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Chapter 97: Kidnapped?
"Transform?" Luffy blinked, his brain seemingly working for a rare moment before he suddenly exclaimed in surprise, "You mean he's that reindeer that was pulling the sleigh?!"
"That's right." Seeing that the slow-witted captain finally understood, Ganyu took the opportunity to formally introduce Chopper to everyone.
"His name is Tony Tony Chopper. He is a reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit, and he is also an excellent doctor who has inherited all of Dr. Kureha's medical skills."
She knew exactly how fatal the attraction of a talking, shapeshifting reindeer doctor with a kind and simple personality would be to Luffy.
Sure enough.
Luffy's eyes instantly erupted with a light even brighter than when he looked at meat. He stared intently at Chopper.
This time, the look wasn't just hunger for food; it was primarily the fascination of discovering something rare and incredible.
He stared for a long time, until Chopper began to look scared. Only then did Luffy wipe the drool from the corner of his mouth and grin.
"Hello, Chopper! My name is Monkey D. Luffy! Join my crew!"
The other Straw Hats watched this scene with synchronized sweat drops sliding down their foreheads.
Who invites someone to join their crew while wiping drool off their face?!
Chopper looked dazed. He was almost instantly moved by Luffy's invitation.
Years ago, a quack doctor named Hiriluk had saved Chopper's life and kept him by his side to teach him medicine.
He had once told Chopper that if he ever had the chance, he should set sail and become a carefree, free-spirited pirate.
Those words were branded deep in Chopper's heart.
But he had never dared to hope that he would actually go to sea one day, nor did he believe humans would ever accept him.
Until today.
Not only had he met someone of his own kind, but he had also met a human inviting him to sail the seas.
"Ganyu, can he talk?" Luffy asked, turning to Ganyu in confusion when Chopper only stared with big, round eyes, opening his mouth but making no sound.
Ganyu nodded, smiling at Chopper.
She didn't interfere further because she had already done enough.
Earlier, she had told Chopper about their journey from the East Blue to the Grand Line. She had shared the dreams pursued by Luffy, Zoro, Nami, and the others.
She had planted the seed in Chopper's heart. Now, she was waiting for Luffy to make it bloom.
"Wait, excuse me..."
Suddenly, a weak but anxious voice broke the silence.
Vivi propped herself up with her arms, struggling to sit up in bed. Her pale face was full of shock and uncertainty. "So... we are... not on the Going Merry right now?"
Having just woken up, her mind had been groggy, assuming she was in the familiar cabin.
Now fully awake, looking around at the strange stone walls, the burning fireplace, and feeling the cold air...
This is definitely not the Merry!
This meant they had landed on an unknown island to treat her illness.
Which meant... they had gone off course!
"Luffy! Why didn't we go straight to Alabasta...?!" Realizing this, Vivi's voice trembled with urgency and weakness, her face turning even paler.
If she didn't bring the news back soon, the turmoil in Alabasta would continue.
Hearing this question, the Straw Hats fell silent.
They exchanged glances. Finally, Sanji stepped forward to explain.
"It was a unanimous decision, Princess Vivi. You were critically ill with a high fever and wouldn't wake up. If we hadn't found a doctor immediately, you wouldn't have made it to Alabasta."
"That's right, Vivi. Don't worry," Ganyu also stepped forward, gently holding Vivi's cold hand to comfort her. "Once you recover, we'll set off at full speed immediately."
Then.
Her tone shifted. She reached out, grabbed Chopper who was hiding behind her, and pulled him forward, smiling.
"Or rather... we could 'abduct' this ready-made doctor onto the ship."
"That way, you can recover peacefully on board, and we can set sail immediately."
Vivi was stunned, then looked pleasantly surprised. "Can we really do that?"
"Of course," Zoro said, crossing his arms with a matter-of-fact expression. "We're pirates. 'Borrowing' a doctor for the ship isn't a big deal."
"Alright then. Let's take Princess Vivi and this reindeer doctor back to the ship right now, before that 'Witch' doctor notices." Sanji tapped the table.
He paused, remembering Nami and Usopp still in the village.
"I'll go notify Nami-san and Usopp first. Tell them to hurry back to the ship."
In just a few sentences, a plan to "kidnap a doctor and flee with the patient" was quickly finalized.
The efficiency was staggering.
The premise for all this was actually because—before landing on the island, Nami had shown them a newspaper.
While Vivi was unconscious, nearly half of the Alabasta Royal Army had defected to join the Rebel Army.
In other words, the turmoil in Alabasta was escalating rapidly.
If they didn't return soon, the outcome would likely be as terrible as Vivi feared.
However, Chopper, who didn't know the context, felt something was very wrong. The panic in his big eyes grew intense.
Are they kidnapping me?
Are they not going to ask for my opinion at all?
"Hel—"
Realizing he was about to be abducted, Chopper tried to scream for help.
However, he only managed one syllable before a hand covered his mouth.
Chopper's eyes widened. It was... Ganyu! The person in this room he trusted the most was the one silencing him!
Luffy looked a bit unhappy seeing this. "Ganyu, it looks like he wants to say something?"
He didn't want to force Chopper onto the ship. Although he would keep inviting Chopper even if he refused, kidnapping him wasn't what he wanted.
"Luffy," Ganyu smiled at him slightly. She raised her free hand and pointed toward the window, whispering a reminder. "Someone is coming. haven't you felt it yet?"
Luffy's expression sharpened. He immediately closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused, trying to mobilize the Observation Haki he had initially grasped on Sky Island but hadn't yet mastered.
Sure enough, he sensed movement outside the castle.
"There are people. No, at least three people are moving quickly toward the castle."
A faint red glint flashed in his eyes. He turned his head abruptly, his gaze piercing through the falling snow to land on a cable car line connecting the mountains.
There, a cable car was swaying in the wind and snow, heading straight for their castle.
Sitting in the cable car were three people: Wapol and his two top executives.
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