Knock! Knock! Knock!
Someone rapped on Chopper's door. Liner and Luffy stood outside, waiting for a response.
Inside the room, aside from a bed tucked in the corner and a wooden bookshelf filled with books, the walls were lined with tables cluttered with all sorts of medical supplies.
Hearing the knock, Chopper, who was standing on a chair, hesitated for a moment before hopping down to open the door.
Creak~
Chopper's round eyes widened. "Do you guys need something else?"
"Hehehe."
Grabbing hold of Chopper's antlers, Luffy hoisted him up with a grin. "Chopper, come with us! Don't you want to be a pirate and go on adventures?"
"I can't… even though I really want to…"
Chopper didn't resist but spoke with a downcast expression. "I'm really grateful you'd invite me, but… but…"
His voice faltered, fragments of memories flashing through his mind—endless rejection, countless cold stares.
But then Luffy said:
"There's no need for so many 'buts.' Pirates are free!"
"You don't understand, human!"
Chopper shoved Luffy's hand away and shouted, his expression twisting.
"You've never gone through what I have! How can you say it like it's so easy?!
"I… I never did anything wrong! So why did my own kind abandon me?!
"Why did humans hurt me?!
"I'm a monster! Look—I have a blue nose, I can walk and talk like a human, and yet I still have hooves!"
He spread out his hands, tears spilling from his round eyes, sliding down his furry cheeks. He tugged the brim of his hat lower and lowered his head, sobbing:
"I don't look like a reindeer, not at all like a human either…
"I don't even look like a pirate…
"A monster like me… how could I ever be a crewmate to humans…"
The room fell silent. Even Luffy put away his usual grin and stepped forward, speaking seriously:
"Sorry, Chopper…
"You're right—I've never been through what you have. It's hard for me to understand it completely.
"But look! I'm a monster too, Chopper."
"Monsters can be pirates too. Who cares what anyone else says? Pirates are free. Isn't that right, Liner?"
As he said this, Luffy stretched his cheeks into a ridiculous, long face, grinning.
Liner joined in, transforming into his human-beast form, and chuckled:
"Yeah, our crew loves monsters the most."
The result, however, wasn't what they expected. The tearful Chopper froze for a second, then shrieked in horror.
"MONSTERS!!!"
His eyes bulged, his jaw nearly dropped to the floor, and with a piercing scream, he bolted toward the door, his stubby legs spinning like wheels.
"Help me, Doctorine!!"
Liner: "..."
How rude.
"Hehehe."
Both Luffy and Liner grabbed onto Chopper's antlers again, hoisting him up as he squirmed to escape.
"That's why—you should join us, Chopper," they said in unison.
Chopper struggled for a long moment before stopping, looking at the two of them closely. In their serious eyes, he saw the same determination that once shone in Doctor Hiriluk's.
As if confirming, or perhaps desperately seeking recognition, Chopper asked in a low voice:
"You… you really… want to accept me?"
"Of course. And from now on, don't ask something like that again, Chopper."
Liner released his transformation and set Chopper on his shoulders, the little reindeer's hooves resting on his golden hair.
"Come on, let's tell Doctor Kureha."
Outside the castle, the three of them sat cross-legged in the snow. A cigarette hanging from his lips, Liner stared blankly at the sky.
Chopper had gone to say a proper farewell to Dr. Kureha and pack his things. Meanwhile, Liner and Luffy had retrieved Zoro and waited outside.
Next up was Alabasta. Liner thought to himself: he still had about a dozen Seastone bullets, two pairs of Seastone handcuffs, and the Blue Oni and Red Oni who could use Armament Haki.
Should be safe enough… right?
"So, while I was unconscious, this tanuki became our crewmate?" Zoro turned his head, pointing at the small figure stepping out of the castle.
"I'm a reindeer, damn it!" Chopper bared his teeth furiously.
"Eh, whatever. You're the doctor, right?"
Picking up his three swords, Zoro bent down to size up Chopper. "Yeah… having a ship's doctor will definitely make things more reliable."
At that, Chopper's face instantly turned bashful. Wiggling his little body, he said in a coy tone:
"Oh, stop Even if you call me a doctor, I'm not going to be happy about it"
"…He changes moods fast. What a weird guy."
To Zoro, the weird part wasn't a talking reindeer—it was how quickly he changed expressions. Liner chuckled inwardly.
"Alright, we should get going."
"Follow me, I'll take you down."
Chopper led them to a cable car station, but instead of entering, he transformed into his reindeer form and dragged out a sleigh.
"Wahaha! Transformation!"
Luffy's eyes sparkled with excitement as he saw Chopper prepare to ride the cable rope down. "You can pull a sleigh too? Chopper, you're amazing!"
"Glad we're not just jumping down."
Stepping onto the sleigh, Zoro smirked faintly. "I was half-expecting we'd just bet our lives on whether we'd survive the fall."
Liner sucked in a sharp breath. Wait—you weren't even thinking about how to get down?! You'd just jump?
Meanwhile, Chopper glanced at Zoro, his heart skipping a beat. That green-haired guy talks so cool… Is this what pirates are like?
Unexpectedly, Zoro had gained himself a little fan.
By now, the sky was darkening—it was dusk. The snow had ceased, and the orange-red glow of the sunset bathed the island in brilliance.
"Hey, look! What's that?"
"Something's flying in the sky!"
Down in Bighorn Village, the villagers shaded their eyes against the glare of the setting sun, squinting until they could see clearly.
Against the burning-red backdrop of the sunset, several dark silhouettes were soaring down from the mountain.
"Wahoo~ Takeoff~!"
The villagers exchanged bewildered looks.
"…I must be seeing things."
"Did you hear someone shouting up there?"
At the Drum Island coast, the Going Merry floated on the icy waters. Under the afternoon sun, the scattered ice had mostly melted.
From the second-floor cabin, smoke rose, carrying with it the mouthwatering aroma of food—Sanji was already cooking.
"We're back, everyone!"
"Come see our new crewmate!"
At the voices, the others rushed outside. Alongside the three familiar figures stood a small, adorable creature.
Wearing a red hat with a white X on it, covered in brown fur, standing upright with a tiny blue backpack on its back—
"Our new crewmate is… a tanuki?"
"Luffy, having a pet on board is such a hassle."
"I don't even know how to cook cat food."
"I'm not a tanuki, damn it!!" Chopper flailed his hooves angrily, pointing at his antlers. "I'm a reindeer! Look, I have antlers!"
"The tanuki talked?!"
"I said I'm NOT a tanuki!!!"
"He ate a Devil Fruit—he's a reindeer," Liner explained as he boarded the ship with a grin. "Don't underestimate him. Chopper's medical skills are top-notch. From now on, he's our ship's doctor."
"Eh?! That's amazing!"
"And he's so cute."
Blushing, Chopper twisted his body again, muttering shyly:
"Stop it Even if you praise me, I'm not gonna be happy about it"
Classic. Too classic. Liner couldn't help but sigh.
Back aboard the ship, Liner headed down to the storage room to sort and categorize supplies. He summoned the undead to help arrange everything neatly, then raised the anchor to prepare for departure.
The sun was halfway below the horizon now, and snow began to fall once again, blanketing the island in white.
And then, a loud sound erupted from Drum Island.
BOOM!!!
The deafening explosion drew everyone's attention. They turned toward the central cylindrical mountain just in time to see a cloud of smoke burst open, scattering wide.
In an instant, the drifting snowflakes in the air turned pink.
With the towering mountain as a trunk, cherry blossoms bloomed in full glory—an ocean of pink and white illuminated by the fading glow of the sunset.
Chopper stood at the railing, gazing up blankly at the miracle blooming over the winter island. His lips quivered as tears streamed down.
"Doctor Hiriluk…
"I will become a doctor who can cure any disease…
I will become your panacea!