There was very little Kureha could do once Chopper announced that he wanted to join them for the fight. They decided to use the sleigh to ride up the ropeway leading to the castle, too, since they wouldn't be able to use the lift again – the guards would undoubtedly turn against them the moment they realized they were under attack, after all.

"WOOOO! THIS IS GREAT!"

"We're gonna die, we're gonna die, we're gonna die!"

Brynlee laughed as they rode up to the mountain at high speed. Chopper was pretty strong, to be able to pull all five of them all the way up, and she could tell Luffy was already pretty determined to recruit him, even though he hadn't seen him fight yet.

"B- Bryn! Please tell me you've got a plan!" pleaded Usopp, holding on for dear life.

"Of course I do!"

"Oh thank God—"

"Go in and beat everyone up!"

"Damn it!"

"No plan at all? That's unlike you," sweatdroped Sanji.

"It is a plan," she insisted. "Sometimes, you need a bit of finesse. And other times, keeping it sweet and simple is the best way to go. Quite frankly, we're a bit overpowered right now, so just be careful not to destroy too many walls, you guys – we need the castle still standing if we don't want that witch chasing us down for extra payment!"

"How much did Vivi's treatment cost, anyway?" asked Zoro, a bit curious.

"I- I think I'm gonna be sick," whispered Usopp, a bit green.

Zoro's eyes were spinning a bit as he tried to calculate just how many bottles of alcohol he could by with that kind of money. Sanji had choked on his cigarette, and Luffy's brain was smoking from how many zeroes he needed to count.

"At- at least you managed to talk her out of it," croaked Sanji.

"I mean, I still had to give her two-third of it, but it's still better than the full price."

"JUST HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE!?" snapped Usopp, Sanji, and Zoro as one.

"We- we're here!" suddenly exclaimed Chopper.

They'd finally reached the top. As Chopper came to a full stop, they all jumped out of the sleigh, Usopp lagging a bit behind as he tightly clutched his trusty slingshot. Sanji started warming his legs a bit, while Zoro cracked his neck, and Luffy hit his fists a couple of times, while Brynlee stretched her arms a bit.

"W- well, what are we doing?" asked hesitantly Chopper.

"We go in and kick their ass," shrugged Luffy.

"I mean, there's nothing to lose in asking nicely, first," suggested Brynlee. "If we don't, it'll just feel like we're bullying them."

"Sounds fair," mused Sanji.

"Let's just get this over with," huffed Zoro, eager for battle.

"O- OI! What are you guys doing!?" suddenly exclaimed one of the guards stationed atop the watchtower. "You- you cannot be here! Your deal with King Wapol—!"

"Screw that guy! Leave the castle, get off this island, and never come back, or we'll kick you all out!" warned Luffy. He paused, then added: "Also, I want all of your meat!"

"Non- nonsense!" spluttered the guard. "Sound- sound the alarm! We're under attack!"

Luffy grinned. "Usopp!"

"On- on it!"

Usopp took aim and fired, hitting the guard right in the head and knocking his helmet off. Losing his balance, he fell over the wall and into the thick layer of snow surrounding the castle walls – safe, but definitely knocked out. As the alarm bell started ringing and more guards came out, though, Brynlee couldn't help but grin as a notification briefly graced her vision.

[BUCKET LIST]

3. Raid 3 castles

1/3

Reward: One (1) SKILL

One down, two to go! Let's go!