Journey to Raftel Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Journey to Raftel! The Straw Hats have arrived at Drum Island! They need to find this Dr. Kureha so that Carina can get better! But the situation on Drum Island isn’t what one would expect, and finding the medical help they need may be harder than the Straw Hats expect. Can the crew save their nakama?

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 22 – Drum Island, Witch’s Strange Apprentice

The river the Straw Hats were sailing up to get to the interior of the island was lined with hundreds of fir trees. The mountains of Drum Island were absolutely gargantuan; all of them cylindrical with a flat plateau at the top. The massive peaks broke through the very clouds in some places and each of the mountains had to be a few kilometers tall at minimum. The Drum Rockies were an immense and impressive sight.

“You’re sure the harbor is further up this river?” Luffy questioned the Isshi Twenty with a serious (almost terrifying) look in his eyes.

“Yes sir, the harbor is in a small lake that multiple streams empty into. It’s big enough that even a Galleon can safely turn around and leave Drum Island when their Log Pose resets.” The Head Doctor of the Isshi Twenty quickly assured Luffy as he bowed his head.

“Good, then we shouldn’t have any problems.” Nami mentioned as the Going Merry sailed further up the river.

“Agreed.” Sanji stated with a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth, “We're not here for fun, adventure, or trouble. We're only here to get Carina to this Dr. Kureha. We don't have any time to waste.”

“I see the lake!” One of Luffy’s copies called out from the crow’s nest a minute or so before the Going Merry entered the lake the Isshi Twenty had told them about. Before the Straw Hats could reach the pier at the edge of the lake, they all heard the sounds of dozens of guns being cocked.

“Who are you?! Identify yourselves!” A loud voice called out to the crew on deck. From the banks surrounding the lake, armed, wary-looking men glared at them. “Don’t even think about docking on our island if you mean trouble!”

Zoro spoke up with a gaze harder than steel. “We can’t just leave. We’re looking for a specific Doctor on this island.”

“There are no Doctors here any longer! But this is our country and strangers aren’t welcome here! If you drop your anchor we'll blast you!” Another of the many armed men yelled out.

“If you don't want us to land, that's fine.” Luffy stepped forward while speaking as calmly as he could. “But we need Dr. Kureha. We have a sick nakama aboard! She might die if we don't get Dr. Kureha’s help!”

“How do you know about the witch?!” One of the men demanded as almost all of the rifles were quickly pointed at Luffy.

“They told me.” Luffy motioned to the Isshi Twenty, all of them hiding and peeking out of the doorway and portholes of the main cabin. “They can’t cure my nakama, but they said Dr. Kureha might be able to. Bring her here. We’ll pay whatever she asks.”

“That’s the Isshi Twenty!” A man howled in rage. “They’re with Wapol!”

As every rifle and gun aimed at him, his ship, and his nakama were about to be fired all at once, Luffy and all of his copies moved. No one could follow the speed the Sun Wukong Man and his copies moved at. To everyone else it was all just a blur.

“Don’t do that.” Luffy quietly demanded with his staff pointing at the back of the largest man of the Drum Island group. It was at this moment that all of the militia men realized they had a Luffy standing behind them and that none of them could move, their bodies all stuck as if they’d been frozen solid. The largest man’s eyes were still wide from not even being able to tell when the younger man had moved and taken his back. The rest of the armed men all looked on in a mixture of shock, fear, and worry as they were at the complete mercy of this man and all of the identical looking men behind them. “We aren't here to fight. We aren't here to cause trouble or hurt anyone. We just want to see Dr. Kureha.” Luffy lowered his staff, freeing the large man from the Body Freezing Spell, and bowed at the waist, a full-on proper bow. “Please…let us get our nakama the help she needs.”

“Very well.” The large man swallowed thickly as he gave a nod.  He was a rather tall and imposing man with slicked black hair and a goatee. He was wearing a long, white fur-lined green tunic that had armor plates on the arms. He covered his head with a green and white fur lined hat, equipped with ear-flaps against the island’s intense cold, and he wore long boots. He had a weapon, an extra-large spade, in a sheath on his back. “Come with me and I’ll take you to the village.”

“Thank you.” Luffy smiled before he turned towards his crew. “Come on guys! Let's go! We need to get Carina to the Doctor!” All of the Luffy copies freed the rest of the militia men and returned to the ship with leaps so great that it made the Drum Island natives stare and gape at the ridiculous distance covered.

“Doctors, hurry up. We have a sick patient to get to this Dr. Kureha.” Reiju said to the Isshi Twenty in a tone that brooked no argument. The twenty doctors quickly stumbled out of the main cabin and headed for the Women’s Quarters to retrieve the already prepped Carina while under Nami and Reiju’s watchful eyes.

The Going Merry dropped anchor at the harbor and the gang plank was lowered to the long pier. Carefully, a stretcher containing the sick Carina was carried off the ship. The purple-haired woman had been bundled up under multiple blankets to keep the island’s natural chill from getting to her. All the men of Drum Island’s militia backed away at the condition the woman was in and the fear of what getting in the way of her treatment might bring.

The group had been walking for a couple minutes now, deeper into the island's interior. The snow was deep, and they had to travel on a small pathway that had been dug out. The chill of the island and the gentle breeze through the fir trees made for a quiet walk. All of the Straw Hats, barring Luffy and Nami, were freezing. Vivi as a native of a desert country was shivering even under her coat. Very little was said beyond the large man introducing himself as Dalton.

“I don't understand…” Nami spoke up as they walked on. “We heard about the situation with Wapol from the Isshi Twenty, but why was he a pirate on the sea? They said it was something about pirates coming to this island.”

“This was once a land that took pride in its study of Medicine and our Doctors. That was back when I first became a Captain of the Royal Guard. Life has always been harsh here, but we led good lives. The King was a kind and just man who cared for his people.” Dalton clenched his fists as his face took on a dark look. “His son, however… When Wapol took his father's place… It didn't take long at all for him to reveal his tyrannical nature. He demanded the twenty best doctors in the country to go stay permanently at his side, and killed or exiled the ones left over. All so he would have a stranglehold on the country and make everyone depend on him and his whims for medical aid.”

Everyone noticed the Isshi Twenty flinching at the small history lesson.

With every word Dalton spoke, Vivi's face darkened with fury. She shook as she bit out her words. “That bastard!” The princess growled, her own fists clenching tightly. How could anyone dare claim to be a Monarch after destroying the lives of their citizens?

“Quite.” Dalton let out a heavy sigh, “But only a few months ago, our greatest disaster brought some of the greatest fortune we’ve ever had.” His tone turned apologetic as he continued. “That was the reason for our hostile greeting back there. Just five pirates attacked this nation and nearly destroyed it. They were insanely powerful. We never stood a chance.”

“So that’s why he ran away? He fled from these powerful pirates?” Nami had no remorse or pity for Wapol. This entire situation in Drum Kingdom brought back far too many memories of Arlong.

Dalton nearly growled as he spoke with a dark look in his eyes. “That coward never even fought. He simply ran with his tail between his legs and fled to the sea. He left us all to die to save his own skin.”

“WHAT?!” Vivi nearly exploded out of sheer rage! To think that any King could not only destroy his people’s lives, but then not even fight for his own Kingdom? Just abandoning their people, the land of their ancestors, everything, just to run in fear and save their own life! Wapol was truly everything that a King should never be!

“It’s alright, Vivi, he’s gone now.” Luffy gave her a gentle look, but the princess could see the simple, yet pure, anger in Luffy’s eyes. Wapol was exactly the kind of person Luffy hated the most.

Dalton narrowed his eyes as he looked over the twenty doctors the Straw Hats had brought with them. “For the Isshi Twenty to be here, I have to assume that you've met him.”

“Met him?” Nami scoffed at the memories. “That asshole tried to take our ship, our treasure, and us women for himself. We didn’t take kindly to him threatening us or getting in the way of Carina’s treatment.”

“He said that he was searching for this island.” Luffy recalled what Wapol had said, though barely, given how angry he’d been at the man.

One of the militia men walking next to Dalton spoke up hesitantly. “What happened?”

“I knocked him across the horizon, captured these guys,” Luffy motioned to the Isshi Twenty. “Then we sank his ship.”

Nami had a vindictive little smirk on her lips at that.

“But he had the entire Royal Guard with him!” The same man gaped at the straw-hatted young man. “What about Chess or Kuromarimo? They wouldn’t have just let you kill Wapol!”

“Who?” Luffy honestly didn’t know whom the man was referring to. Dalton gave a description of his two former associates and it was Sanji and Zoro that spoke up.

“The afro guy?” Sanji exhaled some smoke from his cigarette. “Reiju poisoned him after he tried throwing his disgusting hairballs at us. Since he was threatening the ladies, I gave him one good kick to the chest…and crushed it.”

“The archer guy had some skill.” Zoro commented, his breath coming out as a white cloud. “But he had no close-range combat to fall back on. I sliced his arrows out of the air and then cut his bow apart, taking off his right arm in the same swing.”

Nami spoke up a second later. “I torched the archer and a couple dozen of Wapol’s soldiers for attacking us.”

“Did Wapol die?” Dalton questioned, his dark eyes meeting Luffy’s.

Luffy shrugged, not caring about Wapol’s fate in the slightest. “I hit him pretty hard with my staff, he went over the horizon. If he fell in the ocean, then he probably died. But if he landed somewhere else, then who knows.”

The militia men could only stare at the Straw Hats in shock.

Dalton gave Luffy a nod for the information. The cowardly former king had never stood a chance. It seemed Fate itself had decreed that Wapol would never set foot on Drum Island again, one way or another. “Then you have our most gracious thanks.” Dalton bowed his head to Luffy. “Spread the word to the entire island! Wapol is gone and we are free!” He proclaimed to the cheers of the militia men.

“Please keep it down!” The Head of the Isshi Twenty shushed the cheering men. “We have a patient that needs her rest!”

“Sorry.” All of the cheering men were instantly quiet and subdued. Angering the straw-hatted man was most definitely not something they wanted to do.

It didn't take too much longer for the group to reach the town of Bighorn, which was closer to the giant Drum Rockies. On the way they passed some rather strange animals, including an upright, fluffy-looking bear with a walking stick. Dalton informed them that it was called a Hiking Bear and that they had to bow to it as they were passing. Upon offering a polite bow the Straw Hats were rather bemused to get a nod back from the large bear.

Once they made it into town, Luffy almost mistook one of the residents, a large woman of great height wearing a fuzzy coat, for another Hiking Bear. A few of the locals chuckled at the mistake. As they walked through the town, Vivi couldn’t help but smile as they all saw how respected Dalton was. Apparently, the island was holding an election soon. Since the people of the island had decided to dissolve the old Drum Kingdom, they were leaving behind the old bloodline and electing a new King for themselves. Dalton was the clear favorite, even though he didn't feel like he was worthy of the position.

He led the Straw Hats to his home and hurried them inside along with a few of the Isshi Twenty. The rest waited outside of Dalton’s home. It was slightly cramped with so many people in the somewhat small home, but a fire was crackling in the hearth and warming the home pleasantly. “I’m sorry I don't have much to offer you. I wasn’t exactly expecting guests.” Dalton shook his head.

“It's fine.” Reiju waved him off as she readied the thermometer. Luffy and the rest of the crew looked on worriedly as Reiju took Carina’s temperature.

“One-hundred-five and a half? That's dangerous!” Dalton gasped as he read the thermometer over Reiju’s shoulder when she pulled it back. “No wonder you were so desperate to get her to medical help.”

“She’ll pull through, she’s strong.” Nami brushed a stray lock of hair off of Carina’s face with gentleness that most of the crew had never seen before. Carina’s eyes had dark bags under them. Her face was flushed and her breathing was labored. If she was this bad with the Isshi Twenty stabilizing her for the last couple of days, the Straw Hats didn’t even want to think about what her condition would have been without the doctors’ help.

Carina barely opened her eyes as she wheezed out an apology. “Sorry about this, guys.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Luffy took her hand lightly into his own. “No one here blames you for anything, Carina.”

“I take it you have no idea what she’s sick with?” Dalton questioned the group as a whole. “If the Isshi Twenty couldn’t take care of her then it must be rare or even unknown.”

“Her symptoms and their progression simply don’t match up with anything we’re familiar with. It’s too fast, and it doesn’t react to any treatment we’ve tried either.” The Head Doctor bowed his head. “That’s why I told them of Dr. Kureha. She’s an expert in rare illnesses. If anyone can correctly diagnose and treat the young woman, it’ll be Kureha.”

Dalton agreed with a single nod. “I've never heard of an illness that Kureha couldn’t cure. It’s her personality and costs that are the problematic part.”

“That’s why we need to find this Dr. Kureha.” Sanji said while chewing on an unlit cigarette. “Where is this doctor?”

“Up there.” Dalton sighed and pointed out the window towards the tallest of the Drum Rockies. “See the castle?” He asked them. “That was where Wapol lived before he fled the country, and where his father lived before him. But once Wapol fled, Dr. Kureha took up residence.”

“Then we need her to come down. Call her, this is an emergency.” Zoro said as he looked up at the mountain and then back at Carina. In her condition, there was no way that Carina could make such a trip.

“It’s not that simple.” Dalton shook his head. “I'm afraid we have no way to contact her.”

Vivi nearly exploded. “What the hell kind of doctor is she?!” This Kureha was supposedly the last doctor of Drum Kingdom, yet she had no way to be contacted and lived far from everyone else on top of that!

“She is one of the best doctors in the world. Her skills would have earned her the top spot in the Isshi Twenty, had she agreed to work for Wapol.” The Head Doctor spoke up, and everyone turned to look at the older man. “Instead, she evaded all attempts at capture for years. There’s a reason that people call her a Witch. She's rather eccentric… not to mention she's a hundred-and-thirty-nine years old.”

Jaws dropped at that information. That was a rather ridiculous age for a human to live to after all.

“What the hell do people do when they get sick around here, then?” Sanji questioned as he practically ground his unlit cigarette between his teeth.

“That's part of why people call her a witch.” Dalton took over with a heavy sigh. “She comes down from the mountains whenever she feels like it. She’ll look for patients seemingly at random. She always finds those that need help somehow. She’ll treat them and once she’s done, she takes whatever she wants from them as compensation.”

Zoro sipped on the hot tea that Dalton was offering everyone in his home. “Definitely sounds like a witch to me.” He shot a glance at Nami, though the Navigator didn’t notice it.

“Kind of sounds like a cross between a doctor and a bandit.” Luffy remarked, thinking back to Dadan and her followers on Mt. Corvo.

“How does such an old lady even get down the mountain?” Nami questioned, though her gaze only switched from the castle on the mountain back to Carina.

“I'm not sure, but I've heard stories. The way I’ve heard it is that on moonlit nights she'll fly down the mountain on a sleigh. People claim to have seen it, and they always say she has a strange beast with her.” Dalton explained to the Straw Hats. “Even though she’s our only doctor, well, truthfully we don't like to deal with her if we can avoid it.”

“Sounds like this could take a while.” Carina murmured, half-awake and looking blearily at the ceiling. Luffy glared sharply at the tallest of the Drum Rockies after hearing Carina’s words.

“I'm not letting her suffer any longer than she already has! If we can't get the doctor to come to Carina, then we have to bring her to the doctor!” Luffy stated with finality. “I can get her up there myself!”

“That mountain is ten kilometers tall; you’ll never make it!” Dalton raised his voice to be heard over the crew at Luffy’s ludicrous statement.

Luffy pulled three hairs from his head and blew on them.

Bomf

In small clouds of smoke, three more Luffy’s appeared.

“I’m taking Carina to the doctor.” Luffy said with absolute surety.

The four Luffys gently lifted Carina’s stretcher and carried her outside, much to the confusion of the Isshi Twenty and Dalton. Before their very eyes, golden clouds formed beneath the feet of each Luffy and began to float into the air.

“I’m coming too!” Nami jumped onto one of the golden clouds and wrapped her arms around Luffy’s waist.

Reiju hopped up onto another of the clouds, holding onto Luffy tightly. “I’ll join you both.”

“We’ll be at the castle.” Luffy said to Sanji, Zoro, and Vivi a second before the four golden clouds flew off into the air and straight towards the top of the tallest mountain of the Drum Rockies.

Zoro looked at Dalton with a steely gaze. “How do you normally get to the top of those mountains?”

“There’s a lift that takes people to the summit of the Castle Plateau. But it’s been disabled ever since Wapol rose to power. He claimed he didn’t want to constantly be bothered by the people.” Dalton informed the group. “It had a small motor that was powered by a combination of pedaling to produce electricity and a battery that the motor drew power from. Wapol had the pedals and the battery removed and kept them hidden in the castle. The only way to get to the summit was when Wapol allowed it and put the parts back into the lift.”

Sanji looked at Dalton intensely. “And you all haven’t fixed it yet?”

Dalton raised his hands between himself and Sanji. “We’re in the process of it. The new pedals and battery only just arrived a couple of days ago, along with our normal imports. The lift should be operational shortly.”

“Then can we head for the lift, please?” Vivi didn’t want to leave her new friends alone up at the castle. Her kind heart wanted to be there for all of them, especially Carina, even if all she could offer was emotional support. ‘I feel so useless…’ She lamented in the back of her mind, once more cursing her lack of power.

“Yes, of course.” Dalton agreed easily. “Please, follow me.” He turned and motioned for the remaining Straw Hats to follow him. “You all.” Dalton’s eyes locked onto the Isshi Twenty, making all of the doctors freeze in their tracks. “Surrender yourselves to the militia and do what you’re told.” Dalton’s body bulked up as he transformed, becoming a Bison/Human hybrid thanks to his Devil Fruit. “If you don’t, you will have to deal with me.”

“Th-The Devil Fruit…” The Head Doctor stuttered out as all of the Isshi Twenty took steps back in fear.

One of the doctors stared up at the towering form of Dalton, memories of seeing the Royal Guard Captain in battle playing in his mind. “Ushi Ushi no Mi – Model: Bison!”

Needless to say, none of the Isshi Twenty dared to argue with Dalton. The doctors quickly surrendered to the militia and were led off to the largest building in Bighorn, the town’s gathering hall, to start making up for their betrayal of their people when they’d sided with Wapol to save their own skins.

“We have a few minor injuries right now and you all have A LOT to make up for.” The Vice-Leader of the militia said as he led the Isshi Twenty away along with several other members.

The doctors could only agree, knowing that what they’d done those years ago was unforgivable.

Dalton returned to his normal form and continued to lead the Straw Hats towards the lift just outside of Bighorn.

“Didn’t know you were a Devil Fruit user.” Zoro said as the group walked along the cleared out path through the snow.

“Occasionally Devil Fruits are found on this island, though it’s very rare.” Dalton replied without really explaining his history.

Sanji clearly didn’t care much. “Less talking and more walking. We need to get to the castle as soon as possible!”

Vivi blinked when she noticed that the snow falling from the sky had stopped. “It stopped snowing.”

That got the attention of all of the Drum Island residents as they were so used to the near constant snowfall of their homeland that it was largely ignored.

“It actually stopped.” One militia man blinked and looked up at the sky, the thick clouds the same as always.

“It stopped for a short time a while back too, right?” Another man said, recalling the day that no snow had fallen on the island for a few hours.

Dalton looked up at the clouds in confusion. “Why did it stop though?”

-Luffy, Nami, Reiju, Carina-

The four Luffys focused on flying straight towards the top of the Drum Rockies. Already they were passing high above the pine forest far below, and the top of the plateau was in sight.

“How is she, Reiju?” Nami asked, one arm wrapped around Luffy’s waist, her other arm extended to keep her hand in contact with Carina.

Reiju placed her hand on Carina’s forehand. “The fever is still high, but I don’t think it’s increased. Just keep her warm until we get to the castle.” Reiju said as she held onto the Luffy that she was riding with.

Nami’s hand on Carina was covering her friend in warmth from the power of her Devil Fruit. Not a single one of them had noticed that the snow had stopped falling on the island. Any wind that formed this high up in the mountains was practically being swatted away by Luffy, as well. The Sun Wukong Man had no time nor patience for the normal blizzard-like conditions of the Drum Rockies.

The true reason for the sudden end to the nearly endless snowfall was, in fact, Nami’s Devil Fruit. A powerful Mythical Zoan, of a Volcano Deity no less, could affect the weather of a Winter Island like this one even when not actively being used. Nami’s mere presence was taking hold of Drum Island in a similar way to another certain visitor that had stopped by the island before the Straw Hats.

Not that any of them knew that.

“We’re almost there Carina.” Luffy whispered to the sleeping woman as they landed softly atop the plateau and gently carried the stretcher towards the castle.

Nami and Reiju both wondered why the large front door was left wide open. But neither cared enough to question it though. The three Straw Hats were far more concerned with getting Carina to Dr. Kureha. It was only a moment later that all four Luffys stopped walking.

“Luffy? What’s wrong?” Nami questioned her lover as Luffy started to shake.

“There’s no one here.” Luffy stated, all four of them sniffing as they shifted into their Full Beast Forms, enhancing their senses. “Someone was here earlier, but I don’t hear anyone at all now.”

“What?!” Nami’s eyes widened and her fists clenched at her sides, a hellish fire began to escape from her glowing yellow eyes. “Why isn’t she here?!”

Bomf

A dozen clouds of smoke poofed into existence before vanishing a second later, revealing more Luffys.

“Find the doctor!” Luffy ordered and every single copy (aside from the three helping to hold Carina’s stretcher) blurred away to search the castle, just in case.

“Nami?” Reiju called out as she saw the Navigator heading back outside. “Where are you going?”

Nami didn’t even stop walking as she answered. “I’m going to call this damn doctor!”

In mere moments, Nami was back out on top of the plateau. The wind had picked up a bit, now that Luffy wasn’t redirecting it, but Nami paid it no mind. Flames alighted in her hair, before becoming a roaring inferno. Her skin darkened and glowing lines and swirls, like magma beneath volcanic rock, spread across her skin as if they were tattoos. Now, in her Full Beast Form, Nami bellowed out her demand as she unleashed her power. “GET UP HERE NOW, DOCTOR!!!”

Flames blasted high into the air from Nami’s body and all around her. A towering conflagration blew apart the clouds in the sky, making it look like the tallest peak of the Drum Rockies had suddenly become a volcano. Heat poured off the roaring flames, melting the snow and then evaporating the water. The top of the ‘Castle Plateau’ was completely free from snow for the first time ever. Even the very clouds were consumed by the heat while those not close enough were pushed away. The sun shone down on Drum Island unimpeded, stunning the citizens of Drum Kingdom almost as much as the towering inferno causing the phenomenon.

No one below the age of eighty had ever seen the sky completely clear over Drum Island, after all.

-Village of Cocoa Weed-

“D-Doctorine…” A blue-nosed reindeer stuttered out as he looked up at the fire that was rising up from where the castle was and clearing the sky.

“It looks like we have a visitor at the castle.” An elderly woman replied. She was dressed in a style more suited to a woman one-seventh her actual age. Her attire included a navel ring, a shirt that bared her midriff, a purple blazer and purple low-riding pants. She had a pair of small sunglasses over her eyes. She also had bracelets and rings on her left hand. She was currently staring up at the immense show of flames coming off the top of the tallest plateau of the Drum Rockies.

“What should we do?” The reindeer spoke as Dr. Kureha jumped into the sleigh he was attached to.

“We go up there and see what all the commotions about, of course!” Dr. Kureha cackled as she pulled a bottle of booze out of a bag in the sleigh. “It could very well be that someone has brought us a patient. Let’s go Chopper!”

“Yes, Doctorine!” Chopper called back as he took off across the snow, pulling the sleigh behind him. The fire died down a short time later, just as Chopper reached the hidden ropeway that connected to the castle plateau. This one had been forgotten for years and connected behind the castle. It was this singular ropeway that Chopper and Kureha use to get up and down the cylindrical mountain without having to climb.

Halfway up the rope, both Kureha and Chopper were surprised to seeing four men riding golden clouds approaching them through the air.

“What the heck?!” Chopper yelled out in shock.

The four Luffys flew right alongside the moving sleigh and grabbed hold of it, stopping it dead in the air as they lifted it off the ropeway.

“Ack!” Chopper hacked out from the sudden stop as the harness he was using jerked against him painfully.

“Kakakakakak! Looks like we have some interesting visitors today.” Dr. Kureha cackled as Chopper transformed into his Hybrid Form, shrinking down until he slipped out of the harness and was able to grab onto the sleigh, before then turning into his Full Beast Form, looking almost like a yeti from legends. Chopper stood between Luffy and Kureha, ready to fight for his teacher (and mother figure).

“Are you the doctor?” One of the four Luffys questioned Kureha with cautious hope in his voice as he looked at the two of them in the sleigh.

“Kakakakak, that I am, young man.” Kureha replied with a confident grin on her face. She’d at least be respectful enough not to call him a brat like she did most others when he clearly held the power of a Devil Fruit.

“Please, help my nakama! She’s very sick!” All four Luffys immediately bowed to the old woman. There was no tension between them anymore; the instant that Luffy had bowed to Kureha all of the tension in the air from their sudden meeting seemed to vanish.

“Raise your head lad. I'll take good care of her. Just stay out of our way.” Dr. Kureha said with a grin. “Take us up to the castle and we’ll get started right away.”

The sleigh was flown through at such speed that Chopper fell back into the seat next to Kureha. The old woman laughed as the passing breeze made her long hair fly behind her.

“What was that giant fire that tore apart the clouds?” Chopper asked Kureha as they were quickly flown towards the castle.

“If I had to guess, probably this man or one of his companions. Regardless of who, they better be willing to pay up for causing such a ruckus.” Kureha as she took a swig from her bottle. “These are certainly the most interesting guests that we’ve had since we moved in.”

In only a few moments the sleigh was set on the ground by the four Luffys, right in front of the wide open front doors of the castle.

“There's four people here.” Chopper sniffed the air while transforming back into his Hybrid Form. His Hybrid Form was short, stood bipedal, and had maroon shorts on along with his pink top hat. His front legs had clearly turned into human-like arms, and his cloven hooves had become as dexterous as human fingers. He was a perfect cross between reindeer and human, just as one would expect from the user of the Hito Hito no Mi.

“Hmph, well, let's go greet our guests, shall we?” Kureha strode forwards, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Chopper could only admire Kureha’s confidence in the face of this unexpected visit by strangers. They quickly entered Drum Castle proper through the wide open doors.

They passed into the main entryway, noting with some satisfaction that the Snowbird nest on top of the door hadn’t been disturbed. Four pairs of eyes turned to the duo as they entered, but Kureha didn’t pay them any attention. The old Doctor stared right into the dark eyes of the same young man wearing a straw hat that had flown them here. “Quite the odd Devil Fruit you have, young man.” Kureha remarked, but then her Doctor’s Instinct kicked in, her eyes shifted over to the clearly sick woman on the stretcher.

“You’re the doctor?” Nami asked the old woman.

Dr. Kureha strode forward, moving past both Nami and Reiju without a care, and placed her index finger on Carina’s forehead. Her eyes widened after a moment. “105.7?! It’s some kind of miracle that she’s still alive!” She turned to Chopper and began to dole out instructions. “Chopper get the Phenicol and the Cardiotonic. Grab the Chialcillin too. She seems to have some type of bacterial infection. Nothing local either. Where’d she get sick?” She questioned Reiju sharply, making the younger woman snap to attention.

“We were about two days out from Little Garden when she got sick.” Reiju answered promptly. “The only thing we found on her body was a bug bite that had become inflamed and swollen.”

“It's a good thing you got her to me then.” Dr. Kureha told the three Straw Hats in a no nonsense tone. “Another day or two and she would have been dead.” Luffy, Nami, and Reiju, all paled at that news. “It’s been almost one hundred and ten years since a person had a confirmed case of Kestia Infection. I’m probably the only doctor that knows how to treat it nowadays.” She looked Carina over carefully, making note of the swollen area of the bite. “You can treat the symptoms and slow the infection’s progression, but you’re only delaying the inevitable that way. I suppose you have whatever medic you have on your ship to thank for that.”

“Carina is going to be okay though, right?” Luffy asked hopefully as they followed Kureha and Chopper into a warm room with a bed and a lot of medical equipment, carefully carrying Carina along on the stretcher.

“She’ll be fine once I get the proper antibiotic administered to her.” Kureha smirked at Luffy. “It’s normally a ten day treatment process, so I hope you aren’t in a hurry. My patients don’t leave their beds until their treatment is complete. There’s also the matter of payment to talk about, but we can save that for after I give her the first dose.”

“Thank you very much, Doctor.” Luffy once again bowed to the old woman, this time with a wide smile on his face. Carina was gently transferred from the stretcher and into the bed before being covered up again.

“Yes, yes,” Kureha waved off his thanks before turning to Chopper. “Chopper, I trust you to watch over the patient while I prepare the antibiotic. You already know how to make this one, so there’s no point in you watching me.” With that the old woman turned and walked out of the room to prepare the medicine.

“Yes, Doctorine!” Chopper gave a short salute before placing a bag of ice onto a towel which was suspended from a device at the head of the bed. The cooled towel was gently rested against Carina’s forehead to help keep her temperature steady.

Luffy had sparkling eyes as he looked Chopper over. “Woooow! You’re so cool! You’re like a Doctor Tanuki, right?! You can even talk!” Knowing that Carina was going to be alright had pulled the weight of the world off his shoulders and allowed his normal carefree attitude to return.

“W-w-what the hell are you saying?! I’m a reindeer! Calling me cool doesn’t make me happy!” Chopper retorted but the massive grin on his face contradicted his words.

“Hey, do you want to join my crew?!” Luffy questioned with the sparkles still in his eyes.

“W-w-what do you mean, join your crew?!” Chopper gaped at the human who had brought the sick girl up to the castle. “Look at me! I'm a reindeer! I can't live with humans! I have fur and antlers and…and a blue nose! I'm a monster!”

“Nah,” Luffy shook his head with a chuckle. “You're funny!” He grinned at Chopper. “You're just a tanuki that ate a Devil Fruit, aren’t you? You’re nowhere near being a monster. You're smart and you're doctor, right? I totally want you on my crew!”

“Tanuki?! I SAID I'M A REINDEER, MORON!” Chopper screamed at him before the rest of what Luffy said registered. “Idiot! I don't need praise from you humans!”

“Shishishi! Right! So you’re half-tanuki half-reindeer then!” Luffy guffawed at seeing Chopper doing a happy dance at being complimented.

“I'M NOT A TANUKI!” Chopper roared with suddenly sharp teeth and white eyes.

Luffy looked at Chopper inquisitively. “But you are a Doctor, right?”

“I've been studying under Doctorine for years.” Chopper admitted with a nod. “She took me in after Dr. Hiriluk passed away.”

Nami looked over at Chopper, looking away from Carina for just a second. “Who’s Dr. Hiriluk?”

Chopper looked down; sadness radiated from his form at the memories. “He…He was like my father…”

“Was he nice?” Luffy tilted his head.

“He was amazing!” Chopper broke out into a grin. “But he was also a bit of a quack, according to Doctorine.”

“A quack?” Reiju cocked an eyebrow at Chopper. “You mean a fake doctor?”

“He made a lot of his own treatments…” Chopper rubbed the back of his head. “Not all of them worked.”

Luffy laughed. “Like how some home remedies don’t actually work?” Growing up with Dadan’s bandits had shown Luffy and Ace plenty of such remedies, after all. Not like bandits could just walk into town for medical treatment, after all.

“Sort of…” Chopper couldn’t help the sigh he let out, the fondness he’d had for his father-figure seeping into his words. Without realizing it at all, he began to share his history with the Straw Hat crew.

-Bighorn ~ Ropeway Lift-

“Aren’t you done yet?” Sanji demanded, his nerves at their limits after seeing the massive eruption of fire from the top of the plateau where the castle was.

“This is my first time fixing a lift, I have to follow the instructions!” The older man working on fixing the lift shouted back at the impatient blonde. “If we screw this up, then we’ll have to wait weeks for more parts!”

Sanji exhaled and pulled a cigarette from his pack and lit up taking a drag to calm his nerves as he started pacing.

“Calm down.” Zoro said as he leaned against the wall of the lift post. “We all want to get up there, but rushing these guys isn’t going to help.” Unnoticed by most was the tight fist that Zoro had partially hidden by his crossed arms.

“I’ll calm down once we’re up there and we know that Carina is okay, Marimo.” Sanji snapped at Zoro before resuming his pacing.

Vivi looked towards the top of the mountain with worry and concern. She too felt a tight knot in her chest, like her heart was being squeezed as she worried about Carina and what could cause Nami to unleash her power like that. Without thinking about it, the princess started pacing, much like Sanji. She kicked her feet through the snow off to the side of the path, just trying to take her mind off her worries. With Carina’s sickness, hearing about what had happened to Drum Island under Wapol’s rule (and that only further fanned the flames of her concern for her own Kingdom), not to mention the article in the paper about a portion of the Royal Army of Alabasta defecting to the Rebel Army they’d gotten recently…Vivi was filled with worries.

“I don’t even know what Crocodile and Baroque Works might be doing in Alabasta right now…” Vivi muttered to herself, her hands gripping her arms tightly as she crossed them over her chest. She kicked up more of the piled up snow, sending the flakes scattering through the air. Just thinking about Crocodile made her worry, but also made her angry. ‘Alabasta never did anything to that bastard! Why does he want to destroy my Kingdom?!’ She kicked the snow again, slowly clearing her own path through the snowbank to the side of the path. Vivi was a kind and gentle soul, normally…but even she had her limits. Crocodile and his Baroque Works had blown past all of them with their heinous plot against Alabasta.

Something solid hit Vivi’s foot and snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Huh?” Vivi didn’t see anything but snow around her feet, only now realizing that she’d made a short path into the trees near the lift post. Moving her foot in the snow, she felt around for what she’d hit in the deep bank of snow beneath the trees. When the tip of her shoe found the solid object again, Vivi knelt down and dug through the snow a bit. “A fruit?”

Sitting in the snow was a round, white fruit with a light blue stem and black swirls that rose up slightly from the body of the fruit. It was one of the strangest fruits that Vivi had ever seen, and yet she couldn’t help the vague feeling that she had heard about this before from somewhere. Wracking her mind as she stood up with the white fruit in her hands, it was only as she listed off the strange fruit’s features in her mind that something clicked.

‘Odd colors, strange stem, swirl markings…’ Vivi thought only for an old memory of her time in the palace to resurface.

“Pell, how did you get your powers?” A much younger Vivi asked the Royal Guardsman.

“It’s a Devil Fruit, princess. Fruits that have odd colors and strange swirl markings on them. They’re incredibly rare, but the guardian spirits of Alabasta, the Falcon and the Jackal, continue to protect Alabasta through these two Fruits that reappear in our Kingdom over and over again.” Pell smiled at the young Vivi.

Vivi’s eyes widened as she realized just what she was holding. “A…Devil Fruit…”

Her heart began to hammer in her chest as she stared at the Devil Fruit in her hands. Every one of her doubts, her fears, her desperate desire for the power to change the situation and turmoil of her Kingdom… The answer to all of it could be in her very hands right now.

Vivi bit into the white Devil Fruit without any further thought.

Vile

Putrid

Repugnant

Horrid

Vivi nearly vomited from the horrific taste of the Devil Fruit. But she chewed it, wanting to wretch the entire time, before forcing herself to swallow it down. She let the rest of the Devil Fruit fall into the snow, partially burying it again. Vivi dry heaved, doing everything she could to keep herself from throwing up. Sure, she’d heard that Devil Frutis tasted horrible…but that…that was beyond horrible!

‘If it wasn’t for the power…that would be labeled a method of torture!’ Vivi screamed in her mind as she finally got her stomach under control.

“Vivi-chwan~ What’re you doing over here?” Sanji asked with a bright smile for the princess.

“Ah!” Vivi squawked in surprise at Sanji’s sudden appearance.

Sanji suddenly saw nothing but white.

-End Chapter-

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

WHAT?! Vivi found a Devil Fruit on Drum Island?!

Due to her constant desire to have the power to save Alabasta, she takes a bite without much consideration.

But what power was hidden beneath the snow for who knows how long?

Meanwhile, Luffy simply flies up to the castle in search of Kureha! No need to climb when you have somersault clouds!

Wukong too broken, please nerf! Kek!

Nami’s very presence on Drum Island has stopped the snowfall!

Much like Ace did when he visited before the Straw hats arrived!

But her ANGER blows away the very clouds!

Don’t fuck with Pele! Volcanoes, fire, wind, lightning, she controls them all and WILL use them!

But Luffy’s copies manage to find Kureha on her way back to the castle and quickly fly her there! The old doctor certainly seems to find it amusing!

Carina is going to be treated! Yay!

All of the love and cuddles and snuggles for our adorable Chain Woman!

How will the rest of the Straw Hats’ time be spent on Drum Island?

Keep reading to find out!

Until next time, later!