Endless snowflakes danced wildly in the air, and the biting cold wind felt like knives, stinging one's cheeks.
This was Drum Island, a winter island where heavy snow fell all year round.
After running for who knows how long, Nami and the others finally shook off the garrison troops, arriving in a forest far removed from the towns.
(It feels like I've been in a constant state of running away ever since I got involved with these two!) The orange-haired navigator leaned against the trunk of a large tree, gasping for air. Her originally pretty face had lost all color due to the prolonged, intense sprinting.
(First, we were chased by a huge pack of terrifying carnivorous rabbits, then we were nearly shot by a patient's family, and then we were chased all over the world by the Drum Kingdom's garrison...)
"Why is being a doctor even more exhausting than being a thief?! You're always being chased around by people!"
Nami shouted her complaint at Dr. Hiriluk, who stood beside her. Even when she was a thief in the East Blue, she had never been this wretched.
"Ahahaha, it can't be helped." The quack doctor scratched his head in embarrassment and laughed sheepishly. "In this entire country, only that witch and I aren't controlled by Wapol, so I've always been a wanted man."
"But for the sake of my research, I must travel around treating patients to raise funds." When mentioning his research, Dr. Hiriluk's weather-beaten face was filled with determination.
"Besides, there are so many sick people in this country who need my help!"
Hearing this, the little blue-nosed reindeer's eyes immediately sparkled with light; he clearly worshipped his doctor's noble medical ethics.
"Are you sure you were actually saving that patient just now?"
Whether it was because the weather was too cold or for some other reason, Nami shivered subconsciously. She had just witnessed this doctor's "exquisite" medical skills firsthand, and she secretly rejoiced that Chopper hadn't learned medicine from him back then.
"By the way, if you need funds, take this." Nami pulled a wallet out of her cotton coat pocket and tossed it to Hiriluk. The latter caught it with a confused look and asked:
"Whose wallet is this?"
"I swiped it from that dark-hearted old lady's house earlier." The little cat burglar stuck out her tongue playfully. "Although I feel a little bad about it, it's a professional habit, hehe, I couldn't help myself... Anyway, this wallet is yours now. Do whatever you want with it."
"This is that witch's wallet?!!!!!"
Crack! A bolt from the blue! Dr. Hiriluk was dumbfounded.
(This little girl has even more guts than I did back in the day! She actually dared to steal money from that witch!)
He stared blankly at the orange-haired navigator, who was smiling brilliantly, then looked down at the bulging wallet in his hand. His mind was already simulating the image of that eccentric witch flying into a thunderous rage.
"Doctor, what's wrong?"
Chopper looked at Hiriluk, who had turned gray with shock, with a puzzled expression. Then, the little reindeer subconsciously looked in another direction. His black, beady deer eyes instantly went round as he exclaimed:
"Hey, look over there. That mist is so strange."
(Mist?)
The two humans followed his gaze and saw that the forest not far away was suddenly filled with a thick fog. Even more magical was that the mist actually had seven different colors, making this originally white world look vibrant and colorful.
"Is that the Rainbow Mist?!" Nami covered her small mouth in surprise. Being ice-smart, she immediately realized what this meant and was instantly overjoyed.
"Rainbow Mist?" Dr. Hiriluk rubbed his stubbly chin. "Little girl, is this the thing you were talking about with that witch earlier?"
"Yeah, that's right." Nami nodded, walking quickly toward the rainbow-colored mist, her heart pounding with excitement.
"This magical mist will definitely let me return to my partners!" As she spoke, her pace quickened.
"Um, little girl, wait a moment."
Dr. Hiriluk suddenly called out to stop Nami. She paused, turned her head, and asked in confusion, "Is there something else?"
"Although I only understood the gist of your conversation with the witch earlier, I have one more question to ask you before you leave." Breathing out a puff of white mist, Hiriluk calmed himself, then showed Nami a very kindly smile.
"Is the cherry blossom beautiful?"
"Cherry blossom?" Faced with this abrupt question, the orange-haired navigator was stunned for a moment. Then she immediately understood the meaning behind the quack doctor's words, and an unforgettable, breathtakingly beautiful image surfaced in her mind.
"Beautiful. It is very beautiful. They are the most beautiful cherry blossoms I have ever seen!"
"Is that so? That's wonderful!" Hearing this, Dr. Hiriluk grinned, his smile as innocent as a child's.
Nami beamed, and thinking of that warm pink color, an inexplicable warmth surged in her heart. Then, Nami took one last look at a certain blue-nosed reindeer, turned her head, and continued forward, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye.
Chopper, however, couldn't understand the riddles these two humans were speaking in. He twitched his nose and said in surprise, "Strange, that woman's scent suddenly disappeared!"
If not for the trail of footprints on the snow, Chopper would have thought Nami's appearance was just an illusion.
"Oh? Is that so?" Dr. Hiriluk continued to grin foolishly and casually stuffed the wallet Nami had swiped into his coat.
"Doctor, why did you suddenly become so happy?" Chopper blinked his big, cute eyes and asked in confusion, "Also, what are the cherry blossoms you mentioned earlier?"
"Hehe, cherry blossoms? That is my life's research..." Restraining his smile, the quack doctor turned to look at the main peak of Drum Island.
Amidst the heavy snow, the peak that symbolized the royal power of Drum Island stood bare and lifeless in the distance.
"...That is the 'Miracle Cherry Blossom' that can cure all diseases in the world!"
After taking Dr. Chopper's special medicine, the mountain bandit Dadan and her gang, along with the reckless Luffy, all woke up. Immediately afterward, a lively banquet began, and Chopper transformed from today's dinner into an honored guest of the mountain bandits. This massive contrast, like rising from hell to heaven, amazed the blue-nosed reindeer.
After some conversation, the little reindeer understood his current situation. Meanwhile, the ASL trio, upon learning that Chopper was actually from the future, dragged him into a corner and bombarded him with questions.
"So, Doctor Reindeer, you're Luffy's crewmate from many years in the future?" Little Ace looked at Chopper, then glanced at his idiot brother sitting nearby looking very excited, his expression becoming extremely odd.
"This idiot actually becomes a captain when he grows up!" Little Sabo suddenly felt the world was a bit crazy.
"Yeah, I'm his ship's doctor." Chopper nodded. He then introduced his other crewmates to the ASL brothers. He looked at Sabo and Ace and smiled, "And I really didn't expect that Luffy actually had two older brothers!"
"Huh? Did Luffy never mention us to you?" The black-haired boy with freckles on his face grinned indignantly, then knocked his knuckle heavily onto his dim-witted brother's head.
"Damn it, I didn't expect an idiot like you to actually find such reliable companions!"
"Ahahaha, naturally!" Little Luffy pressed down on his treasured straw hat and grinned. "I'm the man who will become the Pirate King!"
After making his grand declaration, Luffy suddenly remembered something and asked Chopper excitedly, "By the way, Chopper, is the cook named Sanji you just mentioned really that good at cooking??"
Pfft! This focus really suited Luffy's style as a supreme glutton!
Ace rolled his eyes, then looked at the blue-nosed reindeer, who had black lines dropping down his face, with a gaze full of sympathy. "It must be hard on you guys to have Luffy as captain, Doctor Reindeer."
Sabo nodded in agreement. "Same feeling here. I think this idiot who only knows how to eat will definitely not be worry-free, even after he grows up!"
Regarding their idiot brother, these two older brothers definitely had the right to speak.
"Uh, it's okay." Chopper nodded awkwardly, his smile extremely forced. "Although he's usually unreliable, Luffy is still very trustworthy at critical moments..."
However, just then, a mountain bandit ran in from outside in a panic, pale with fright. "Boss Dadan, it's bad! A strange cluster of mist has risen in the forest nearby. It's colorful and looks poisonous!"
After all, in nature, most brightly colored things contained deadly poison, and the appearance of such toxic mist in the harsh environment of Mt. Colubo wouldn't be out of place.
"Poison?!" The mountain bandits were in an uproar. Having just suffered from food poisoning, they turned pale at the mere mention of the word "poison."
"Oh? Strange mist? That sounds interesting." Little Ace rubbed his chin, his eyes lighting up.
"I smell the scent of adventure!" Little Luffy giggled.
Little Sabo spoke up to remind them, "But the bandit just said that mist might be poisonous."
"It doesn't matter. If it's poisonous, won't we be fine if we bring a doctor who can detoxify it?" Ace picked his nose and said casually.
(Eh? A doctor who can detoxify???)
The ASL trio froze in unison, then the three little rascals looked toward a certain blue-nosed reindeer.
(Strange mist? Why does this sound so familiar?) The somewhat airheaded Chopper didn't catch on immediately, the expression on his furry little face very serious.
On the other side, inside the Rainbow Mist, three guys who had been offline for ten chapters were still helpless regarding their slumbering companions.
"I've got it! I know how to wake up Nami-san and Robin-chan!" The curly-browed cook suddenly roared, scrambling to his feet. A brilliant light shone from his right eye, which wasn't covered by his blonde hair.
"Fairy tales tell us that sleeping princesses are awakened by a prince's affectionate kiss!" Sanji turned to look at Nami and Robin with a solemn expression, as if saying, 'If I don't enter hell, who will?'
"This time, allow me to save you!!!" After speaking, he strode toward the two sleeping beauties, his next intentions self-evident.
Usopp hurriedly stopped a certain curly-browed cook who had fallen completely into a lovestruck state, shouting to dissuade him, "Don't, Sanji! If you do that, it's fine if they don't wake up, but if they wake up and find out what you did, you'll never wake up again!"
"Also, there's Luffy, Sherlock, and Chopper who are also asleep. Did you plan on kissing the three of them awake too???"
"..." Upon hearing this, Sanji froze first, then shivered, his face showing an expression of sheer horror.
"What a love-struck curly brow."
Zoro sighed. He leaned against the side of the ship, looking at the dense fog surrounding them. His eyebrows raised slightly, almost imperceptibly. "Strange? Is it my illusion, or does this strange mist seem to be fading..."
However, right at this moment.
"Ah............... That was such a good sleep!"
The dim-witted captain, who had been sleeping like a dead pig, suddenly woke up, sat up, and stretched. Then, grinning at the dumbfounded curly-browed cook, he said, "Sanji, I'm hungry! I want breakfast!"
The dream had finally ended!
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