"So, what do you say? Chopper, come be our ship's doctor!"
Watching Nika being led away, Luffy didn't dwell on it and continued his invitation to Chopper.
The successive impacts, especially Luffy's unreserved sincerity and acceptance, completely shattered Chopper's defenses.
This feeling of being needed and recognized was exactly the same as what Dr. Hiriluk had given him years ago.
"You... you really need me? Even though I'm a monster?" Chopper asked, choked up, seeking final confirmation.
"Of course. You're the best doctor," Luffy said without hesitation.
If his medical skills were now around Lv.2, Chopper was probably Lv.5 or above.
When chatting with Kureha, she pointed at the pile of medical books in the room and said Chopper had devoured them all.
"Wahhhhh! Even if you say that... I won't be happy about it! You jerk!" Chopper wailed loudly, shouting his classic line while rolling around on the ground with immense joy.
Finally, he stopped and nodded firmly.
Chopper joins!
By the time Nami returned, dragging a Nika that looked utterly defeated, as if it had experienced something horrifying, Chopper had already said his goodbyes to Dr. Kureha.
Though Kureha was reluctant, she was more relieved. She stuffed Chopper's small backpack full of various herbs and medical books.
"Alright, off you go. Don't clutter up the place anymore," Kureha waved her hand, turning around to take another swig of alcohol, hiding the emotion in her eyes.
Chopper, tears in his eyes, took one last look at Kureha. Then he transformed into his sturdy reindeer form, hooked up a spare sled from the castle, and volunteered, "Luffy, Nami, get on! I'll pull you down the mountain! It's much faster this way!"
"You can do that?" Luffy looked at Chopper in reindeer form, using one arm to scoop up both Nami and Nika.
Chopper took a deep breath, his four hooves digging in as he charged down the steep mountain slope.
Faster and faster. A strong sense of weightlessness hit them. At the edge of a particularly steep slope, the sled even briefly launched into the air!
"Wahhhhh!" Nami screamed, feeling like she was about to be thrown off.
Luffy, quick as ever, wrapped a rubber arm around Nami's waist, pulling her tightly against his chest.
Shaken, Nami didn't even have time to be shy. She clung to Luffy like an octopus, burying her face in his chest.
Nika desperately clung to Luffy's straw hat, afraid of falling off.
Woo-hoo, we're flying!
The sky was still dark, just before dawn.
The wind and snow had ceased. A ray of morning light fell on the snow-covered Winter Island, bathing everything in a warm orange-red hue, the faint light sparkling.
Some early-rising villagers noticed the strange sight, looking toward the direction of the sunrise.
The morning light was a bit harsh; they had to shield their eyes. It took a while for their eyes to adjust.
"Hey, look! What's that?"
"Something is flying in the sky!"
Within the gradually reddening clouds, a few dark silhouettes were faintly visible, leaping down from the high Drum Rock, tracing a vibrant arc through the air.
"Am I seeing things?" "I think I heard someone yelling up there."
"Are they... delivering presents somewhere?"
The villagers looked at each other, faces full of bewilderment, seemingly confirming this unbelievable sight with one another.
Down at the harbor, Sanji and Usopp, in charge of resupplying, had already prepared everything needed for the Going Merry.
Vivi and the others waited anxiously on the ship.
When they saw Chopper's sled thrillingly charging down the slope and coming to a steady stop at the shore, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Vivi was the first to rush off the ship. Seeing Nami step off the sled looking energetic, she flew into a hug.
Nami's legs were actually a bit wobbly.
"Nami! I'm so glad you're okay!"
"Sorry for worrying you."
Nami hugged Vivi back, feeling the concern of her nakama, her heart warm.
Her gaze caught Robin, standing gracefully with a faint smile. She awkwardly looked away, her tone stiff but no longer hostile. "Robin, thank you for earlier too."
Before, she would have directly called Robin "Miss Prisoner."
Robin smiled slightly.
"Hey, everyone! Look over here!"
Luffy had already gotten off the sled. He reached out and plucked Chopper, who was hiding behind the sled secretly observing his new nakama, bringing him forward.
"This is our new nakama! Ship's Doctor, Tony Tony Chopper!"
"H-hello," Chopper said, his heart pounding so hard it might jump out.
"A... reindeer nakama? We already have Carue as emergency rations..."
"Luffy, keeping pets on a ship is troublesome enough. Did you have to bring back two?"
"Hey, Chopper is a doctor! And he ate a Devil Fruit!"
Luffy set Chopper down. "Show them what you can do."
Sanji walked up for a closer look. "Seems like an unremarkable tanuki to me."
Angered, Chopper transformed into his Human form, then used a grappling technique to sit on Sanji, pulling hard on his legs to perform stretching exercises.
Sanji let out a scream.
"He's... that fierce?"
Usopp immediately began weaving a tale, claiming he had long foreseen the arrival of a remarkable ship's doctor.
With everyone gathered, Luffy excitedly announced their departure.
Their next stop was Alabasta.
The Going Merry slowly sailed away from Drum Island's harbor. The chill of the Winter Island was gradually dispersed by the sea breeze.
Meanwhile, on the deck.
The two newly joined non-human nakama were undergoing inspection by the crew.
Zoro stood with his arms crossed, eyeing Chopper, who was curiously examining the Merry, and Nika, who seemed more interested in a barrel of alcohol on the other side. He raised an eyebrow at Luffy.
"Hey, Luffy. You went to find a doctor for Nami and ended up picking up two tanukis as nakama?"
"I'm a reindeer, you jerk! You moss-headed idiot!" Chopper instantly bristled, baring his teeth and yelling. He jumped up, biting down on Zoro's finger, hanging there like a little pendant. No matter how Zoro shook his hand, he couldn't get Chopper off.
As for Nika, whose appearance was too similar to a tanuki to deny the accusation, she opened her mouth but found she couldn't refute it convincingly. She could only mutter gloomily,
"Impolite fool."
Luffy was one thing.
But now, in Nika's eyes, the true greater demon was Nami.
Who's the real monster here?
Watching the chaotic scene between Zoro and Chopper, Nami explained with a laugh, "Chopper is a very skilled doctor, you know. We owe a lot to him and Dr. Kureha this time."
"Yes, having a reliable doctor on the ship is wonderful. We won't have to worry so much if anyone gets hurt or sick from now on."
Hearing this, Chopper, who had just been biting Zoro, immediately changed expression. He let go, landing on the deck, wiggling his rear end, his face unable to hide the shyness and pride. "Geez! Even if you praise me like that... I won't be happy about it, you know! Jerks!"
***
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