"Land-Ho!"
"Land?!"
Luffy's head shot up as he heard the call for land ring out. It had been a few more days. The girls' conditions had steadily declined, not plateaued, and he had been waiting in their room the entire morning. He had a chair pulled up between the beds as he watched the two to keep them company.
He had tried a lot of things to keep them entertained, even though they were sleeping.
Pulling his cheeks, making faces– He was trying everything. But the girls did not stir from their slumber. Occasionally, they'd shift. Only when their towels were changed out, though. Other than that, they were relatively motionless, aside from their rhythmic breathing. It was anything but calming to Luffy. It made him fidget more.
The only other person in the room, aside from the girls who were passed out and fighting their sickness, was Zoro. He was bundled up in a winter coat that he had finally decided to wear instead of catching hypothermia instead of (Name)'s hands. She was the type to look God in the eyes and laugh, so he wasn't really worried about this illness taking her out.
It was also Zoro's turn to watch the two– it was the reason he was inside. All of the others were outside. Sanji was making breakfast, special meals for Nami and (Name), leaving Vivi, Karoo, and Usopp on observation duty.
Land-Ho
That meant land had been spotted
That meant that they could find a doctor
He bounced his foot up and down, chanting. "Nami! (Name)! Did you hear that? An island! Now we can get you all better! An island! Isn't that great?"
Zoro watched Luffy's antsy tapping with a sweat drop. "Just go outside and take a look for yourself..."
Luffy bolted out of the chair. He was not used to sitting inside for so long, especially when something exciting was happening. Zoro sighed as he watched Luffy slam the door open and closed. He couldn't believe him, sometimes. Zoro crossed his arms and eyed the two girls, making sure that they were still okay and not visibly dying. (Well, not any more than they already were)
(Name) had stacked another blanket to her bed and added more pillows. Not to mention, she had annoyingly put Captain Smoker's jacket, along with Buggy's Long Coat, right on top of her blankets. Well, whatever made her more comfortable.
But...
If their conditions got any worse...
~ . . . ~
"WHOAAAAH!!! IT'S AN ISLAND!!!"
Luffy clapped his hands together as he saw the island before him. The peaks were covered in snow, along with the rest of the land. The trees had a white blanket set over each and every one, and the air seemed to sparkle as snowflakes continued to fall. The air was just as cold as the day before, and everyone's breath came out frozen and wispy.
"It must be snowing! It's so white! It's a snow island!"
"Luffy!" Sanji chastised, wrinkles forming on his head as his gaze hardened. "I'll say this now– This isn't time for an adventure. Once we get a doctor to treat Nami and (Name), we're leaving right away."
Luffy sighed. "Snow is so fun..."
"He's so stupid..."
The chef groaned. "He's off in his own little world now."
Usopp started sweating through the layers he was wearing. He could already feel his lower back become damp with sweat.
"Wait... Wait! How are we supposed to know if the island's safe or not? If there's snow, there could be snow monsters! What if nobody is even on the island?!" The curly haired sniper fell to his knees, screaming dramatically. "OH NO! MY CAN'T-ENTER-ISLAND-DISEASE IS ACTING UP AGAIN!!"
Sanji facepalmed. "Stop that. We have to get a doctor so it doesn't matter what's on the island."
Usopp didn't care. He did not want to go onto the island because he feared for his own life as well.
"I like snow because it's white."
The Merry sailed down a river that would allow them to dock inland. The trees were a wonderful white, yet the weather made the island appear rather lonely and desolate. The large mountains of the islands climbed towards the sky in columns and towers and stood higher than anything else.
"Wow, look at those mountains..."
Luffy clasped his hands together, tears coming to his eyes. "So much snow...! I'm so happy!"
"Aren't you cold wearing that?"
"It's negative ten degrees," Vivi said, shivering. "It's cold enough for a bear to be hibernating."
"Huh?" Luffy turned to them, staring at their heavy winter coats, mittens, and scarves. "Ah..."
He shivered
"BRRRR!"
"COULD YOU BE ANY SLOWER?!"
Vivi ignored them and chose to instead look for a place to go. "A meltwater waterfall– We should be able to dock there. Pull the ship up over there."
The ship was quickly docked. Now they had to decide the next thing, probably the most important. Who would go look for help?
Zoro breathed out slowly and his body shook lightly. His face was pink from the cold. "So. Who's going to go look for a doctor? Hm... We should probably start by seeing if there are even any people on the island."
Luffy raised his hand with a determined look. "I'LL GO!"
Sanji stood beside him. "ME TOO!"
"Yes!" Usopp held his chin high at their displays of bravery and heroism. "Go forth, my comrades!"
"Stop right there, pirates!"
They all looked around at each other. A voice– That meant there was someone on the island. If there was one, there must be more. Hopefully, they also had a doctor that would be able to treat the girls. Upon closer inspection, they found out that the person who called out to them was on land. Behind him were a group of men. All of them were dressed according to the weather, with large coats and heavy pants. Oh, and guns.
...Guns??
"You will turn around immediately," The man said, who was most likely the leader. "And you will leave at once."
"Wait! We need a doctor!"
Vivi's voice came out louder than she intended as she joined Luffy's protest. "We have sick people on board! Please!"
"THOSE LIES WON'T WORK ON US, PIRATE SCUM!"
"This is our country and we won't let no stinking pirates run amok on it!! NOW PULL UP YOUR ANCHOR BACK UP AND BEAT IT! OR ELSE WE'LL MAKE YOU!"
"Whooo..." Sanji looked unimpressed. "Talk about a bad first impression."
They shot without warning
Sanji dodged as they screamed at the pirates again. "DON'T TALK BACK TO US!"
"THEY OPENED FIRE!"
A shadow covered parts of Sanji's face as he glared at the people. He bit down harshly on his cigarette, clenching his gloved hands together. He looked just about ready to make sure that the person who tried shooting him left in a body bag. He was trying to get a doctor to help his lovely ladies, and they were trying to stop him. This was unacceptable.
"Now you've done it..."
The shooter raised his gun again, sensing the man's animosity. His gun clicked and Sanji was fully ready to throw himself off the ship and at the perpetrator. But right as the gun fired, Vivi gripped onto Sanji to both shove him out of the way and stop him from attacking.
"SANJI, NO!"
A gunshot pierced through the air, and Vivi fell to the floor. She hit the deck and was motionless for a moment– but she still stirred. She was still breathing and alright.
"VIVI!" Luffy's eyes flashed with anger. His head whipped towards the people, who had shot without warning, and had undoubtedly been the side that started this. As he yelled, the men who held firearms all took aim. "HOW DARE YOU!"
"PREPARE TO SHOOT!"
Vivi clutched Luffy's waist to prevent him from running at the people. "Wait! This isn't a problem we can solve just by fighting!! You don't have to worry about me– I'm not hurt!"
"Ho-How??"
A ball of sludge not-so-secretly crawled towards Nami and (Name)'s room before disappearing through the crack underneath the door.
The princess bowed without hesitation, head pressing against the cold wood as her hair spilled down her back in waves. The bullet, that they thought got her right in the arm, clattered to the floor, slightly dented right on the tip. It rolled off to the side.
"I beg of you! We promise not to set foot in your country!" She called out, "Could you please just call over a doctor?! Our friends are gravely ill! Please! Please help them!"
"Vivi..."
The girl still had her head on the floor in a great bow. "You're... You're failing to carry out your duties as the ship's captain, Luffy. Recklessly fighting isn't going to solve everything. If you were going to start a fight right now, what would happen to the girls...?"
Luffy looked at the girl before turning back to the crowd.
"Sorry! I was wrong!" He quickly joined Vivi in a bow as his Straw Hat fell from his head. "We only ask for a doctor. Please save our friends."
A grueling silence followed. Neither side moved. Not the pirates, nor the people. Both sides were in some sort of standoff.
The Straw Hats wanted to find help for their friends so badly. If not, then they'd surely... No, that wouldn't happen. They would get help. Nami and (Name) would pull through the illness once they were helped. Then they would be all better, and the group could hurry to Alabasta for Vivi. Then, after that, they could go on ever more adventures. Surely. Surely.
Their leader spoke first.
"We'll... We'll lead you to our town. Follow me."
Vivi sparkled as she leaned back up and turned to Luffy. "See? They understood us."
"Yeah," Luffy's face was smushed into the side of the deck. "You're amazing."
"Let me give you one warning beforehand..." The man held back a grimace. "We only have one doctor in our country... She happens to be a witch."
"Wha?"
The snow crunched beneath half of the Straw Hat Crew's shoes as they followed the leader, whose name was Dalton, through the winter wonderland that was this island. But the country had no name yet, which was odd.
Dalton spoke clearly to the pirates. "This country has no name."
"No name? That's odd."
Usopp let out an ear-piercing shriek. "GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT'S A BEAR!! EVERYONE PLAY DEAD!!"
He was the only one who played dead. His body print was in the snow while everyone started to walk past him.
"It's only a hiking bear. It poses no threat, but mind your hiking manners and don't forget to bow."
Vivi followed his instructions with the rest, bowing politely to the bear. Sanji and Luffy followed with a bit of difficulty, as they each had someone on their back. Sanji carried Nami, using one of Zoro's swords to help hold her up– and so that she had something to sit on, and Luffy held (Name), who had suggested (before she passed the fuck out again) that he use one of her own swords for extra support, in case things go to shit. But for the safety of everyone else, Annan was staying behind.
Zoro could use one of (Name)'s swords in the meantime, if he so pleased.
(She also made sure that she brought her favourite jacket with her. It kept her nice and warm in the cold temperatures)
The trek to the town didn't take too long. Unlike the country, they had a name for it. "Big Horn".
"They've got some weird looking animals walking around," Said Luffy, who gawked as he looked around at the town. It appeared to be a typical village, and the snow that fell covered the roofs and the ground in thick winter coats. "Ah! Snow's so pretty!"
"Don't go running off!" Sanji resisted the urge to punch Luffy for (Name)'s safety. "You're carrying (Name)-- remember that!"
Luffy sighed again. "I love the snow..."
"A real country for sure! It's so cool!"
"Nami, it's a town!" Sanji smiled, "It's full of people!"
"Good work, everyone," Dalton said to the others, smiling. "Those that aren't on guard duty can return to their normal jobs now. Thank you."
"Can you handle them by yourself, Dalton? They're pirates."
He shook his head. "My gut tells me that they pose no harm. I'll be fine. I appreciate your concern, though."
Vivi's head cocked to the side. "This place doesn't have any professional soldiers?" Hm. That was odd.
"No, they're all normal civilians."
How impressive
It was brave of them to be doing that in the first place. Vivi had a lot more respect after learning that. Though it made her think of her own home country again. Were there people who started to volunteer for the royal guard, or at least become soldiers to try to fight the efforts of the Revolutionaires?
"Please, for the time being, come to my house."
"Luffy! Look! Another hiking bear!"
"Another one?!"
Sanji mentally facepalmed. "That's a person."
Usopp and Luffy didn't care and they bowed to the woman, who was quite tall. (Not to mention, Luffy almost fell down because he still had (Name) on his back) It was funny to see, but the rest of the crew didn't think the same, as they quietly grumbled about the sniper and the captain's idiocy.
"Dalton, I heard there were pirates," The woman said. "Is everything alright?"
Dalton sweatdropped as he looked at Luffy and Usopp. "Rest assured, everything is alright, Madam."
More passers by seemed to gravitate to Dalton, as they called out to him or gave him a warm welcome back.
"Dalton!" An older man greeted kindly, giving the man a wave. "The election is coming up in a few days. I'll be looking forward to it. Everyone says that they're going to be voting for you!"
"Th-That's preposterous! I bear too many sins to be considered as an adequate leader, let alone someone worthy of such a position."
Odd. What were his sins?
Dalton, his name, which was what they gathered, seemed like a nice man. He waved the man off before he turned to the others. Dalton gestured to a house, presumably his, and began to lead the group towards it. The inside was quaint. There were a few beds and a crackling fire. The air was warm and the cold was all left outside.
"Use the beds over there– Go ahead. I'll heat up the room some more."
They wasted no time in setting the girls to bed so they could rest. Soon enough, Nami and (Name) were back to bed rest. Though they didn't look as good as they did the morning they got there. (Name) had apparently unlocked another symptom like a game achievement; sleep talking. She was mumbling something along the lines of "why'd you punch that cake..." before "no, i don't want to ride that giraffe..."
That was before she started giggling ominously in her sleep
"Kekekekekekeh...."
Vivi slowly started backing away after tucking (Name) in. She remembered something that the girl had told her when trying to come up with a topic to talk about. Apparently, she often dreamt of the future. What was it about? Vivi didn't really want to know because of the way (Name) was laughing like that.
"My apologies for the belated introduction. My name is Dalton. It's my job to guard this island. Please forgive the hostile welcome." As he set his weapons down, he turned to Vivi. "If I may, I'd like to ask you something..."
"Hm?"
"I have this strange feeling... Like I've seen you before."
Vivi tensed. "Y-You must be imagining things. I'm really sure that we've never met before. More importantly, can you please tell us about that witch?"
Dalton glanced at the two who "peacefully" slept in the beds that he provided. "Could you tell me more about their sickness?"
Vivi did what she could. She told him about the symptoms, how long they had been sick, and how the two had been acting for the past few days. Sleep didn't help them rest, they didn't eat as much, and their fevers were the worst of all.
"They both have fevers of 43 degrees?!"
"(Name)'s fever has been constant, but Nami's fever... It's been steadily rising for days. Who knows how high it will get tomorrow?"
"If it gets any higher, they'll... they'll lose their lives."
Vivi's brows furrowed. "Yes, I-I know. But I'm afraid that we don't know what the cause is, or how to treat it."
Sanji threw his hands into the air in frustration. He wanted answers now so he could help. "It doesn't matter if this doctor's a witch or not, we just need her so she can cure them! So just where the hell is she?!"
Dalton went to open the curtains. "From these windows, you should be able to see the mountains..."
"You mean those extremely tall–"
They were not met with mountains
They were met the sight of a massive snowman and... snow thing (Along with Usopp and Luffy high-fiving each other)
"LOOK AT MY HYPER-MR. SNOWMAN!"
"AND MY SNOW-ZILLA!!"
"THAT'S IT!" Sanji ran towards the door, "I'M BEATING YOUR ASSES!!"
The snow creations were not spared, but to Usopp and Luffy's luck, they were spared. They were condemned to stay inside, though. At least they were given some tea to warm up. Dalton got back to explaining pretty quickly.
"Those mountains are called the Drum Rockies. Can you see the castle at the top of the tallest mountain in the middle? Presently, it's a castle without a king."
"Castle?"
Luffy was busy with his drink. "Mmm... Nice and warm..."
Sanji and Vivi were the only ones who paid attention.
"I can see it alright."
"So... What about the castle?"
"Dr. Kureha, the only doctor this entire country has, and whom the people call a witch, lives in that very castle on the mountaintop."
"What?!"
Sanji looked less than pleased. Even the universe wanted to make it hard for him to save these two wonderful ladies. "Of course! Of all places, she just has to be there! Well, we better go call her right away then so she can get over here! This is an emergency."
"As much as I'd like to, I can't call her," Dalton admitted.
"WHAT?! AND SHE CALLS HERSELF A DOCTOR?! WHAT'S WITH THIS WOMAN?!"
"Her skills as a doctor are undeniable, but she's a bit of a kook... and almost 140 years old."
"140?!" Sanji guffawed, "AND SHE'S STILL ALIVE?!"
Dalton hummed. "Other than that... Ah, that's right, she happens to like pickled plums."
"Then what do the people of this country do when they're sick or injured?" Vivi worriedly asked.
The man didn't really have a better way to explain it. Dr. Kureha was just... Like that. She had always been like that ever since she had shown up– and that was before Dalton was even there. "Well, she comes down from the mountain whenever she feels like it. She finds patients to treat, and afterwards... She takes anything that she wants from the patient's homes as a payment."
"That's one mean hag," Usopp said.
"She's basically a pirate!" Luffy added.
"How does this old grandma even get down from that massive mountain?"
"According to eyewitness accounts, she supposedly rides down on a sleigh at night. Usually when the moon is nearly full. That's why people call her a witch. Others have said that there's a bizarre creature travelling around with her."
Usopp screamed. "GAAAH!! I KNEW it! I warned you guys! I told you guys about the snow monsters! I just knew there would be witches and snow monsters and yetis! Please, god! Don't let them find me!"
Dalton understood Usopp, who was still on the ground kicking and screaming. "Yes, although she's our doctor, I'd rather not have that much contact with her. That's why I suggest that you just... wait. That's all you can do, I'm afraid, and wait for her to finally come down again when she visits."
"That can't be..."
"What in the world... How is it possible for there to only be one doctor in the entire country," Sanji grit out.
"Hey, Nami!" Luffy was suddenly standing over Nami's bed, slapping her face lightly. "Nami! Nami! Can you hear me?"
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"
Nami groaned. It took her a few seconds before she opened her eyes. Poor girl. He only torments her because Luffy knew that Nami would agree with anything that Nami said, no questions asked. Even if it meant that (Name) would be going into momentous debt afterwards- it was clear that "no" was not a word in her vocabulary when it came to her. Once Nami peeled her eyes open, Luffy grinned.
"Ah! You're awake! Listen, we can't get a doctor unless we go up a mountain, so we're going to be hiking up," He bluntly said.
"Are you crazy?!" Sanji wanted to hit Luffy so bad. "What are you trying to put our girls through?!"
"It's fine. You're gonna be carrying her, anyways." Luffy pointed at (Name), who was still ominously chuckling as an aura of... They didn't know, death? An aura of death just surrounded her.
He screamed, "I DIDN'T AGREE TO THIS!"
"You're just going to exacerbate their conditions!"
Luffy was confused. "What's the big deal? We just have to get them to the doctor as quickly as possible? Right? That's what we have to do."
"Yes, but that's impossible! Just look at what's outside!" She pointed, "Look at how tall that mountain is!"
"I can climb it."
Vivi was at a complete loss. Because Luffy already had an idea (a very bad one) and he was absolutely going to go through with it if it meant he could help his friends. That was both the best and worst thing about him.
"Maybe you can, but it's still too much of a burden on both of them!"
"Well... Even if they do fall, they have a bunch of soft snow to cushion their fall."
"A normal person would die instantly if they fell off of a mountain at that height! You're not even dealing with normal, healthy, people! They've both got temperatures 6 degrees above normal! Do you understand how serious her situation is?!"
"Haha..." Nami weakly laughed, after listening to the conundrum she was in.
"Nami?"
"Nami!"
She moved her hand above her blanket. She smiled through the clear pain that she was in as she turned to Luffy. "I'll leave it to you, Luffy..."
"Great!" Luffy slapped her hand in a short high-five, "You can leave it to me!"
"Oh lord! Our navigator's just as crazy as our captain!"
"Nami! Don't you understand how sick you and (Name) are?!"
"Mister! Gimme some meat!"
"...Meat?"
"Nami– Are you really okay with this?! The climb itself could take several hours!"
As they got all of the preparations ready, Usopp, who had resolved to stay behind (for the moment) poked Luffy to get his attention. "If you let either of them fall once– It could mean the end for them! They could die!"
"What?! Even once?!"
"Hold still!!"
Vivi yelled, still trying (Name) to Sanji's back. The sleeping girl was being secured with a white sash as her head rested on Sanji's shoulder. She still hadn't woken up since they got off the ship in the first place. At least she was still breathing.
"Okay... That should do." Vivi stepped back and took another look at her work. "I should stay behind. I'd only weigh you guys down if I tagged along."
"Me too," Usopp said.
"Alright!" Luffy glanced at Nami in the corner of his eye. "Hang on tight, Nami!"
"Okay..."
Dalton pointed ahead, warning them. "If you're serious about climbing, then I advise that you go to the other side instead. Climb up from that side. The route to the top from here is filled with Lapins. They're extremely violent and they're also carnivorous rabbits. If you come across a pack of them, there'll be no way you're escaping alive."
"Rabbits...?" Luffy's lips pursed and he turned to Sanji for the chef's input. "But we're in a hurry, so it should be fine, right?"
Sanji rolled his shoulders, adjusting his hold on (Name). "Yeah. I'll kick anything that will get in our way."
"You most certainly won't."
Sanji tensed, his grip on (Name)'s legs tightening a bit. There it was again. Kosai. The demon that tormented him every single time that he got too close to (Name) when she was resting.
"How are we supposed to protect ourselves?!"
"Because (Name) is involved, I'll be the one doing all of the fighting," Kosai spoke, sending Sanji a withering look from his shoulder. "I am more than capable of carrying this group until we get to a doctor. I'll have to copy your moves, though. I'd rather beat a Lapin to death using some legs."
"Okay, let's go!" Luffy took off running without a care. Sanji let out a surprised yell before he took off after him. "Before Nami and (Name) die!"
"DON'T SAY THAT, YOU IDIOT!"
Dalton, Usopp, and Vivi watched as the two ran off and out of sight, the sound of their footsteps crunching through the snow slowly disappearing. Dalton held a look of concern as he watched them fully disappear from view. "I wonder if they're really going to be alright..."
"There's no need to worry about those two, but..."
"The problem is if Nami and (Name) can hold out long enough..." Vivi sighed, "I just hope they can get to the top, safe and sound."
Dalton opened the door to his house again. He turned, expecting the two to follow him. "What's wrong? You two should come inside– It's already quite cold out."
The two didn't move
"It's fine! I... I want to stay outside now!"
Usopp was trembling from the cold. "Me too!"
Dalton stared at the two for a while. Finally, he smiled, and sat down in the snow next to them. "Alright then. I'll stay outside with you. The... The country– It used to not be like this, not too long ago..."
"Hm?"
What did Dalton mean? And why was he suddenly telling them all of this now that the others were gone? It would have been better to just explain whatever he was going to say while the others were still there.
"The doctors, I mean." Dalton clarified, "There's a reason that all of them but one left. Only a few months ago, the... The country was completely destroyed by pirates."
"What?!"
"The entire country?!"
Vivi understood now. Of course they'd have a hatred towards pirates– Their country was destroyed by them!
"So that's why you were so hostile towards us..."
Dalton nodded. "That's why everyone is a little... uneasy... when hearing the word "pirate" thrown around. It was only a crew of five people who attacked us. Their captain called himself "Blackbeard"... With overwhelming strength, they destroyed our entire country in the blink of an eye."
"O-ONLY FIVE?!"
"Blackbeard...?"
"Be as it may... Some say that it's a good thing that our country was destroyed."
Vivi sputtered as she swivelled to Dalton, facing him fully. "What?! There's no way that it would be a good thing that a country is destroyed!" Usopp was on her side as he chimed in with her, also turning to Dalton.
"That's insane! How could that be a good thing?!"
Dalton was silent for a moment. He was thinking of another way to answer them– A good reason to explain why it could've been a good thing that the pirates had just flipped the country on its head before they left. "There was... A king here. Once."
"A king?"
"He was a tyrannical ruler. His ruling brought much suffering to the people. The name of the former country was "Drum Kingdom", and the former king was a man called "Wapol"! He was truly the most despicable king...!"
"Wa...Wapol?" Vivi muttered to herself, wondering why the name was familiar. Usopp let out a scream, startling the two by his volume.
"Wapol!? HIM??"
"What...? Do you people know about Wapol?!"
They explained to him that they did, in fact, know Wapol. They told Dalton how the king had attacked their ship, ate some of it, before Luffy kicked his ass to next Saturday, and how he had disappeared in a twinkle. (Usopp obviously said that he was the one to chase Wapol off– but that didn't really matter, now, did it?)
"Now that we're talking about it..." Usopp hummed in thought, thinking of the day that Luffy sent someone flying. "He did mention Drum Island, didn't he? This place."
Vivi nodded along. "I remember it now. I actually remember meeting him back when I was a little girl, and my father took me to the council of kings."
A look of surprise washed over Dalton's face. "Counsel of Kings...?! Who are you, exactly...?"
Vivi caught her slip up, putting her hand over her mouth. Shoot, she almost revealed herself right there. Couldn't have that happening– That would just be even more information that they'd be piling on Dalton. "A-Ah- Ummm, nothing! I-In any case, we did meet Wapol! We came across him on our way here!"
"Are you telling the truth?"
"What does this all mean, anyways," Vivi continued, sweating. "You said that the country was destroyed– But the king is alive– And he's a pirate of all things!"
He let out a loud sigh. "If he's a pirate, that's just a disguise. He's probably been loitering around the ocean, waiting to come back."
Vivi tried to put all of the pieces together. "So then, Wapol and his men were driven out of Drum Island and are now forced to be pirates, since they couldn't fight back."
Dalton scoffed. If only it were that simple– but Wapol and his soldiers were not the type to fight at all. "Couldn't fight back? Wrong! Back when they attacked the country, the king didn't even try to fight back– and his soldiers didn't even attempt a resistance! Once Wapol realized how strong those pirates were, he simply abandoned his own country by immediately taking off to the seas– faster than anyone else!
"And he calls himself a king?!"
"Vivi..."
Vivi had a mix between anger and sadness in her tone, and her face told more of a story than anything. "How could he just do that to his people...? It's so cruel... to have a king just abandon his country..."
"..."
"..."
"... Exactly... But," Dalton's shoulders relaxed slightly. "It's thanks to all of that– That we're all free from Wapol's ruling. The island now belongs to us, the people who remained behind... The towns are slowly beginning to recover, and we're in the midst of founding a new country. The thing we dread the most is Wapol's return. We must prevent that at all costs!"
"For the purpose of creating a better country, we must...!"
~ . . . ~
"WAAAAAAAAH!!!"
"Hey! Barkeep! Do somethin' about your damn kid already! His whining is getting on my nerves!"
"Sorry about the disturbance, sir!"
The barkeep, a man, crouched down as he looked at his son. The kid was bawling his eyes out, head tilted back with tears pouring down his face. He placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, his skin meeting the child's puffy coat. "Tamachibi– What's wrong? Are you hurt somewhere?"
"Waaaaah!"
He sighed, exasperated. "I can't help you if you keep on crying. And you're bothering all of the customers..."
"WAAAH!!"
The man flinched at the kid's volume. "H-Hey! Come on, Tamachibi, say something! I'll have to make you stand outside if you don't!"
WHAM
"Don't mind the intrusion!"
A silence swept through the bar as the front door slammed into the ground, flying off its hinges. An old woman stood in the doorway as the cold was let in, the hot air pouring out of the bar. The old woman giggled and looked around, waving her fist slightly. She wasn't even dressed for the weather in the first place, instead sporting a plain jacket
"Happy, pappy? Heeheeheeheeeee!!"
Dr. Kureha, Master of Doctors
The hag
An animal stood at her side– A reindeer wearing a hat, its antlers poking up around its head. The people didn't even care about the animal– not when their tormentor, the menace herself, was now standing before them and getting ready to rob someone again. The silence was replaced with panic in at least ten seconds at her appearance.
"D-D-D-D-DOCTOR KUREHA!!"
She struck a pose. "Do you want to know the secret of my youth?!"
"WE DIDN'T EVEN ASK!!"
A man, the same who told Dalton about the upcoming election, paled as he turned away from the woman. "Yeesh, to think that she's 140 years old..."
"I'M STILL ONLY 139!!"
"EEEEK!!"
Kureha sighed, turning to the crying child that the barkeep was trying to console. "So! Shall I treat him?"
"What? He's not even sick!"
Her brow raised, a smirk growing. "Oh? And are you a doctor?"
The barkeep remained silent, now nervous.
Kureha shrugged and turned around, heading for the door. "Oh, okay then. Let's go, Chopper."
"Wait!"
She smiled to herself. Victory was hers once again. The boy, Tamachibi, was laid out on a table with a towel under his neck to support his head. Koreha put her large bag, full of medical supplies, onto the table as some of the bar workers started to lift up the door. She checked over the boy as they fastened the hinges.
Tamachibi sniffed. "M...My hand hurts..."
"Is that so..."
She stared jabbing her finger into his leg
"How's this, then?"
"AAAH!! MY LEG!!"
Kureha cackled, "But you forgot how much your hand hurt, didn't you? Hee hee hee!"
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING TO MY SON?!"
"Fine, I'll stop. Happy, pappy?" She let go of the kid, looking for one of her books. "Stay still for a second, kid..." After finding what she needed, she flipped a few pages into her journal. "Ahh... here it is! Even though I only lightly pressed down on his leg, his limbs seem to be in a lot of pain. There's no fever– it looks like we've got pyogenic inflammation of the leg. Must be a bacterial infection in the bones."
What the hell did pyogenic inflammation mean? Suddenly, nobody in the bar felt safe anymore. Not for themselves, but for the kid. If there was medical jargon that they couldn't understand, then it was obviously going to be something bad.
"Chopper, get my antibiotics!"
"Wh-What's wrong with my son, Doctor??"
"Ah, don't worry..." Kureha smiled as she spun a scalpel around between her fingers. "Your boy'll recover. But he was on the verge of death."
"AAH!! HE WAS?!" He didn't look like it! Tamachibi looked healthy– and he swore that it just might have been some hand pains! Was he really dying?!
"Stay still while I make a small incision."
"AAAAH!!!"
"SHOULDN'T YOU BE USING ANAESTHETIC?!"
"Now for a shot."
"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
"YOU'RE KILLING MY BOY!"
"Don't worry!" Kureha laughed, setting the boy back down. The poor kid looked like someone had put him through the wringer. She didn't really seem bothered by that, as she handed him a roll of bandages. "My drugs are quite effective for his treatment. Tie some bandages around his legs afterwards. After it hardens, he'll feel much better."
The barkeeper looked at the bandages owlishly. "Okay..."
"As for my payment... Hm..." She looked around the bar shop. "Well, I'm running low on toilet paper and garbage bags. What else... Ah. Some food, rum, and... fifty percent of all the money you have right now. Chopper, please carry these out."
"WHA– YOU'RE TAKING HALF OF MY MONEY?!"
It started an uproar
"DON'T LET HER CON YOU!"
"WHAT'S ALL THIS SHIT ABOUT THE KID BEING ON THE VERGE OF DEATH?! HE WAS PROBABLY CRYING BECAUSE HE TRIPPED!"
"YEAH!"
"YOU THINK WE DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER JUST BECAUSE WE'RE NOT DOCTORS?!"
"AIN'T THAT RIGHT?!"
"YOU'RE JUST TAKING ADVANTAGE OF PEOPLE'S WEAKNESSES! YOU 140-YEAR OLD SENILE HAG!"
They clearly stepped over a boundary, because Chopper, Kureha's beloved reindeer, started growling at the patrons. The old woman sighed and ruffled her hair without another care. Their comments hardly bothered her.
"Stop it, Chopper. They're nothing but a bunch of brats who don't know any better."
"Granny..."
"T-Tamachibi?" The father looked back at his son. The kid looked much better now, though there was a small dried tear in the corner of his eye. Still, he looked happy.
"I feel much better now. Thank you very much."
The woman smiled right back. "What a nice little gift. I'll lower it to just forty-nine percent."
Tamachibi's father went pink as he looked down. A sense of guilt and embarrassment filled him. "I'll pay the money. Thank you–"
WHAM
The door flew off of its hinges again, this time, almost taking out a few workers. Attention was turned to the door once again. A figure stood, shivering. This... This wasn't anybody they recognized, from the villages and towns in the island. A Long Coat– usually worn by pirates, rested on their shoulders as they leaned heavily on the sword they used to walk. The fake fur around it was dusted with snow.
Okay, that was someone who looked like they were on the verge of death. Sweat covered the stranger's face, a pained expression accompanied by wheezes. How did they even kick down the door in that state? Wait- The door–
"WE JUST FIXED THAT!!"
"WHO THE HELL EVEN ARE YOU?!"
The lights flickered around the stranger, and the shadows they cast bent and warped. They muttered something under their breath– a name. Was the stranger... shushing someone?
"It's fine, Annan. People can speak to me this... way..." They panted out. A... A girl's voice? What was this girl doing? She sounded young.
What the hell...?
Chopper growled again, at the stranger blocking their way, tensing up his body as he stood in front of Kureha. Kureha stared at the girl, eyes narrowing– yet not in suspicion. She was merely analysing the kid. She stopped staring and dug through one of her bags.
The girl stared at Chopper. "What the dog doin?"
"Focus."
Where–
Where did that voice come from–
"I wonder why they hold such anger towards her..."
"Annan, they just hate to see a girlboss winning," She said with a wheeze of a laugh. "What... What am I here for?Oh– Right, right... Dr. Kureha... Kureha..."
She stumbled, leaning against the door frame. The girl tugged her jacket on tighter and righted herself– though her grip on the sword tightened. She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace.
"I'm... I'm (Name). I'm sick and I need help. Last I checked, uh, my temperature was... 44 degrees."
Kureha shoved a thermometer into your mouth, and you didn't have much strength left, so you just let her. You moved it to the side so you could speak clearer.
"My friend is worse for wear, though. My friends are getting her up to the mountain as we speak. They might already be climbing..."
Kureha watched as the thermometer's red line rose rapidly between the girl's lips. "Climbing up the mountain? How daring! Are they trying to die? Hee hee!"
"No, they'll be fine." You reassured, sweat running down your brow. Why is the room bending like that? Ko... Oh, right, he can't communicate as well when he's split up so much. "I'll pay you if you leave now. It doesn't really matter if it costs me an arm and a leg," You chuckled, almost coughing, as you revealed your other arms, which had been hidden under the coat you wore. "--It doesn't matter. I have the money. Millions."
Half of the bar screamed
"WHAT THE HELL?!"
"HOW DO YOU HAVE FOUR ARMS?!"
Annan politely asked from your side, "Can I kill them?"
"No– They're just civilians. It's a family trait– God, you guys are loud... But, please. I need you to get back to the castle as... as fast as you can."
Kureha read the temperature as she took the thermometer back. Ooh, a fun 45 degrees. Deadly. This disease... It was familiar to her. "How much are you willing to part with?"
You smiled. "I like treasure, but money is meaningless to me. You can have this as a down payment. It's worth at least twenty thousand beri."
You handed over a necklace you had prepared in advance. One that you had taken from Arlong park– When you got kidnapped by Shizumori. Ah, memories. Could you go lay in the snow and die now? You were getting a little too hot for your liking.
"I think I'm dying."
She laughed. "You are!"
"Fun. Can I pet your dog?" You turned to Chopper, who glared at you. "Oh, right, you're a reindeer. And you have a conscience... And you can talk. I shoulda asked you first..." I think... I'm going to take a nap now. I did what I could... If I die, that's on me.
Kureha asked you something– but you looked at her oddly. You couldn't hear what she said. Your eyes grew heavy as you nodded along anyways, before you blinked.
Then fell to the floor, unconscious