal hunger." Wapol said. "But it does come with some benefits, should I choose to regurgitate what I've eaten within the last twenty-four hours!"
He proceeded to turn his entire body into a house-like construct.
"WAPOL HOUSE!" He declared. "But don't get surprised yet; MUNCH-MUNCH FACTORY!"
He proceeded to swallow Chess and Kuromarimo. Steam then came from his cannon arms and the chimney on his head.
"Gaze upon this miraculous union!" Wapol called out as the front door on his stomach opened, revealing a strange new being.
"BEHOLD THE STRONGEST WARRIOR OF THE DRUM KINGDOM!" The being said in a voice that sounded like a combination of Chess and Kuromarimo's. "CHESSMARIMO!"
"This is no different from them riding on each other's shoulders," Sanji noted.
"Don't take them lightly. If they were really such weaklings, something stupid like exiling all the country's doctors would have been stopped by the citizens long ago." Kureha said.
"Drum Kingdom Constitution Article 1; those who don't do as the king wishes should die!" Wapol declared.
"And did your father write that article?" Luffy asked.
Wapol looked confused. "What do you mean?"
"That constitution should have been around long before your time, right?" Zoro asked. "Unless you rewrote it."
"Someone's supposed to write it down?" Wapol asked.
"You write down your laws. Didn't you write down your constitution?" Sanji asked.
"Okay, he CANNOT be this stupid!" Hsiao guffawed.
"He probably could..." Hunter muttered with a passing smirk.
"You're throwing a lot of weird concepts at me that I've never heard of before, so I'm just going to burn that flag and reclaim my castle!" Wapol said.
The tyrannical ex-king fired a burning shot from his arm, only for Ed to absorb the snow around him and have Lithos throw him into the air to deflect it right into Wapol's ship way down below with his mighty strength enhanced by the large volumes of snow he assimilated. Wapol could only look on gobsmacked at what just happened.
"Never disrespect the flag. That's Pirate Constitution Article 1. And it IS written down." Sonson said.
Wapol laughed. "What point is there in respecting something that has no meaning?"
"Oh, it has meaning, alright! You can't just raise a flag and call yourself a pirate. The Jolly Roger is meant to be a symbol for that pirate crew, representing everything they are." Luffy retorted. "What that is can mean different things, some good and some evil. But above all else, the Jolly Roger is a person's pledge to risk his life! It's a mark of faith! It's not something that can be broken and laughed at! And above all else... It is not ever raised as a joke!"
The Straw Hat Boy's voice rang out so loud that Wapol and Chessmarimo wound up forced back, as if by a powerful aura. Lithos and Merone looked at Luffy in utter shock as well as Sonson, Choi, and Hsiao.
"That pressure...could it be...?" Lithos wondered internally.
"Master Tang D. Sanzang..." Sonson noted mentally. "He could do something similar back when he was training me!"
Chopper was also staring at Luffy but in awe. For the first time, he felt like he was looking at a true pirate.
"Hey, Chopper."
Chopper snapped out of it and turned to look at Hunter.
"I get that Hiriluk told you not to hold grudges towards humans. But here's the thing... That doesn't mean you need to stop fighting. After all... Fighting is what pirates do. So what say we kick that tin can all the way back to the beginning of the Grand Line!"
Chopper blinked, then grinned.
"Yeah!"
"The power of friendship shall defeat you!" Ed declared as he joined in.
The three charged at Wapol, only for Chessmarimo to get in the way, blocking Chopper's first punch.
"I won't let you lay a finger on Lord Wapol!"
"Uh, Chessmarimo..."
The combined being turned, and both his jaws dropped. Luffy had stretched out his arm and was now touching Wapol with his finger.
"Shishishishi!" Luffy laughed. "Guess your loyalty to that idiot is worthless. This is why Dalton was the smart one in your court."
Chopper shrunk down to his hybrid form.
"Good hustle, Chopper, but it looks like having the strength of a reindeer coupled with the fighting ability of a human just isn't enough. You need some real training." Hunter said.
"Not to worry. There is one other advantage the Human-Human Fruit gave me."
Everyone looked at him out of curiosity, and Chopper brought out a small yellow ball.
"The most important aspect of a human is their intelligence, and I've put that to use over the last six years to develop this. It's called the Rumble Ball. It's effect lasts for only three minutes, but the results... Well, they speak for themselves." Chopper said. "Right now I'm in what I call my Brain Point, the hybrid-form between human and reindeer. In full reindeer form, I'm in Walk Point, and in full human form, I'm in Heavy Point. But this Rumble Ball has special properties that can alter a Zoan user's abilities."
"Oooh! Like a Power Pellet!" Ed excitedly noted. "Superpowers good for Ed!"
Hunter chuckled. "All right then, let's see it! Keep the flag flying, you guys, we'll be taking on these idiots!"
"You got it!" Luffy replied.
"They aren't getting past us," Zoro agreed.
"We won't let Hirluk's memory be defiled!" Sonson declared, Hsiao and Choi nodding in agreement.
As Chopper bit down on the Rumble Ball, Chessmarimo pulled out two flaming arrows.
"MARIMO'S SNOW MELTING ARROW!"
"WALK POINT: LEG BOOST!"
Chopper shifted into his Walk Point but was now much faster and more agile.
"Just a simple power boost? I expected more! It's no different than Dalton's Devil Fruit!" Chessmarimo taunted.
"HEAVY POINT: WEIGHT BOOST!" Chopper shouted as he shifted again.
"Don't even bother! I know everything about the three-form transformation of Zoan types." Chessmarimo said. "You've got nothing that can surprise me!"
He pulled out four hammers at once.
"MARIMO'S SUPER SURPRISE QUATTRO HAMMER!" He announced. "Now that I've seen all your forms, beating you will be a breeze!"
"JUMPING POINT: JUMP BOOST!"
Chopper shifted to a slimmer form and leaped up far higher than normal as Chessmarimo brought his hammer down, much to the combined being's shock.
"W-What the hell is that form?! Zoan users are supposed to only have three forms! Their normal form, hybrid form, and animal form!"
Chopper chuckled. "But most Zoan types only have the power of wild animals. You seem to forget, I was born a reindeer. So now I'm a reindeer human, with all the intelligence that brings. GUARD POINT: FUR BOOST!"
He puffed into a large furball, which was nonetheless extremely durable as it easily tanked Chessmarimo's hammer.
"What the hell's going on?!" Chessmarimo demanded. "What's with these crazy forms!? Zoan types are supposed to be limited to three forms. This is just cheating!"
"Devil Fruits can have their wavelength interrupted or altered. Paramecia and Logia types do it all the time just based on whatever concept or element they possess." Chopper pointed out. "And don't forget that it's possible to flat-out disrupt a Devil Fruit user's power with Seastone. Over time I developed the Rumble Ball, a special drug that can change up the wavelength of a Zoan user's transformations. Through extensive study of that altered wavelength, I was able to learn four more transformation points. Along with the three natural forms of a Zoan type, that means I have seven total!"
"That's so cool!" Luffy, Hsiao, and Ed called out.
"It actually is very impressive. I had no idea it was even possible." Wapol admitted.
"LORD WAPOL!" Chessmarimo whined. "WHO'S SIDE ARE YOU ON?!"
Indignified, the combined being charged at Chopper, who bounced over to him.
"ARM POINT: ARM BOOST!"
He shifted into a humanoid form again, but with more muscular arms, which he used to completely shatter Chessmarimo's hammers.
"This form makes my hooves as strong as iron! With it, I can even break rocks!"
"Then try this on for size!" Chessmarimo declared. "MARIMO SURPRISE QUATTRO AXE: SNOW SPLITTING BLADE!"
He pulled out four axes to attack with and dashed forward. Chopper dodged the first shot, which nearly hallowed out a wall of the castle.
"Be careful, you idiot!" Wapol snapped. "That's my castle you're attacking!"
"S-Sorry, Lord Wapol! I promise I won't miss this time!" Chessmarimo apologized. "OMNIDIRECTIONAL SNOW SPLITTER!"
Chopper quickly shifted between forms to dodge the attacks.
"What happened to your earlier enthusiasm?" Chessmarimo taunted. "You can't win just by dodging!"
Chopper smirked. "I wasn't just dodging..."
He had a certain glint in his eyes as he held his hooves out.
"BRAIN POINT: BRAIN BOOST!" He announced. "Humans have several advantages over animals...including the ability to analyze their opponent. I was looking for a weak spot, and I just found one!"
Wapol attempted to slip into the castle, only to get slammed back out by Sanji and Choi.
"Wait your turn, tin teeth!" Choi admonished.
Chessmarimo charged at Chopper. "Fool! I have no blind spots! You're just a transforming idiot who can't even attack!"
"Was he paying attention to when Chopper was breaking his hammers?" Luffy asked,
Ed laughed. "Even I'm not that dumb, Captain."
"Me neither, Big Ed."
Chopper waited patiently as Chessmarimo approached, then shifted into his Arm Point.
"HOOFPRINT ROSEO!"
He slammed an uppercut right into Chess's chin, sending Chessmarimo flying, and rendering him unconscious and down for the count.
"Awesome! You're amazing, Chopper!" Luffy cheered.
"Yeah! That was so cool!" Hsiao added.
Chopper blushed and got the biggest grin on his.
"Shut up! You can't make me happy cheering me on like that!"
"I just realized something; Doctor, how are you going up and down the mountain?" Zoro asked Kureha. "We didn't see any climbing ropes."
"Yeah, you old hag! What happened to my ropeway?!" Wapol demanded.
"As I recall you cut down your ropeway so no one could get to the castle," Kureha pointed out. "But when Chopper wanted to plant Hiriluk's flag up here, well I strung up a new rope that he could run up without issue. Goes all the way down to my house in Gyasta, which helps with my regular rounds."
While she was talking, Wapol was trying to attack, only to wind up sinking into the snow.
"I think I gained a little weight..."
"Have you heard of a crash diet?" Hunter taunted with a smirk.
Wapol grimaced. "I need to slim down. MUNCH-MUNCH FACTORY!"
To the group's shock, he opened his mouth and actually consumed his own body, looking like a bucket for a few minutes. He then popped out in a much slimmer.
"SLIM WAPOL!" He announced. "There now! That should make things easier!"
He leaped at Lithos, who narrowed his eyes as he pulled his leg back, which transformed into pure diamond crystals.
"DIAMOND KICK!"
He struck, and Wapol felt extreme pain right in his groin, hopping and down clutching himself.
"HIPPO-HOPPING MOTHER-TRUCKING BLACK-HEARTED JACKSHIT! HOW HARD IS YOUR FOOT!?"
"That's what happens when you try to mess with a diamond," Lithos said. "They are quite unbreakable."
Meanwhile, N'Doul felt a weird sense of deja vu wash over him again.
"You okay?" Kuishi asked.
"It's nothing, my friend. No need to trouble yourself."
"Ugh, diamonds..." Wapol grumbled as he recovered. "They are quite delicious but so impossible to chew! And now I know they hurt just as well!"
Luffy noticed a key on Wapol's belt that had fallen off after the attack and picked it up.
"I think that goes to the weapons locker," Kureha noted. "Come to think of it, Chopper also disabled Wapol's special Tin Titan Royal Crown Seven Barrel Cannon and I cannot believe for the life of me I had to say that entire long-ass name."
"Ukikikikiki!" Sonson laughed, Hsiao giggling beside her.
Kureha rolled her eyes. "Anyway he's now using it as a bird's nest for snowbirds."
Wapol's jaw dropped in shock when he heard that.
"That's what happens when you're not around to maintain your kingdom and castle," Hunter said.
"Dalton was right, there is no medicine that can cure fools," Merone added.
Wapol gritted his teeth. "That bastard! Trying to come off as a hero of justice for the people when he was just my retainer!"
"Hey, it's a retainer's job to reign in a king's tendencies. If anything, your two goons over there were the ones not doing their job." Choi said.
"Silence! I am the king! What I say goes!" Wapol snapped.
"And is that how your father ran things? Or were you just so caught up in the royal lifestyle that you never paid attention to what he did?" Lithos asked before sighing. "But why am I even arguing this with you? It's just going in one ear and out the other."
"So we're just gonna beat the crap out of you and get it over with!" Luffy said while cracking his knuckles. "King or god, great or weak, it doesn't matter. As a pirate, if we see something we don't like... We wreck it!"
"Are you a fool? The Drum Kingdom is a member of the World Government!" Wapol said. "Attacking a sovereign of a member nation is a world-class offense!"
"Wow, you really don't listen, do you? Let me spell it out for you. We. Are. Pirates." Merone hissed out.
"And we do what we want because a pirate is free!" Ed sang triumphantly.
Lithos nodded. "We don't care about whatever laws the World Government puts in place. Heck, if we had our way, we'd tear down the entire corrupt regime they have going on.
"So, with that in mind... we're gonna hurt you now!" Hunter smirked.
"Oh you'll stop right now!" Wapol declared. "MUNCH-MUNCH SHOCK: TONGUE CANNON!"
He opened his mouth and his tongue turned into a cannon. Which Hsiao promptly blocked by breathing out a heavy amount of ash from her mouth in Hybrid Form. The resulting explosion returned Wapol to his normal form and left him with smoke coming out of his ears and nostrils.
"Ow..."
He then freaked out as Sonson approached, patting her staff in her hand.
"You know, there's nothing wrong with a country having a heart. What good is the system if it's broken to the point where it collapses under its own weight?"
"H-Hold on! I can give you all status! A medal! All the riches you want!" Wapol pleaded.
"Spare me your pointless whining, fatso!" Sonson said as he enlarged her staff. "HEAVENLY SAGE'S HAMMER!"
Wapol was slammed over and over until he was sent sailing right off the mountain and right into the Bliking, which barely kept from capsizing.
"So long, Gay Wapol!" Ed waved in a fake Italian accent.
Kureha smirked. "And that's that. The Drum Kingdom has truly fallen, defeated by the skull."
Once they saw Wapol hit his ship, which soon fled as fast as it could sail, the other Straw Hats took Dalton up the ropeway and into the castle. Dalton walked up to the now separated Chess and Kuromarimo, who were freaking out at his arrival.
"So then...who owes who an apology?"
"WE'RE SORRY FOR BEING SUCH SHITTY RETAINERS!"
"How's Nami doing?" Vivi asked.
"She's recovering. We managed to get her condition treated and she's feeling better. But it will still be a while before we can leave." Merone said.
Vivi nodded, relieved that Nami was okay.
"Oh yeah!" Luffy realized. "We also made a new friend!"
He motioned for Chopper to step forward, and he reluctantly did so.
"This is Tony Tony Chopper. He's a doctor."
Usopp looked at the little guy in surprise.
"Is that a reindeer?"
"Awww, he's so adorable!" Ariala cooed.
Kuishi grinned. "I know! I could just gobble him up!"
"P-Please don't eat me..." Chopper whimpered.
"He apparently ate the Human-Human Fruit. And from what we've seen, he's really learned how to make the most of it." Sanji said.
Dalton looked at Chopper in shock.
"It's you. The reindeer from all those years ago. To think you've been fighting all this time since then."
"You said I needed to get stronger if I didn't want to die in vain. So I decided to do just that. Not just in body, but in mind as well." Chopper said.
Dalton felt tears form in his eyes and he sank to his knees.
"Thank you...with this, our country can be reborn."
Other people came out and were confused about the little guy, wondering who the strange creature was.
"Anyone who tries to fire on Chopper gets punted off this mountain." Luffy said protectively, punching a fist into his palm. "Just saying that right now."
"And I'll torch 'em for good measure!" Hsiao said in her Hybrid Form, fire and smoke bursting from her mouth and nostrils, which got the crowd shrinking back.
"This little guy is a reindeer that ate a Devil Fruit, making him part human. He's the 'yeti' that you've all been afraid of." Lithos said. "Seems foolish looking at him, doesn't it."
Dalton couldn't help but smile as the villagers took a second, then started talking about how foolish they were for thinking Chopper might be dangerous. Chopper for his part looked over to Luffy, and couldn't help but smile. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had friends.
Over the next two days, the crew kept busy waiting for Nami to recover. Kureha had taken control of the Twenty MDs. It turned out they had gotten disillusioned by Wapol's vision years ago thanks to Hiriluk's final words, and were more than willing to go back to being regular doctors for the people, much to everyone's relief.
Nami managed to negotiate a free medical service by offering Kureha the key to the armory. As it turned out, Kureha needed the cannons inside for something important. As she directed the villagers to move them, she saw Chopper packing his bags.
"So you're really heading out to sea."
Chopper nodded. "Just like Doctor Hiriluk wanted me to. Also... I've decided to go ahead and join the Straw Hats. They're the first people ever who made me feel good about being a monster. And... I guess I kinda became friends with them."
Kureha smirked. "You're finally starting to understand what it means to become human. Just remember, pirates can die at any time."
Chopper nodded. "But if that wasn't a risk, then they wouldn't need doctors would they?"
Kureha couldn't help but laugh at getting her own words thrown right back in her face.
"No. No, they wouldn't. But before you set off, there's one last promise I need to keep."
She had the cannons all set up with the special dust Hiriluk had given her. As they started to fire, something amazing happened. The falling snow turned a vivid pink, making it look just like cherry blossoms. Chopper teared up at the sight.
"Doctor Hiriluk's research... His dream..."
He started wailing in both sorrow and joy as the Straw Hats all embraced him, making him a new member of the family. From down below, the people looked in awe at the sight of the mountain looking like a giant cherry blossom tree.
Dalton smiled. "I think, this country needs a new name. From now on, it shall be called... The Sakura Kingdom."
As the crew got on the ship, Vivi remembered something.
"Huh. I just realized I'd actually seen Dalton before."
"Oh really?" Ariala asked.
"Yeah, at Reverie ten years ago."
"Reverie?" Double-D asked.
It's a meeting of all the national leaders subservient to the World Government that occurs every four years. They meet on the island of Mariejois to discuss current events. This time they discussed growing concerns about the Revolutionaries and their leader Dragon. Wapol dismissed the threat, stating that it had nothing to do with his kingdom. Now, Dragon had never had a problem with Alabasta during all that time, considering Father has always been a wise and compassionate leader, but even then I had a feeling Wapol would be a perfect target for him. Father even called him out for being a selfish monarch. And then Wapol slapped me to try and get a rise out of father."
"That bastard!" Sanji snapped. "If Sonson hadn't already beat him to within an inch of his life, I'd finish the job myself!"
Vivi giggled. "Anyway, I played it off as me bumping into him, and he stormed off in a huff. But Dalton stayed behind long enough to apologize to me and Igaram. It wasn't until I was out of sight that I started crying from the pain."
"Wow, you're really strong. I would have smacked that bastard right back." Nami noted.
Dalton then walked up to the ship. "By the way, do you happen to know a man named Ace?"
"Yeah! He's our brother!" Luffy smiled, Lithos, Merone, Ferros, and Ariala all nodding with him.
"YOU HAVE ANOTHER BROTHER?!" The others asked in shock.
Ferros nodded. "There's seven of us in total; me, Lithos, Merone, Ariala, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo."
"So Ace was here, was he?" Merone asked.
"Just a week ago. Strangely enough, it didn't snow that day." Dalton said. "He was looking for Blackbeard and was annoyed that he had just missed him. He then asked about a pirate wearing a straw hat. No one knew about them, so the man presented us with a wanted poster, then said if he arrived here, to tell him that Fire Fist Ace was waiting in Alabasta for the next 10 days."
"We gotta hurry then!" Luffy said.
"He didn't even think to mention us?" Ariala asked. "I feel kinda insulted..."
"Still, it'll be nice to meet back up with Ace after so long. And knowing Sabo, he'll probably be heading there too." Lithos said.
Merone nodded. "He is a scout for the Revolutionaries, after all, so all he'd have to do is say he's checking out the situation with the civil war."
With all that settled, the Going Merry sailed off, now with one more crew member. The crew all got out drinks to celebrate.
"To our newest crew member, Chopper!" Luffy declared.
"I'll certainly enjoy learning as much as I can from you." Double-D smiled at the reindeer boy.
"Thank you! And I look forward to having you as my assistant doctor!"
"CHEERS!" Everyone merrily said at once.
It had been a necessary diversion from their mission to Alabasta, but it worked out for the Straw Hats as they gained a new friend and crew member. But lurking in the shadows, Crocodile still had a grip over Vivi's homeland. And the Straw Hats would certainly have their hands trying to liberate the kingdom and bring Vivi back her happiness.
Jesus Christ and Sweet Father Oda! Even for a closing to a three-parter, this chapter was LONG AS FUCK!
Well, regardless, I think we've gotten far enough in the story for me to set up end-of-the-chapter bios for the cast! I'll be taking from mtnetsurfer's Meet the Straw Hat Pirates bonus thing on AO3 for the bio formats.
-MONKEY D. LUFFY-
Epithet: "Straw Hat"
Position: Captain
Age: 17
Birthday: May 5th
Favorite Food: Meat
Dream: To become King of the Pirates
Devil Fruit: Gum-Gum Fruit
Devil Fruit Type: Paramecia
Devil Fruit Description: The Gum-Gum Fruit allows Luffy to stretch any part of his body like it's made of rubber. This makes him impervious to bullets, blunt force, and electricity-based attacks but blades can still damage him. His organs are also rubberized, which allows him to take in great amounts of air to inflate like a balloon. Despite the simple premise, the Devil Fruit holds a great secret that Luffy and his friends don't know about yet...
-EDWARD D. LITHOS-
Epithet: "Tremor"
Position: Quartermaster
Age: 19
Birthday: November 20th
Favorite Food: Macaroons
Dream: To vindicate the stories of his father Whitebeard
Devil Fruit: Earth-Earth Fruit
Devil Fruit Type: Logia
Devil Fruit Description: The Earth-Earth Fruit allows Lithos to create, manipulate, and transform into earth-based elements, which not only include rock but also crystals as they are also part of the earth. Since it's a solid element, Lithos can't phase through attacks but he does have an impenetrable defense against blades and bullets. He can also enhance his stone with magma, granting him limited Geo-Thermokinesis.