I do not own One Piece
It is owned by Oda
I own the OC's
Enjoy!
Drum Island opening: Ranbu no Melody(Bleach OP 13)
Jou POV
The journey to the doctor was exhausting. After what they just went through, things haven't been easy—getting attacked by those Lapahns, escaping an avalanche, and having not one but two of their crewmates in need of help—one was sick, and the other was injured. Jou, Luffy, and Valentine needed to reach the doctor quickly to get them help.
On the way there, Jou found they weren't the only ones having trouble with the avalanche. Covered in heavy snow, a small lump was trying to push its way out of it. Jou, Nami tied to his back, stepped up to it. He reached into the snow and lifted a baby Lapahn by its fur. The little rabbit shivered in Jou's grasp until it looked at him with its beady eyes. They stared at each other until it snarled at him, baring its fangs. Jou didn't react; he softly placed it on the snow.
The little rabbit ran from him when it found a large paw jutting from the snow. It was attempting to pull out the other Lapahn, maybe its parent. It seemed to struggle, digging with its tiny paws, but the cold got to them. Jou walked forward, the Lapahn baby growling at him again in defense of its parent. Luffy stepped beside Jou, with Sanji draped over his back. Jou and Luffy reached forward, each grabbing a paw. The baby Lapahn covered its head, thinking they were going after it.
"It's okay..." the baby Lapahn looked up and saw Miss Valentine kneeling in front of it, smiling kindly. "We're trying to help." Jou and Luffy pulled the adult Lapahn out together, one holding each arm. The baby's face brightened in a smile.
"See...?" Valentine giggled. The Lapahn ran to its parent, hugging it. Hopefully, there will be no more distractions, which Jou had hoped. "Check it out, boys. We're almost there."
"Good," Jou nodded.
"Yeah," Luffy agreed. "Nami, Sanji... we'll get you there, don't worry. You both stay alive. Both of you."
"FOUND YOU!" an angry voice called behind them. "Now, I'll make you pay. You damn Straw hats!" stopping in front of them on a hefty, white hippo was Wapol, his two lackeys, and a fourth person with them.
"What the...?" Luffy wondered. "Who're you guys?"
"They're those guys we ran into before we found this place," Jou glared.
"These are the ones that sent you flying, brother?" the fourth person, standing on the hippo, said. He was a tall, lanky man with pink hair framing his face, a black mask covering his eyes, and a black chin beard. He wore regal armor, a violet cape hanging off his right shoulder, shoulder pads, orange pants, fluffy shoes, and a weasel-skin scarf on his left shoulder.
"Yeah, they are!" Wapol exclaimed. "This here is my big brother, Straw hats. Musshuru." Musshuru folded his arms, glaring at Jou and Luffy.
"What's up with this guy?" Luffy wondered. "His hair is so weird. He's like a mushroom."
"Wapol's big brother, huh?" Jou said. "I honestly don't see much of a resemblance."
"I've had enough of you, Straw hats!" Wapol shouted. "I'm getting rid of you for good this time! I'm gonna chew you into little pieces, then spit you out!"
"Move it!" Luffy exclaimed.
"Get outta the way," Jou added.
"We don't have time for this," Valentine said.
"Heh, I don't think so!" Wapol growled. "Why would I wanna do that? I have no intention of making it easy for you three and those half-dead friends to get away from here!"
"Jackass..." Jou muttered. "Luffy, Valentine, let's ignore them and go around." The trio did just that and walked around them.
"Stop right there!" Chess yelled at them.
"You're going to let them leave, brother!" Musshuru said. "I expect better from someone who claims they are king!"
"Oh, I am the king!" Wapol claimed. "Watch this, brother! Hey, Chess! I thought of a new law to celebrate my return! Write this down! Anyone who ignores the King will be executed! Those five are guilty! Chess! Kuromarimo! I want them punished immediately! Deal with the unconscious ones first since they're ignoring me the most!"
"Luffy, we need to-" Jou began until Luffy quickly tossed Sanji over to Jou. Jou caught the cook in his arms and looked up at his captain. "Luffy, what are you doing?"
"Jou, get to the mountain and take Nami and Sanji to the doctor," Luffy said. Hey..." he said to Valentine. "Look after them."
"Yeah, you got it," Valentine nodded. "Come on, 'Dual-Chain'!" Jou didn't want to leave Luffy to fight those guys alone, but he knew Nami and Sanji needed help now. "Hurry, we gotta keep moving! We're almost there!"
"Shade Dance!"
Jou turned around to find pink-colored bullets flying at them, and they were aimed at him. They fired so quickly that he didn't have a chance to dodge. The projectiles never touched as Valentine had protected Jou. Jou's eyes widened as the woman fell to her knees, coughing.
"Valentine!" Jou shouted. He placed Sanji in the snow and caught Miss Valentine in his arms. He took in her face, which was drained of color. He didn't know what was wrong with her, but she looked terrible. "Hey! C'mon, stay with me!"
"Y-Yeah... Valentine coughed. "Just-Just it's getting kinda hard to stay awake..."
"Why?" Jou wondered. "Why would you do such a thing?!"
"W-What do you mean...?" Valentine stared Jou in the eyes. "I was just trying to help. Isn't that what friends do?" Jou blinked his eyes at her until she passed out in his arms.
"It's poison," Musshuru said, walking through the snow toward Jou.
"Poison...?" Jou questioned.
"I ate the Shroom-Shroom Fruit," Musshuru stated. "It turned me into a Poison-Spore Human. The dosage the woman had taken won't kill her instantly, but it will soon course through her body, killing her." Jou knelt there, Nami on his back, Sanji beside him, and Miss Valentine in his arms. Jou brought up his head, his eyes glaring at Musshuru.
"You're so damn lucky right now..." Jou told him. "If I didn't have to protect my friends, I'd fight you here and now."
"Hmm, putting yourself before others..." Musshuru grunted. "That's a sign of weakness. You may as well accept you are about to die!" Musshuru rushed forward, his hand somehow turning into a drill. "Spin Drill!"
Before he could even reach Jou, a few fast blurs attacked Musshuru, knocking him away. The blurs landed, and Jou found they were Lapahns. Jou didn't know what was happening but figured the Lapahns were helping him. Several Lapahns were surrounding Jou as if to protect him from Musshuru.
"Foolish Lapahns!" Musshuru spat. "What do you think you are doing?!"
"Jou!" Luffy shouted and ran over to Jou.
"Luffy!" Jou said his captain. One of the Lapahns turned to look at Jou and Luffy. Jou recognized it as the adult one they pulled out earlier.
"I think that's the Lapahn we helped," Jou said.
"It is," Luffy nodded.
"Then, that means...?" Jou stared at the baby Lapahn clinging to the adult's back. It was the same one he helped. The adult and baby Lapahn flexed as if they were showing admiration and respect for helping them.
"Thanks a bunch!" Luffy smiled. You guys saved us!" He grabbed Sanji and Valentine and ran toward the mountain.
"Yeah," Jou nodded with a grin. "We're grateful for the help! Thank you!" He took off next. "Let's hurry, Luffy! The Lapahns gave us a chance! Let's not waste it!"
"Yeah!" Luffy agreed. "Hang on, guys!"
Jou and Luffy finally reached the foot of the mountain. Jou eyed its bottom to the very top. With its huge size, it felt like it went forever into the sky, especially with the snow shrouding its peak.
"This is it..." Luffy stated.
"Yep," Jou said. "Looks gigantic up close."
"The doctor's up there," Luffy claimed. "So we gotta climb it."
"Right," Jou agreed.
"Alright, Nami, Sanji, Valentine..." Luffy said. "It's just a little further to go."
"Hold on, captain..." Jou said. "Let's make sure Sanji and Valentine are secure for you." Jou reached into Sanji's backpack and pulled out some rope. He tied it around his captain, Sanji, and Valentine, ensuring it was tight enough to keep them together.
"You know how to climb, Jou?" Luffy questioned.
"Sure do," Jou nodded. "Used to climb all the time with my mom," Jou mentioned. "Though, they're not as tall as this." Luffy went first and started climbing the mountain. Jou followed after just a bit behind his captain. The wind seemed to pick up and become more intense; the snow didn't make this whole thing more manageable, but they had to keep going.
"Jou!" Luffy screamed over the wind. "You still following!"
"Right behind you!" Jou assured, but climbing a slick mountain made it hard to grasp the rock. Jou wasn't going to lie; his hands were getting numb. But he wouldn't let that deter him from reaching the doctor for Nami. Above him, he heard Luffy screech in pain and found skidding past him.
"Luffy!" Jou shouted. Thankfully, Luffy was able to catch himself from drifting further. "Captain, you alright?!"
"Yeah! I'm good!" Luffy replied. "It's okay! Keep going!"
No POV
Vivi, Usopp, and Mr. 5 followed Jou and Luffy's group but were hit by the avalanche earlier. Vivi, as did Mr. 5, was the first to get up.
"Are... are you alright?" Vivi asked him.
"Fine," the man grunted. "I've been better."
"The avalanche... it must've buried us..." Vivi said.
"I'm surprised we're still alive," Mr. 5 said. "Where did Long Nose go?" Vivi, hearing that, looked around for the sniper.
"Usopp!" the princess shouted once she spotted the sniper's long nose protruding from the snow. She quickly ran to him, wiping the snow off Usopp's face. He gave out a low groan. "He's still alive! I'm going to get you out of there, Usopp! Just hold on a bit longer!" Vivi pulled him out by his nose and patted his face. "C'mon, Usopp, just wake up! Snap out of it!"
"Just give me a minute, Vivi," Usopp spoke. "I was in the middle of having a lovely dream; we were in a world far from here, sitting in a field of flowers with a river flowing next to it..."
"Talking like he's dead already..." Mr. 5 commented. "Here, let's-" Vivi didn't hear the former as she was busy trying to revive the sniper in her way.
"You're crossing into the afterlife, Usopp!" Vivi screamed. "Get outta that dream! Now wake up!"
"Ah, look at the Usopp pirates, all 74,000 of them..." Usopp said. "They're such good, brave warriors!"
"Okay!" Vivi said with sharkteeth. "Get up now! You have to wake up! Do you hear me?! Usopp! Usopp! Usopp! Usopp! Usopp!" the princess screamed in between several slaps on the sniper's face.
"Wow, you saved my life, Vivi!" Usopp thanked the princess while they were walking. "I thought I was a goner there for a second! I'm lucky to be alive! That was a close one, really. It was so close! Except that my face feels kinda swollen!"
"Oh, it's the cold!" Vivi assured shyly. "That's what happens! An unfortunate side-effect of a snowy area!"
"Anyway..." Mr. 5 said. "We need to find out where we are in this place."
"I'm not sure," Vivi shook her head. "We could probably head back to Big Horn for now." Vivi stepped on something in the snow. What she stepped on lifted itself from the snow.
"AAAH! MONSTER!" Usopp shouted in alarm. It happened to shirtless Zoro lifting himself out of the snow.
"Woah, that was a close one..." Zoro stated. "Why does it feel like I dreamed about a field of flowers?" He immediately covered up his bare torso and shivered. "Hit by an avalanche in the middle of a training session. Not exactly an ideal workout, but this is kinda like swimming in snow."
"Zoro?" Usopp questioned. Zoro noticed the three looking at him.
"Oh, Vivi, Mr. 5, what's up?" Zoro said, noticing Usopp's red, swollen face from the princess's slaps. "Oh, it's you, Usopp. What are you guys doing all the way out here in the snow?"
"That's exactly what we're gonna ask you!" Usopp and Vivi shouted.
"You are a crazy bastard," Mr. 5 commented. "Out here in the cold without a coat."
"I was training!" Zoro stated. "Or I was until that avalanche came outta nowhere!"
Marianne POV
Marianne shouted for Carue to hurry to escape the avalanche. But the snow proved to be much faster and buried them both. Marianne was knocked off Carue; only half of her was buried in the snow, and the thermos filled with tea was in her hands.
"That was close..." Marianne said. She looked around for the duck. "Carue! Carue, where are-" A massive lump beside her shuffled about, revealing to be the duck. "Oh, good. You're okay!"
"Quack..." Carue responded.
"Don't worry—I saved the tea!" Marianne held up the thermos as if it were sacred. She noticed the duck shivering, opened the thermos, and poured some tea. "Here, drink this." She gave Carue the tea. "Are you good to go on?"
"Quack," Carue said.
"Oh, good," Marianne nodded. She got back on the duck and continued through the snow. Up ahead, she found a group of people in the snow. Looking closely, she noticed it was Vivi, Mr. 5, and a shivering Zoro. "It's them! We found them! Hey!" she called with a wave.
"Is that Carue and Marianne?" Vivi wondered. Carue halted in his tracks with Marianne still on his back.
"Hey!" Marianne greeted. "We found you guys!"
"What do you think you're doing out here?" Mr. 5 asked. "I thought you were back on the ship?"
"I was but-" she paused, seeing a 'person' with a large, bumpy face. The thing blinked its round, beady eyes at her, causing her and Carue to scream in terror. "AAAAH! MONSTER!"
"A monster?!" the thing said. "Where?! I gotta hide!"
"I-It's alright!" Vivi calmed the girl and the duck. "It's Usopp!"
"Oh..." Marianne frowned.
"Marianne, what are you doing out here?" Usopp wondered.
"Wapol's soldiers showed up on the island," Marianne explained.
"Wapol's here?!" Vivi questioned.
"And you just left the ship unattended?" Usopp asked.
"The ship's safe," Marianne assured. "I painted over, so they're not the gonna touch it. So, now what?"
"Well, we were trying to follow Luffy's group, but it seems out of the question," Vivi said. "I think they'll be fine. Let's head back to the Big Horn." On their way back, they found that the Avalanche had buried the town of Big Horn. They found Wapol's soldiers keeping the townspeople back.
"Hey, what's going on here?" Zoro asked a man.
"What's going on here?" the man asked, seeing Zoro in his current state, wearing nothing but his pants. "What's going on with you?! Why are you dressed like that?!"
"Dalton's buried under the snow that came down with the avalanche!" another man mentioned.
"Dalton's under that?!" Vivi wondered.
"That's right!" the man answered, clenching his fist. "And we can't get over there to dig him out 'cause those guys are blocking us!"
"You aren't so brave without Dalton around!" the soldier shouted. The soldier was confident in his boisterous laughter but was immediately knocked out by Zoro backhanding him in the face, knocking him out.
"No, Zoro!" Vivi exclaimed. "What are you doing?!" Zoro ignored the shouts from the princess and the townspeople.
"Oh, he just wanted that guy's jacket," Marianne noticed.
"Quack..." Carue said.
"Yep, and his boots, too," Marianne nodded.
"This is so warm!" Zoro smiled. "I really like this thing!"
"Watch out, Zoro!" Usopp warned. "They don't look very happy!"
"I know you!" a soldier shouted. "You were on the ship with the guy who beat up Wapol!" The rest of the soldiers surrounded Zoro.
"That's right!" Zoro grinned. "You're a little slow, aren't you!" the soldiers charged as Zoro ran through them, taking their swords. "You looking for something? Maybe these!"
"Men! Let's get this guy!" all the men charged the swordsman.
Zoro charged them, slashing each of them at once with his attack. "Hawk Wave!" After those guys went down, three more men leaped at Zoro.
"Nose Fancy Cannon!" Three explosion blasts hit all three soldiers, knocking them down.
"What a shame," Zoro commented. "Already over."
"No surprise there," Mr. 5 commented. "These guys are weaklings."
"Man, so cool!" Marianne sparkled, clenching her fists, Carue nodding in agreement.
"Amazing," Vivi breathed out.
"Good job, guys!" Usopp said. "Just like I told you to do!" Carue quacked at the sniper.
"Yeah, you didn't even do anything," Marianne agreed with the duck.
"Great, now we can go over there and look for Dalton!" a man called as the townspeople ran forward to start digging for Dalton. Marianne remembered the town leader. He was nice enough to try and help them, even telling them how to find that witch. Marianne also hoped Jou, Miss Valentine, and the others were okay and found the doctor to get Nami treated.
Jou POV
The climb to the castle was still on. The slickness of the rock and the cold wind hitting them both didn't stop Jou and Luffy. During the climb, Jou noticed Luffy's skin had gone a light purple. It couldn't have been good that he had given his jacket to Nami, which a gust had blown. Jou, however, wasn't wearing proper snow gloves. Fingerless gloves weren't ideal for this kind of weather. The tips of his fingers had gone numb and turned pink, but that didn't stop him.
Jou used every ounce of strength he had. No matter how hard the wind blew, he was still on his way up the mountain with his captain in tow. At this time, the wind was so strong that it blew Jou's beanie right off his head. With luck, he managed to catch it before it blew away. However, in grabbing it, Jou himself slid down the mountain.
"Jou!" Luffy shouted as Jou skidded past him. Jou ground his teeth to fight the yell from scrapping his fingers against the rock. Thinking quickly, he reached for one of his knives and jammed it into the rock. He managed to stop himself from going further, hanging off the mountain with his knife. He breathed in relief, but they knew he still had a way to go.
"Jou!" Luffy called. "Are you and Nami okay?"
"We're fine!" Jou answered. "Let's keep heading up!" Luffy continued up the mountain. Jou stuck his hat in his mouth. His hair flowed from the icy wind, and he used one of his knives as makeshift climbing gear to get himself up the mountain. Jou wouldn't let some cold stop him from getting Nami the help she needed.
"Nami..." Jou spoke through his hat. "I promised you I'd get you up the mountain. I can't let you die. I... I won't ever let that happen. I care about you too much." He'd just already realized earlier that he held deep feelings for Nami. Jou turned his head, taking in Nami's face for a moment. She was still breathing, her face flushed from sickness. Just seeing her current state gave him more strength to get up there.
While stuck in his thoughts, he didn't realize how far he managed to get up the mountain. He was almost at the top. Luffy made it before he did, placing Sanji and Valentine on the mountain and reaching his hand out.
"Jou!" Luffy shouted. "Take my hand!"
Jou climbed a couple more inches until he reached his captain. Jou's knife finally snapped in half, tossing the hilt away. He grabbed Luffy's hand and lifted him up the mountain. Jou fell on the mountain beside his captain. Jou put his hat on his head and looked at his captain. Luffy's face and body had gone purple. It was frostbite. He hadn't seen it before, but he'd read about it.
Jou himself wasn't in horrible shape. The tips of his fingers were bleeding from scraping them against the rock. He was also pretty exhausted from climbing all this way up.
"Heh heh..." Jou chuckled. "We made it captain..."
"Yep," Luffy nodded. "We finally reached the doctor..." Luffy closed his eyes and fell unconscious.
"Luffy!" Jou called his captain. He looked toward the vast castle ahead of them, with the doctor inside. They had made it all this way, and Jou felt he couldn't move another inch. "See that, Sanji, Valentine..." he looked at the two unconscious ones next to Luffy. "Nami..." he smiled at her. "We... made it." Jou closed his eyes, his exhaustion finally taking over as his head hit the snow.
No POV
"The both of them climbed this mountain?" Doctor Kureha said. "That's almost 3 miles of sheer rock to go up?!" she looked at Luffy. "His entire body is on the brink of frostbite. What was he thinking dressing up like that for such a climb? Draw some hot water and throw him into it."
Chopper, her reindeer assistant, opened up Sanji's shirt, examining his wounds.
"This guy is bleeding a whole lot," Chopper noticed. "He has 6 broken ribs and a spinal fissure." he drew his hooves across Sanji's torso and looked at Valentine beside him. "The woman right here." He took in the color of her skin. "She's been poisoned."
"Yeah..." Kureha nodded. "Musshuru's back. This is what happens when his poison affects another person."
"Is Musshuru really back?" Chopper wondered.
"Yeah, Wapol must've brought him back to the island," Kureha figured.
"Can I operate on them, Doctorine?" Chopper asked.
"Chopper, look at this one over here," Kureha pointed at Jou.
"Him?" Chopper said, kneeling beside Jou. "Out of the others, he's in the best condition, but..." Chopper picked up Jou's left hand. "The tips of fingers are bleeding. They were scrapped against the rock."
"Put some antibiotic cream on them and bandage them," Kureha noted. She lifted Nami off Jou's back and examined her. "Apparently, the most critical of our 4 patients is this girl. This one's dying."
"Does she have an infection?" Chopper questioned.
"Yes," Kureha answered. "And the infection isn't from anywhere on this island." a hand grabbed Doctor Kureha's arm. She and Chopper saw it was Jou. His eyes were serious despite how fatigued he was.
"You... help us..." was all he said.
"Don't worry, boy..." she told him. "I'll make the bleeding kid, the boy with severe frostbite, the poisoned girl, and the sick girl better. You can rest easy, alright?"
"They're my friends... help them, please?" Jou pleaded. Chopper's eyes widened at Jou's words when he called these people his friends.
"I figured that, kid..." Kureha grinned. "I'll save them, so don't worry. Chopper, let's begin treatment!"
Jou POV
"Oh, man..." Jou groaned, blinking the grogginess from his eyes. He was lying in a bed, the ceiling being the first thing he saw. He was left in his T-shirt, and the rest of his stuff was sitting on a table. Jou raised his left hand, noticed his fingertips were wrapped, and leaned up, running his fingers through his hair.
"You shouldn't get up yet," a voice called. "You weren't in any serious condition, but you were exhausted. Maybe you should rest a little more."
"I'm alright," Jou assured. "Listen, I wanted to thank you." Jou turned his head to the source of the voice.
This was something Jou didn't expect to see today. What he was looking at was a small, furry creature. It resembled a reindeer, but he was standing on two legs. He was a short little thing with light-brown fur, round eyes, a blue nose, and hooved hands and feet. He wore a top hat with a white X on the front, his antlers sticking out on either side and dark purple shorts. It was a few seconds for Jou and the little one; neither spoke a word. He was holding a basket with bandages inside, tossed it, and ran away.
"Hey, wait!" Jou shouted. He retreated behind a desk, but what made Jou blink his eyes was the fact that he was hiding the wrong way. The rest of his body is still visible to Jou.
"Uh...?" Jou broke the silence. "I... uh... I can still see you. If you're trying to hide, that kinda defeats the purpose of it."
"Shut up!" he shouted. Jou blinked his eyes, tilting his head. "Wh-what?! You're looking at me funny because I'm a reindeer, huh?!"
"I um..." Jou sighed. He didn't know what to say without upsetting the little guy. "I'm sorry if I offended you in any way..."
"I don't need your apology, human!" the reindeer exclaimed.
"Would you please calm down..." Jou said. His eyes widened when he hadn't seen the others. "Oh, are my friends okay? There were two other guys with me. One of them got hurt, and two girls. One is sick, and the other is poisoned. Where are they?"
"Well, those two are over there," the reindeer pointed a hoof to the other side of the room. Luffy and Sanji were occupying a couple of beds, both sleeping soundly.
"Good," Jou smiled. "They're okay. What about Nami and Valentine? The two girls with us."
"They're both okay, too," the reindeer said. "Doctorine treated the girl who was sick and cured the other of Musshuru's poison. They're in bed right now." That was a relief to hear Nami and Valentine were okay, too. He was happy Nami got her needed help and thought he should check on her. Jou got up from the bed, tugging on his boots, and went to the table to their things. He put on his hat and wrapped his chains around his wrists.
"Hey?" the reindeer called.
"Yeah?" Jou answered.
"Why do you wear chains on your wrist?" the reindeer wondered.
"They're just what I use to fight," Jou said.
"What you use to fight?" he replied.
"I don't just use them to defend myself; I use them to protect those around me," Jou stated. "My friends."
"To protect your friends..." the reindeer murmured to himself. Jou looked around but didn't see Nami or Valentine there.
"I assume Nami's in a different room," Jou stated. "If so, where is she?"
"Walk out that door and take a left," the reindeer claimed. "There's a door down the hall. You can't miss it. That's the room where the two girls are."
"I see..." Jou nodded and started walking out the door until he turned back. He realized he didn't know his name instead of calling him 'reindeer.' "Oh, I didn't ask before. What's your name?"
"S-Shut up!" he stuttered. "I don't need to tell my name to some human! Don't mock me! My name is Chopper!"
Jou raised his eyebrows in confusion. He told him he wouldn't tell Jou his name but told him anyway. The little guy is filled with emotions; he doesn't know what to feel. Either way, maybe it was his way of showing that he was somewhat opening up to Jou.
"I'm Jou," Jou smiled kindly. "Thanks for your help, Chopper." Chopper blinked his round eyes at Jou. Before he could say anything, Jou left to find Nami and Valentine's room.
Nami POV
Nami had woken to a strange sight. She'd just come across the odd little creature called Chopper. She seemed to spook him once they saw each other, and then he talked. Normally, reindeer don't speak, but this one did. She scared him so badly with her shout of surprise that he stumbled back into a bunch of equipment and, after that, met the doctor. She had the face of an older woman but the body of a young one.
"Your fever seems to have gone down a little bit; that's good," the woman smiled. "Are you happy?" She put a finger on Nami's head.
"Who are you?" Nami asked.
"Yes, it's gone down several degrees," she said, taking a swig from her bottle. "It should be alright. I'm the only doctor around here, Dr. Kureha. But you can call me Doctorine, okay?"
"Oh..?" Nami wondered, looking around. "Then that means we're on-"
"Looking for how I stay so young?" Doctorine wondered.
"No, that's not it," Nami said.
"Anyway, yes, you're in the castle on the mountain," Doctorine stated.
"In that case, there were 4 other people who showed up with me, weren't there?" Nami asked worriedly.
"Yeah, they're sleeping in the next room," Doctorine said. "Very deeply. Three real tough guys." Nami smiled in relief to hear Jou, Luffy, and Sanji were okay. "The other girl is sleeping just right over there."
Nami found Miss Valentine sleeping in a bed on the far side of the room. Although she may not have known her well, she still came to help get her here. Jou was sleeping in the next room. He got her up just like he promised he would. She'd have to thank him once she see's him. Doctorine sat down on the bed and lifted Nami's shirt, exposing her stomach and a purple bite.
"This is what caused your sickness," Doctorine told her.
"R-Really?" Nami questioned, looking at the bite.
"You were bitten by a bug called the Kestia," Doctorine said. "It's a poisonous tick that thrives in jungles with high heat and humidity. When it bites you, it introduces a type of bacteria into your body and lays dormant for 5 days, causing severe pain. It causes a high fever, severe infection, myocarditis, and arthritis. Not pleasant. Given the infection progression in the affected area, I'd guess you'd been infected for 3 days now. The pain you'd been feeling must've been terrible, but still, it would've eased up in two more days without any treatment at all."
"It would have gone away in 2 days?" Nami asked.
"You wouldn't be feeling any pain whatsoever because you'd be dead," Doctorine mentioned, which caused Nami to shake in concern. It could've spelled the end for her if she hadn't been treated. "It's called the '5-day disease'. I had heard that Kestia died out 100 years ago, but I kept the antibiotic just in case. Where did you guys come from that you may have been exposed to this? Were you walking around some ancient jungle with your belly showing? Hahaha! No, ridiculous!"
"Uh..." Nami paused once she remembered her shirt had burnt off her when leaping from the fire back on Little Garden.
"Does this situation sound familiar at all?" Doctorine asked. "What a crazy girl you are! Now!" she shoved Nami back on the bed. "Stay in bed. Treatment for the disease isn't completely finished yet."
"Thank you so much," Nami smiled. "I'll be fine as long as my fever goes down. My body will take care of itself after that."
"Well, aren't you an optimistic one?" Doctorine commented. "This disease normally takes a course of treatment 10 days to successfully cure. Even with medicine as advanced as mine your body will still need three days to at least recuperate. If you don't want to risk suffering and possibly death, get some rest, girl." Nami quickly shot up out of bed.
"I can't stay that long!" Nami shouted. "We need to get Vivi home! Back to Alabasta!" The doctor quickly shoved Nami down on the bed, holding her wrist down and easing a scalpel into her face.
"When a patient leaves this castle, it's she's either cured or diseased," Doctorine said. "You're not going anywhere, girl. You better get used to it." Nami shook fearfully, eyeing the scalpal just inches from her face. Is this woman seriously a doctor or crazy? Or both?
"You know..." a voice said by the doorway. "I thought doctors were supposed to help their patients, not threaten them." Nami looked to her side and saw Jou, arms folded, leaning on the doorway. A smile spread across her face.
"Jou!" Nami exclaimed, her face beaming into a smile.
"Gehehe!" Doctorine laughed. "Just a precaution to ensure the girl gets cured properly." She released Nami from the hold. The woman started leaving to leave the room. Before leaving, she looked at Jou. "Make sure you're girlfriend here stays in bed." Nami blushed at that as Doctorine left.
"She's not my-we're not even-" Jou stammered but sighed. "Okay..."
"Gehehe!" Doctorined laughed again once she was out. Jou walked over and took a seat on the bed. Jou was unusually silent. Nami noticed he was twiddling his thumbs a lot. Was he nervous? It didn't seem like him to get nervous.
"I'm glad you're feeling better," Jou told her.
"Yeah, much better than before," Nami smiled. She brought her knees up and placed her arms on them. Maybe she was getting nervous as well. "Jou?"
"Yeah, what's up?" Jou wondered.
"I just wanted to thank you," Nami told him. "For helping me up the mountain. It couldn't have been easy. So...?" Nami leaned forward, touching his shoulder and kissing his cheek. She pulled away with a smile. "Thank you."
"Heh..." Jou blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Don't mention it." He looked at her, the two of them looking into each other's eyes. However, the moment was ruined when they heard a snicker from the side of the room. They turned and saw a smug-looking Miss Valentine resting her head on one hand.
"Just a peck on the cheek?" Valentine questioned. "Geez, I expected something a bit more spicier than that!"
"Valentine!" Jou said. "I'm glad you're okay."
"Oh, were you worried about me, dual-chain?" Valentine asked with a bat of her eyes. Nami had rolled her eyes.
"Well, of course I was," Jou told her. "You protected me from that Musshuru guy when he came after us."
"Yeah, I mean..." Valentine said. "My body just moved and wanted to defend you, at least. Think of it as saying thanks for letting us stay on your ship. If we stayed on Little Garden, we'd be dead. Killed by the boss' enforcer."
"Think nothing of it," Jou shook his head. "You said yourself, isn't that what friends do?"
"I said that?" Valentine chuckled. "I must be spending too much time with you guys! But I'd like that... to be friends."
"Friends, huh?" Jou questioned. "I think we can make room for more friends." He turned to Nami with a smile. How could Nami not smile back at Jou? The both of them smiled at Miss Valentine. "Well, if you want to be friends, why not tell us your name?"
"My name...?" Valentine blinked her eyes.
"Yeah, Marianne is Miss Goldenweek's real name," Jou said. "So, what's yours?"
"It's been a while since I told someone my real name," Valentine smiled. "Mr. 5 and I don't even know our real names, and we're partners."
"Well..." Nami spoke. "Now you guys aren't a part of Baroque Works anymore. You can be yourselves now."
"That's right," Jou agreed. Valentine seemed to think about whether she wanted to tell them her name.
"I'll tell you guys what..." she grinned. "Once we leave this island, I'll tell you my name. Sound good?" Nami sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Geez, what a copout..." Nami commented.
"Hahaha!" Jou laughed. "Fair enough."
"AAAAAH!" a scream was heard outside the room. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"
Chopper ran into the room, chased by a now-awake Luffy and Sanji. The two of them bandaged up. Nami was glad they were okay and energetic, as they were chasing Chopper around the room.
"Hold on, meat!" Luffy shouted, trying to take a bite from Chopper's arm.
"Hold on, Luffy!" Sanji exclaimed. "Let me cook this guy up first!" They ran out of the room and over to the bed.
"Nami...?" Luffy said.
"Nami, dear!" Sanji said, skipping beside Luffy.
"You look like you're all better!" Luffy smiled.
"Getting there," Nami nodded. "Thanks."
"Right!" Sanji grinned, grabbing his bicep. "One tasty venison dish for Nami coming right up!"
"Why are you guys trying to eat him?" Jou sighed. Chopper sneaked to the door as the cook and captain noticed him and chased him again.
"COME BACK!" the two screamed, chasing Chopper out the door. Luffy and Sanji had to chase Chopper all over the castle, which caused quite a commotion. Doctorine came back into the room, leaning on the doorway.
"I'm impressed," Doctorine mentioned. "Those guys are already up and moving."
"Oh yeah," Jou agreed. "They're a couple of idiots, but they're strong. But, they're mostly just idiots." Doctorine looked at Valentine.
"Looks like you're awake; that's good," Doctorine grinned. "Let's me know that antidote I cooked to counteract Musshuru's poison works."
"Yeah," Valentine smiled. "It's like I was never poisoned at all. Thanks a lot."
"Well, just make sure you stay in bed," Doctorine said.
"So, can I ask you about Chopper?" Jou asked.
"You already know his name?" Nami asked.
"Yeah, I met him when I woke up," Jou mentioned.
"I admit, I'm kinda curious about him, too," Nami agreed
"You already know his name is Chopper," Doctorine stated. "He's just a reindeer with a blue nose."
"But normal Reindeer's don't talk," Nami commented.
"Or walk on two legs," Jou added, folding his arms.
"If he's different from ordinary Reindeer's in some way..." Doctorine declared.
"If he's different?" Nami repeated.
"He ate a Devil Fruit," Valentine figured, her chin resting in her palm.
"That's right," Doctorine nodded. "He's still a Reindeer, but he has the abilities of a human, like talking and walking around. And also, he's a Doctor. I taught Chopper everything I know about the field of medicine."
Nami is impressed that Chopper was once a regular Reindeer but ate a Devil Fruit to allow him to act as humans do. He was even a Doctor on top of that. He would almost be perfect to join the crew if Luffy realizes he's chasing a Doctor rather than his next meal. But that depends if Chopper wants to join them.
After chasing Chopper, Luffy and Sanji finally stopped hunting the little Reindeer around the castle. Luffy was trying to convince Doctorine to join them.
"You should be one of my crew!" Luffy demanded the woman. "Please, old lady! We really need to have a Doctor on board!"
"Luffy?" Doctorine questioned. "You did tell me that was your name? Isn't that right?"
"Yeah," Luffy nodded.
"And did you just call me 'old lady'?" Doctorine asked slowly.
"Yeah, right," Luffy affirmed. "That's what I said. Old lady." Classic Luffy. Doctorine sent a hard kick into their captain's face, sending him into the wall across the room.
"If I were you, I'd be a little more careful of what I say!" Doctorine screamed. "So I'm still well within my youthful 130's, thank you."
"Geez, you're a tough old hag," Sanji commented. Next, the youthful 130-year-old doctor sent the cook facefirst into the wall.
"Well, I guess it's best not to cross you, huh?" Valentine noted with a gulp.
"That's right!" Doctorine grinned. "Now, are you boys really asking me to become a pirate? Don't be ridiculous. That would be an incredible waste of my precious time. Besides, I have no interest in life on the sea."
"Those are all lame excuses!" Luffy smiled with a bloody nose and bruised face. "It's about adventure, old woman!"
"Well, this one's a slow learner," Doctorine stated, pointing at the captain.
"Just a little," Jou shrugged. "But hey, that's our captain." Nami found Chopper 'hiding' by the doorway. He was staring at everyone inside, looking at each of them questioningly. He was rather cute. Cuddly, too. Almost like a live teddy bear despite being a Reindeer and even having the skills of a doctor. Sanji, recovering from the hit he took from Doctorine, saw Chopper, as did Luffy. Once again, the two started chasing Chopper in an attempt to cook and eat him. Those idiots. If Nami were able to, she'd stop them herself.
"That's enough of that, idiots!" Doctorine shouted, jumping out of her chair and dashing after the two Pirates. Chopper ran into the room again, screaming, and then out the other door with Luffy after him.
"In a few minutes, I'm going to cook you both a delicious Reindeer you'll never forget," Sanji told Nami and Valentine.
"Would you guys leave the poor guy alone!" Jou exclaimed. "He doesn't want to be cooked and eaten!"
"I don't think so!" Doctorine declared, landing on the ground, wielding a pair of swords. "I'll eat you guys first before I let that happen!"
"SCARY HAG!" Luffy and Sanji screamed, sprinting to escape the crazy doctor chasing them.
"I don't care about food," Nami groaned. "I just want some peace and quiet." Jou stood from the chair he was sitting in.
"I'm going to stop this right now," Jou claimed. "I'll be back!" Jou rushed out of the room to try to rescue Chopper. At that moment, the door swung open from the wind, sending a cold snow breeze into the room.
"Snow?" Nami questioned. "But that shouldn't be inside the castle." Nami held her arms around her. "It's freezing."
"Here, I'll go shut the door," Valentine said, getting up from the bed. However, she didn't need to get up as Jou had returned, Chopper tucked under his arm and shutting the door behind him. He breathed and looked at the little Reindeer in his hold.
"There we go," Jou stated. "Looks like we lost them."
"For now, until they come back," Chopper replied. He looked up at Jou, blinking his eyes at him. Chopper leaped out of his arm, landing on the ground.
"Don't go holding me like that!" Chopper shouted at him. "And... thanks."
"You're welcome," Jou smirked and sat on Nami's bed.
"Doctorine's medicine works quickly to reduce the fever," Chopper explained. "But the bacteria from the Kestia will still remain in your body for a little while longer. "So, just take your anti-biotic shot and stay in bed." Chopper turned to Valentine. "As for you, Musshuru's poison can be very deadly depending on how much he uses on you. Doctorine's antidote worked wonders, but you should stay in bed and get some rest."
"Got it," Valentine smirked. "Doctor's orders."
"Thank you," Nami said.
"Hmm?" Chopper wondered.
"You're the one who's been taking care of me, aren't you?" Nami asked, smiling.
"That he has," Jou nodded in agreement. "He's helped all of us. I want to thank you again, Chopper. Without you, Nami wouldn't have gotten the treatment she needed." Jou looked at Nami with a smile, which she returned before turning back to Chopper. "So, thank you."
"Just shut up!" Chopper yelled, surprising them. "I don't need thanks from you two or any other lowlife humans!" Chopper suddenly turned bashful. "Hahaha!" he laughed and turned angry again. "Don't mock me!" Then, he returned to doing his 'happy dance'. "Oh, never mind that I'm just being silly! No, seriously! I'm being such a fool!"
Nami leaned close to Jou to whisper in his ear.
"He's not so good at hiding his emotions," Nami whispered with a laugh
"True," Jou agreed. "He's certainly an interesting little guy." Chopper slowly shuffled toward the bed, extending a hoof to Nami's hand. Nami or Jou didn't move at all and just stared at him.
"Is it true you guys are Pirates?" Chopper questioned.
"That's right," Jou answered.
"Yes," Nami answered.
"Really, real pirates?" Chopper wondered, tapping Nami's hand with his hoof.
"Really, real pirates," Jou and Nami replied together.
"So, you have a flag with a skull on it?" Chopper asked.
"We do," Nami nodded. "It's on our ship."
"We wouldn't be Pirates if we didn't have our own flag," Jou smiled. "As for what's on it, it's just a skull and crossbones with a straw hat."
"Oh, really?" Chopper blinked. "That sounds cool."
"Yeah, it is," Jou remarked. "We get to go on fun adventures all the time." Jou stood up from the bed. "Of course, it can be dangerous sometimes, but where's the fun if there isn't any danger." Jou turned around with a smirk, a hand on his hip.
"Oh, wow!" Chopper exclaimed happily, running up to Jou. "That's so cool!"
"Sure is," Jou nodded. "Since we are pirates, that means we're wanted, too. We got bounties, too. Our captain has a bounty of 30 million, and I'm worth 25 million."
"Those are some huge amounts!" Chopper agreed. "People must be after you all the time."
"Most of the time," Jou said, sitting at the desk. "But we're fine as long as we got each other."
"As long as you have each other..." Chopper repeated. Nami took the blanket off her and crossed her legs. She rested her chin on her palms. It was nice to see Jou talk so nicely with Chopper. Chopper seemed to enjoy the conversation and open up.
"Although, one thing we're really missing right now is a doctor..." Jou mentioned.
"A doctor?" Chopper wondered.
"Mmhm," Jou nodded. "That's a position we're unfortunately lacking."
"Hey, Chopper?" Nami chimed in. "How about you come with us?" That question seemed to cause panic in Chopper. "You could come sail with us! Out of the ocean!"
"Perfect idea!" Jou grinned. "With you onboard, Nami won't have to stay here; we can just go. So, how about it? Do you want to join our crew, Chopper?"
"Huh?!" Chopper mouthed.
"Yeah, and if you did, that would really help me out a lot," Nami agreed. "I think you'll have a really good time if you came."
"Right!" Jou nodded. "So, how about it?"
"No!" Chopper shouted. "That's crazy! You realized I'm a reindeer! I don't belong on a ship with a bunch of humans! I mean, just look at me." Chopper frowned. "I'm a Reindeer, but I walk on two legs, and I talk and everything. Animals aren't supposed to be able to do that stuff."
Nami wondered if they were trying too hard to convince Chopper to join. Chopper felt he didn't belong with humans, and it must be hard to trust anyone else just because of how he might've looked to others.
"All that stuff doesn't matter," Jou told Chopper.
"But I have a blue nose," Chopper replied.
"How you look doesn't make a difference," Jou stated. "But you know what, fine." Jou stood from the chair. "Maybe I was wrong."
"About what?" Chopper asked.
"Wrong about you coming with us," Jou said. Nami didn't know where Jou was going with this.
"Hey, Jou?" Nami wondered.
"We don't need cowards like you joining our crew," Jou claimed. "We don't have time for that. You probably wouldn't last."
"Jou!" Nami shouted at him. What is wrong with him? Why is he suddenly being so mean to Chopper? Jou had his back turned to Chopper. Chopper started to leave the room, walking away with his head down. He let out a slight sniffle and wandered out of the room.
"Wait, Chopper!" Nami called out to him, but Chopper had left the room.
"Wow..." Valentine, who had been quiet this whole time, spoke. "That was... harsh. Don't you think you were a little hard on him?"
Jou let out a sigh, closing his eyes. Nami leaped out of bed, clenching her fist and punching Jou. The punch knocked him over, and Nami got on top of him. She took him by the shirt and pulled him up to look him in the eyes.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Nami shouted.
"If you could let me explain..." Jou said.
"Explain?!" Nami questioned. "Explain why you would even say that to Chopper! He was... he was opening up to you. And after all that, you tell him you were wrong about him coming with us!"
"I didn't mean it," Jou shook his head. "Chopper would be perfect to join us. Look, my mom was the same way. Talking like that made me stronger. Tough words can make someone toughen up.
"Chopper isn't you, though!" Nami argued. "He's probably been through something terrible that made him hate humans!"
"That much I figured out," Jou stated. "Chopper needs to get it out of his head that he doesn't belong with people."
"So, you want him to come with us?" Nami asked.
"Yeah, I do," Jou nodded. Nami didn't like Jou telling Chopper that he didn't belong with them. Nami was shocked that Jou would say that to Chopper. It was apparent that Chopper had had something happen to him in the past. He felt others wouldn't accept him, but maybe sailing with them would help him. Jou had different experiences; his mom gave him tough talk to strengthen him. But Chopper, with his past, isn't used to that.
"Just..." Nami sighed, releasing Jou's shirt. "Be more nice to him, okay?"
"Yeah, okay..." Jou agreed. "Fine."
"Good," Nami said. They looked into each other's eyes. Before anything could happen, Doctorine stumbled into the room, a little out of breath. She looked over to see Nami and Jou in their current position. Nami realized she'd been straddling Jou's waist during that short discussion. Doctorine immediately stomped over, taking Nami by the collar.
"Ah-!" Nami shouted as she was yanked off Jou and tossed back onto the bed.
"You're supposed to be in bed resting, little girl!" Doctorine scolded her. "Once you're all better, you can roll around on the floor with your boyfriend all you want!" Nami and Jou stared at each other. Nami turned away from him, a blush on her cheeks. Jou seemed bashful himself, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I know, right!" Valentine exclaimed. "Geez, some people have no restraint!"
"Shut up!" Nami and Jou shouted at her. Doctorine trudged to a nearby chair and sat in it, sighing as she leaned back.
"Those brats sure can run, can't they?" Doctorine commented. "I don't much like what you two were doing there. Trying to temp my Reindeer away without my permission." That caused Jou to grin at the woman.
"You figured out what I was up to," Jou said. "We are pirates, you know? We take what we want."
"Did we need to ask for your permission?" Nami smirked.
"Hehehe!" Doctorine cackled. "No, I suppose you don't. If you want to take him away from here, go ahead. But I must warn you, it won't be as easy as you think."
"Why do you say that?" Jou wondered.
"Chopper has a scar on his heart," Doctorine mentioned. "A deep one my medicine can't cure. From the moment he was born, everyone, including his parents, turned their backs on him."
"Huh?" Nami's eyes widened.
"Even his own parents abandoned him?" Valentine asked with a sad tone in her voice.
"Are you serious?" Jou questioned.
"All because he was born with a blue nose," Doctorine nodded. "He was forced to walk at the back of the group, separated from the rest of the Reindeer. Even though he was a helpless newborn. Then, one day, he ate a Devil Fruit, and he became even more of an outcast than he had been before. The other Reindeer pressured him to leave the herd. His blue nose already made him different, but now he wasn't like the ordinary Reindeer at all. Still, he was lonely and wanted friends, so he went down to a village, walking on two legs as humans do. But even walking on two legs, he didn't look anything like the other humans. And for some reason, his nose was still as well. He didn't know what was wrong; he couldn't understand why they reacted to his appearance with so much fear and anger. He'd gone to the village seeking friends, but they drove him away. He was no longer a Reindeer, and he wasn't human either. He was something in between. And so he lived alone after that. Caught between two worlds that wouldn't accept him. Now that you all heard his story, do you think you can heal the scar on his heart?"
Valentine was sniffling, wiping tears from her eyes. Nami looked at Jou, both concerned after hearing Chopper's tale.
Jou POV
Sanji came into the room with a pair of plates containing various foods. The cook sauntered over to Nami and handed them to her.
"I've prepared this extra nutritious and fortifying meal just for you," Sanji said to Nami. "So we can get a healthy smile back on that beautiful face of yours."
"Thank you, Sanji," Nami said. Sanji handed the other plate to Valentine.
"Here you are, my dear," Sanji said. "I heard you protected us earlier, so I prepared a dish to show my appreciation for a brave and charming lady like yourself."
"Thank you~" Valentine giggled. "How sweet of you."
"Of course," Sanji replied. Jou, who had been sitting beside Nami, cleared his throat.
"So, uh, where's mine?" Jou wondered.
"You don't get any," Sanji remarked.
"Well, that's a bit harsh," Jou frowned. "Even after everything we went through to get here? Some gratitude."
"Oh, you want some?" Valentine smiled skittishly. "Come over here; I'll give you a little taste." she held out some food with her fork.
"I-hmpf-!" Jou didn't get to reply as the food was suddenly shoved in his mouth. Jou looked at Nami. The navigator wasn't staring at him, just giving a glare to Valentine. The former agent said nothing, just started eating her food. Jou didn't know why Nami did that and swallowed.
"How is it?" Nami asked. "Do you like it?"
"Uh, yeah..." Jou nodded. "You know Sanji, he can make anything taste good, even with little ingredients."
"I didn't make that for you!" Sanji shouted. Sanji let out a breath. "Just make sure you're mainly eating that, Nami."
"Hey, you?" Doctorine asked Sanji. "I don't recall you asking for permission to use my kitchen."
"Madam, I made a dish for you as well," Sanji replied. "It's supposed to make you look years-" Sanji was soon kicked in the back of his head, the cook smashing into the wall.
"I'm not a madam," Kureha stated. "I'm a swinging single still in the prime of youth. Don't forget it."
"Not a day over 139, right?" Nami asked.
"Doctorine!" Chopper screamed, running into the room. "Save me from this lunatic!"
"Wait! Hold on!" Luffy shouted. "Come back! Hey!" Chopper hid behind Doctorine to shield him from Luffy.
"What are you doing?" Nami questioned. "Luffy?"
"This guy is gonna join us and be our friend!" Luffy said, chasing after Chopper.
"Really?" Nami grinned. "Great! You're gonna join us, Chopper?"
"I didn't say I was gonna do that?!" Chopper exclaimed. Chopper looked at Jou. Jou stared back for a moment before turning away. Chopper remembers what Jou had said earlier. What Jou said may been harsh earlier, but he did want Chopper to go with them. Knowing Luffy, he's gonna be relentless in trying to get him to join.
"Sure you did!" Luffy said.
"No, I didn't!" Chopper argued.
"Did!" Luffy repeated and kept chasing Chopper around Doctorine.
"Be quiet!" Doctorine shouted. "Both of you! Eventually, the two ran out of the room, the noise fading once they left. "Friend, huh? If he only knew what friend means to someone who's been through what Chopper has. Poor guy."
"If you don't mind me asking..." Jou said. "Why does a word like 'friend' hurt Chopper?" Doctorine looked at Jou, Nami, Sanji, and Valentine. Jou wanted to hear the story, and the others did, too. This might be the reason why Chopper tries to push everyone away.
"When Chopper was out there..." Doctorine began. "On his own. There was only one human that he ever really opened to. That man's name was Doctor Hiriluk. He was a crazy quack, but he named Chopper and called him his son."
Doctor Hiriluk was walking through the snow after being pursued by Wapol's soldiers.
"Those tin soldiers aren't gonna capture me," Hiriluk grumbled. "I'm gonna go on. I'm gonna go on helping the sick and injured. Hmm?" He paused in his tracks, spotting something lying in the snow, bleeding out. The something happened to be Chopper in his 'human' form. He quickly ran up to Chopper. What he looked like didn't matter to Hiriluk. If someone or something needs to be treated, he'll treat it.
"Looks like you've been shot?" Hiriluk observed. "We need to stop bleeding right away, or you're dead." Chopper glared at Hiriluk as the older man knelt to tend to him.
"Don't worry," Hiriluk said. "I'll save you. Actually, you're pretty lucky because I just created an ointment 3 days ago that even works on broken bones. Just what are you, anyway? You don't look like a human being? You must be that Yeti everybody is talking about in the village-"
Chopper noticed Hiriluk grab a pistol, unknown that it was a tranquilizer gun. Chopper punched Hiriluk in the face and followed up with another, sending the old quack Doctor into the snow. Chopper let out a roar to the heavens; he took a few breaths and started walking away.
How dare you..." Hiriluk voiced, slowly standing. "Who do you think you're dealing with, creature?" Chopper turned and became surprised at the face Hiriluk had shed the clothing from his body.
"I promise! I'M NOT GONNA SHOOT YA! SEE?!" Hiriluk shouted. "MY NAME IS HIRILUK! DOCTOR HIRILUK AND I WANNA HELP YOU!" Chopper said nothing; the wounds on his body caused him to fall over into the snow.
Chopper finally awoke, sitting up in a bed covered in bandages. He found he was in a cave; it was cozy and well-lit enough. He took in his surroundings, spotting several beakers on a table. He saw the old man, Hiriluk, sitting in a chair, sleeping soundly.
Chopper felt the bandages wrapped around his head. At that point, his stomach growled, causing an embarrassed blush to come to his face. Looking around, he noticed a loaf of bread and a glass of warm milk. Chopper got out of bed and ate the bread. While eating, tears leaked out of Chopper's eyes. Doctor Hiriluk and Chopper officially met. Hiriluk considered himself a Doctor in the Drum Kingdom; his methods were unorthodox and a little extreme. The Doctor was surprised Chopper could like how humans could, but it wasn't a big deal to him.
Hiriluk was strange, with his clover-styled hair, black coat, spotted pants, and outlandish personality. He was responsible for giving Chopper his name. Tony Tony Chopper. He called him that because his horns looked like they could chop down trees. He even gifted Chopper his pink top hat. A gift that Chopper cherished. Being a Doctor in Drum Island was not a good profession to be in Drum Island. The tyrant king of the country would execute or exile them. But Doctor Hiriluk was different as he tried his best to be a doctor.
"You know, Chopper?" Hiriluk said. "It sometimes feels things are pretty rough. But try not to hold a grudge against us humans, okay? This country is sick right now. the people and the king both suffer from a terrible sickness of the heart, but conventional wisdom has it that there is no way to cure a sick country. But that's wrong!" Hiriluk turned, holding a beaker before Chopper, showing his newest creation.
"Once my invention has been perfected, the country will be as good as saved," Hiriluk grinned. "You see, there used to be a master thief who lived in a country in the far west. He had a serious heart condition. He went to the greatest doctors so he could receive treatment. No one was able to cure him. They told him he was going to die. Frustrated and depressed, he passed by a certain mountain. There, he saw something he had never seen before. Blossoms! He saw Cherry Blossoms all over the mountainside! And then, he went to see another and got the shock of his life. Because he was told: "You're perfectly healthy!"
"Huh?" Chopper said in confusion.
"He was cured!" Hiriluk repeated. "It was a miracle! Don'tcha see? But it also makes perfect sense, medically speaking! By changing his emotional state, he was able to change his physical state somehow, too. And if that's true, there is no disease in this world that can't be cured. Let them laugh at me. My medical skills will save this country yet. And that's why I raise this skull and crossbones!" He smacked the pirate flag hanging on the wall. "As a challenge to all the diseases of the world!"
"Skull?" Chopper said, looking at the flag with intrigue.
"This symbolizes my believe!" Hiriluk said with determination. "That nothing is impossible. I will save this country with my Doctor skills! By raising this flag... I vow to fight just like the Pirates do!"
"It's great to be a Pirate," Hirilluk smiled. "The most amazing people sail the seas. Chopper, someday you've got to go to sea. If you do, you'll realize just how small your problems really are in comparison to the vastness of the oceans. The island you were born on is like this compared to the world."
"Really?" Chopper questioned.
"No, it's smaller," Hiriluk stated. "Like this. Really!"
"Hahahaha!" the two of them laughed together.
"Your destiny lies beyond that shining sea," Hiriluk remarked.
The two had many good times together, but despite all that, Dr. Hiriluk kept a secret from the one he called 'son.' He had an incurable disease. Even his friend Dr. Kureha can't find a cure for this illness either. It'd been a whole year since the two came together, but Dr. Hiriluk made a decision regarding Chopper.
"It's taken a year, but your treatment is finally complete; your injuries are healed, Chopper," Hiriluk stated.
Yeah!" Chopper smiled. "Thank you, Doctor!"
"Well, then..." Hiriluk said, walking away. Take care." the older man noticed Chopper in his home and pushed the Reindeer out the door. "On your way! Have a nice life! I'm busy with my research! So hit the bricks! I'm no longer under any obligation to care for you!" Tears began to well up in Chopper's eyes. It was as if everything was falling apart for him.
"Doctor!" the Reindeer cried. "I swear! I won't cause you any trouble if you'll just let me stay with you!" Chopper begged, pounding on the door. "I'll rub your shoulders every day! I'll make you tea and clean the house! Please let me stay!"
It was taking everything for Hiriluk to let Chopper back in. Hearing him plead to open the door was becoming too much for him. Chopper couldn't learn about Hiriluk's condition. If Chopper were aware of it, it would likely make the Reindeer even more upset.
"I don't have any friends! I don't have anywhere to go!" Chopper pleaded. "Doctor! Please! Can you hear me?! Doctor!" Outside, Hiriluk heard a crash, which caused him to panic and quickly bolt out the door to check on Chopper.
"Chopper?!" Hiriluk called. He was greeted by the sight of Chopper smiling at him, blood streaming down his face. There was a tree snapped in half next to him.
"I hurt my head!" Chopper said. "I fell! I'm injured! Take a look-"
BANG!
A bullet grazed Chopper's cheek, tears welling again in Chopper's round eyes. Dr. Hiriluk was pointing a gun straight at the Chopper to run him off.
"But why... Doctor?" Chopper cried.
"GO!" Hiriluk shouted. "GO TO SEA IF YOU LIKE! GO ANYWHERE YA WANT! JUST DON'T COME BACK!" Hiriluk fired more shots at Chopper to drive the Reindeer away. Chopper wailed, running off into the snow. Hiriluk dropped his rifle and collapsed to his knees. "Forgive me, Chopper!" tears fell from Hiriluk's eyes.
Later, Chopper finds out by eavesdropping on a conversation between Hiriluk and Kureha that he is dying with 10 days left. Then, Chopper decides to save the Doctor from whatever is killing him. Flipping through an old medical book, he finds what he is looking for to save his friend and adopted father. With that knowledge, Chopper goes into the wilderness.
Hiriluk tried repeatedly to get his formula for the Cherry Blossoms working but continued to have no success, swearing every time he was close. The door to his cave opened, and who came in was a big surprise.
"Doctor, I'm sorry... I'm afraid I lost one of your precious books."
"Good lord..." Hiriluk breathed. "What happened to you?"
Chopper looked like a stampede had run over him and crushed by an avalanche. His body was bruised and torn, a swollen, black eye, one of his horns was snapped in half, and one of his legs was broken, leaving him standing on one leg.
"Mushroom..." Chopper held up the mushroom. "Medicine."
"Is that for me?" Hiriluk wondered. "An Amiudake mushroom...?"
"Please live...?" Chopper pleaded. "Please, Doctor? I wanna help people like you. Please, teach me to be a Doctor, okay?" I'll fight, and I won't give up. Just like Pirates If you think a Reindeer can?" Tears started to fall from Hiriluk's eyes, pulling Chopper into an embrace.
"Of course! Yes!" Hiriluk cried. "You'll be a wonderful Doctor! I know you'll be a wonderful Doctor! Because you have such a kind heart!"
However, Hiriluk teaching Chopper how to be a Doctor would not happen.
"HAHAHAHA! YOU IDIOT!" Wapol boomed. "DON'T YOU GET IT YET!? IT WAS A TRAP!"
Wapol invented a lie about the 20 MDs being sick. Knowing Hiriluk, being who he was, showed up to cure them. He fell right into a trap. The trick was about the MDs being ill and at least one of the remaining 2 rogue Doctors would show up. Kureha, the witch, wasn't fooled by the trick.
"THE ONLY LIFE IN DANGER HERE IS YOURS, DR. HIRILUK!" Wapol laughed.
"So that was it...?" Hiriluk fell to his knees. "Good. Then none of them are sick." Tears poured from the old Doctor's eyes. "I was afraid this was a national crisis. But no, luckily, it was just a trick." the 20 MDs were surprised someone showed so much concern for them, even if it was only a trap.
"HA!" Wapol grinned. "If it really was a 'national crisis,' I wouldn't want someone like you! Ignore his babbling! Execute him!"
"Save your bullets," Hiriluk stated. "You don't have what it takes to kill someone like me."
"Huh?!" Wapol wondered.
"Hey?" Hiriluk smirked, holding a cup of clear liquid. "When do you think a person dies? When a bullet pierces his heart? No. When he suffers from an incurable disease? No. When he eats a soup of deadly poisonous mushrooms? No! A man dies when he is forgotten!" Hiriluk smiled and raised his cup.
The mushroom Chopper gave Hiriluk was not an antidote; it contained a deadly poison. Hiriluk kindly accepted the gesture, knowing he didn't have too long to live anyway.
"Even if I should disappear right now, my dream will come true," Hiriluk said. "And when it does, the citizen's sickness of the heart will cured as well." He looked up to find Dalton, tears falling from his eyes. "You're crying? Why Dalton?"
"Is that... true for our country?" Dalton choked.
"Yeah," Hiriluk answered. "If the will to do it is passed on." He remembered one last thing he wanted to say. "Very shortly, a monster will be coming. He's my son. Please, don't hurt him." Hiriluk grinned. In his final moments, he realized something: he honestly had no regrets.
Don't worry, Chopper... he thought. Your mushroom won't kill me.
"I've had a marvelous life!"he said, raising the cup and drinking the liquid inside. "THANK YOU, CHOPPER!"
That was the last thing Hiriluk shouted to the heavens before he imploded. The liquid he'd consumed ignited inside him, a large puff of smoke covering where he sat. When it cleared, the Doctor's body was gone. His hat was the only thing that remained as it drifted in front of Chopper.
Earlier, Dr. Kureha told Chopper the truth about Hiriluk's illness and immediately ran after him. It was far too late. Tears fell from Chopper's bandaged face. He heard something that made him furious.
"MUHAHAHAHA!" Wapol cackled. "HE BLEW HIMSELF UP! WHAT AN IDIOT!"
Chopper let out a furious roar, changing into his human form. He charged forward, wanting to attack Wapol for insulting his father figure. He was stopped by Dalton, who went to clash with him; Dalton, in his Bison form, pinned Chopper to the ground.
"Leave..." Dalton begged. "Leave here at once! If you can't defeat me, you can't possibly defeat them!" Chopper struggled to leave Dalton's grasp. His rage calmed down when he saw Dalton crying. "I apologize for those who had the nerve to at Hiriluk's death! Without enough strength, you'll only die in vain! Don't sacrifice it for this country! Please?"
Chopper decided he had no other choice but to leave, but not before taking Dr. Hiriluk's hat with him. After this, Drum Island took a turn for the worse. Dalton decided to leave Wapol, never returning to being his guard's captain. He couldn't work under a man who just laughed at someone who wanted to help Drum Kingdom. He tried to defy Wapol but failed and was imprisoned for his defiance.
Chopper knew he had to do one thing. Dr. Kureha stared at Chopper, waving a pirate flag in front of her house, tears streaming down his face. Before Hiriluk went to the castle, he asked Kureha to teach Chopper about medicine so he could become a Doctor. And here was the little Reindeer, waving the flag back and forth.
"Please! Please teach me how to be a Doctor!" Chopper cried. "You've got to teach me how to become a Doctor! You've got to! I'll become a Doctor who can cure anything! You'll see! I'll even cure a country! I'll do anything you ask of me! I've got to become a Doctor! Because I know there's no disease, no illness in this world that can't be cured!"
Kureha looked out at the Drum Rockies and nodded at Chopper.
"Call me Doctorine from now on."
From that day, Chopper started studying medicine from Doctorine. She was strict but noticed how fast Chopper was picking things up. He was quickly becoming a great doctor. Doctorine taught him everything she knew about medicine. She never told him, but she was very proud of Chopper. Chopper is going to be a Doctor who can cure all diseases!
Doctorine finished telling Chopper's past. At least Jou now understood Chopper a little more. Dr. Hiriluk meant a lot to him. Chopper is still cautious against other humans, but with them, they can show Chopper that he has nothing to fear from them.
"Chopper's really been through a lot, hasn't he?" Jou questioned.
"Mm," Doctorine nodded.
"So for the 6 years since then..." Nami spoke. "Chopper's been studying medicine under you."
"Yeah, I taught him everything I know," Doctorine stated. "He's been a good student."
"Doctorine! Doctorine!" Chopper called, coming through the door. "Doctorine! There's trouble! Wapol is back!" Jou should've known Wapol was going to show up. He probably came to the castle figuring he'd find them here.
Kureha smiled. "Is he?"
Okay, I managed to get another one out, I think, because I haven't posted in forever. But I'm pretty excited because we're almost to Alabasta—nearly there to where we initially stopped.
But we have to get through the finale of Drum Island first. I hope not too many people lost interest in this story because it's been so long. It's not discontinued. It's just slowly posted.
Well, that's all I got.
I'll see you guys next time!
Later!