"You're late."
Robin chuckled. "No need to be so scared—we mean no harm. Didn't we just save you a moment ago?"
"I didn't need your help! Humans!"
The little reindeer clung tightly to the tree trunk, gritting his teeth.
"I… I'm a monster! Aren't you afraid of me?"
"You don't look like a monster at all. More like a regular raccoon?" Robin asked curiously.
"I'm a reindeer!!"
"Ah, my bad," Robin said with a smiling face. "But either way, you're really cute. How could anyone be scared of you?"
"C-Cute?!"
The little reindeer immediately got flustered, baring his fangs in protest.
"I'm not cute! I'm a fearsome monster!"
But then his cheeks flushed red, and he started trembling like a noodle.
"Geez, even if you praise me like that, I won't be happy about it or anything!"
"Ack, no, I'm a monster! The man-eating kind!"
He suddenly realized and made a scary face, but in his nervousness, he accidentally bit his tongue.
"Ugh—!" he groaned in pain, holding his mouth with teary eyes.
Robin facepalmed.
"Mhm, got it. A man-eating monster," she said.
Shano nodded perfunctorily. Noticing Chopper's sunken belly, he squatted down, fished a red bean bun from his pocket, broke it in half, and dangled it before him.
"Here. Hungry, aren't you? Want a bite?"
The rich, sweet aroma filled the air.
Chopper's gaze instantly locked onto the bun. His eyes went wide, and his mouth subconsciously followed the motion of the dangling treat.
It's sweet!
My absolute favorite!
He'd been out gathering herbs for so long—of course, he was starving. But still…
"N-Not eating it!"
He abruptly turned his head away, though his hooves involuntarily stretched forward a bit.
"Don't try to tempt me! I'm a ferocious monster! Monsters don't eat human food!"
"That so? Then forget it."
Shano shrugged and pretended to withdraw it.
"I was going to ask if you knew where Dr. Kureha was, but I guess we'll just have to look on our own..."
"Wait!"
Chopper panicked and rushed over in a blur, but stopped short, staring warily at him.
"W-Why are you looking for Dr. Kureha?"
"To get treatment."
Shano shrugged again. He stopped suppressing the virus in his body, and instantly his skin turned a sickly shade of blue-purple.
"See? I'm poisoned. I heard all the doctors on this island got driven out, and only that old lady is left. So…"
"Don't call Dr. Kureha an old lady!"
Chopper's fur stood on end in protest, but then he hesitated, sneaking a glance at Shano's face.
"…Is it really bad?"
"Not too bad. I won't die," Shano said with a grin. "But if it doesn't get treated, I might be stuck like this forever."
Chopper stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly snatched the red bean bun and stuffed it into his mouth.
"…Follow me!" he mumbled through a mouthful of food.
He turned and dashed off, but after a few steps, looked back and barked:
"B-But if you hurt the doctor, I really will bite you!"
"Relax."
Shano followed with a smile, handing him another red bean bun.
"If we meant harm to Dr. Kureha, why would we have saved you from those soldiers earlier?"
That… made sense.
Chopper felt a bit more at ease. As he led the way, he munched on the bun, leaving behind a trail of little hoofprints in the snow like a string of plum blossoms.
Robin sighed.
"Captain, you're really good at handling kids."
"No choice, I've been doing it since I was little."
Shano shrugged and walked alongside Robin.
"But mainly, it's because this little guy is just too kind-hearted. Even if he doesn't trust strangers, he still wants to help just because they're sick."
The wind and snow howled around them, but Shano didn't lower his voice.
Chopper, ears perked secretly behind them, caught every word.
What strange humans…
Not only are they unafraid of me, but they praise me so sincerely…
Heehee, do I really have such bright sides?
He couldn't help but smile, his cheeks flushing red again—only to quickly switch back to his tough-guy face.
…Not that it makes me happy or anything!
——
Soon, the two humans and one reindeer had crossed the entire town.
The snowstorm was heavy and the pace was quick. Along the way, Shano stopped only once at a clothing shop to buy a winter coat for Robin.
As captain, he had intended to pay as a welcome gift for the new crew member.
Unfortunately, all the Beli he'd carried had been completely incinerated by Akainu—down to the last coin.
So in the end, Robin had to pay for it herself.
Once out of town and into the forest across the river, after several twists and turns, they finally saw a treehouse in the distance, its front lights glowing warmly.
"We're almost there. That's Dr. Kureha's house," Chopper said. "Just remember—although she's old, she has a youthful heart. She hates being called old, so…"
He stopped talking mid-sentence. His hooves came to a sudden halt.
Shano looked up and realized that their presence had startled a group of nearby reindeer. Upon seeing Chopper, they all gave low, unfriendly growls.
They looked like they were about to charge.
But upon noticing the two tall humans standing nearby, the herd hesitated, circled around, and eventually turned away.
Watching them retreat, Chopper's expression dimmed.
"…"
He lowered his head, his blue nose twitching. His voice came out barely audible:
"…They don't like me."
"Why? Just because of your blue nose?" Robin quickly asked, seizing the rare moment of openness.
"Mm…"
Chopper's voice dropped even lower.
"Ever since I was little, I stopped looking like a normal reindeer… and not like a human either. Everyone said I was a monster. When I learned to read, I finally found out I had accidentally eaten a so-called Devil Fruit. That's why I became this… hated thing."
A Devil Fruit, huh?
Robin finally understood. This whole time, she'd been wondering if he was a Mink Tribe member… or why he was living here alone…
"To be specific, it's the Human-Human Fruit, a Zoan-type."
Shano suddenly spoke.
"You've probably suffered a lot because of it, right?"
Chopper nodded without thinking.
"I can pretty much guess what happened."
Shano squatted down and patted Chopper's head gently.
"Your herd rejected you for not being like them, and after you took human form, people feared and chased you away… That kind of loneliness from both sides must've hurt a lot."
His hand was warm and steady, and Chopper found himself slowly relaxing.
"But you know, little guy,"
Shano met Chopper's big, watery eyes.
"This pain isn't the fruit's fault—and certainly not yours. The fault lies with narrow minds and ignorant prejudice on this closed-off winter island."
"Listen. Out on the open sea, Devil Fruits are treasures people would kill for. That you got one means you're a chosen one—blessed by fate. So many people would envy you…"
He suddenly burst out laughing.
"Though, honestly, I have no idea what eating the Human-Human Fruit would do for a normal person. But still—"
He flicked Chopper's forehead.
"Look at you now. If you were just a regular reindeer, would I be saying all this to you? You wouldn't even understand. But you—you can feel emotion, understand people, even learn how to heal and chase your dreams… Aren't these all gifts brought to you by the fruit?"
Chopper looked up blankly, locking eyes with the smiling Shano.
—In those eyes, there was no pity, no hollow comfort, no fear.
Only genuine admiration and honesty.
Just like…
Just like when Doctor Hiriluk was still alive.
"Blessed by fate?"
Chopper softly repeated the phrase. He lowered his head, rubbing his hooves in the snow.
"I… Me? A monster like me… could I really be worthy of that?"
"Still calling yourself a monster? What an idiot!"
Shano tugged at Chopper's cheeks and forced his gaze upward.
"In the end, all you do is shift between human and reindeer. What's the big deal?"
"If that counts as a monster, then my ship is full of monsters," Shano said with a grin. "On my crew, there's one who can turn into smoke, another into fire, one who can summon lightning, and we just added a new one—look."
He turned his head.
Robin gave a gentle smile and raised her hand at the perfect moment, activating her ability.
In an instant, arms sprouted in rows from her back and body with a whoosh, startling the little reindeer into a panicked leap.
"Wahhh!! A monster!!" Chopper yelped, diving behind Shano and trembling as he stared at Robin in fear.
"I'm one too~"
A sinister chuckle came from above. Chopper looked up in confusion—and saw that the friendly big brother who had been smiling kindly just moments ago had turned into a four-meter-tall muscle-bound giant.
"Ah… ahh…"
Chopper's jaw dropped open, his body quivering violently like he was about to faint.
"Don't scare him too much," Robin reminded.
"I know, I know."
Shano's voice returned to normal. With a soft pop, his massive form instantly shrunk back into the appearance of a clean-cut young man.
"See? It's all fake~"
He laughed, spreading his hands. "Just a little trick using Life Return. So? Still think your ability is such a big deal?"
Chopper stared blankly at this guy who could transform at will. His blue nose twitched, and his eyes began to glisten.
Then he turned to Robin—the elegant lady was calmly retracting her extra arms and even gave him a playful wink.
At that moment, all the emotions Chopper had held in burst out. Tears rolled down like broken strings of pearls.
"Ugh… uuhhh…"
The little reindeer clutched his medical bag tightly, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
He wanted to say something, but all that came out were broken sobs.
So… I'm really not a monster?
So this world… besides those two kind doctors, there are actually others who would treat me this kindly?
Shano squatted down and gently rubbed his fluffy head. "Why the tears, little guy?"
That touch made Chopper cry even harder. His tears soaked the fur on his chest, and like a child who had finally found someone to rely on after years of hurt, he threw himself into Shano's arms, rubbing snot and tears all over his clothes.
"WAAAHHHHHH!!!"
He wailed at the top of his lungs, as if trying to cry out all the loneliness, fear, and frustration he'd been carrying for years. So this is what it feels like to be accepted… to be understood…
Robin stood by, smiling warmly.
Meanwhile, Shano patted Chopper's back helplessly. "Oi oi, you're getting snot all over me… Okay, okay, I get it, you're happy…"
Hiruluk and Kureha really dropped the ball here, didn't they? Look how much pain the little guy's been holding in. They should've helped him untangle all this long ago.
…Though, to be fair, maybe they couldn't.
After all, those two were just normal humans. They couldn't do what he and Robin just did—show it to him directly.
"Feel a bit of kinship?" Shano glanced at Robin and muttered, "Too bad I wasn't paying attention to the poison on my face yesterday, otherwise I'd have made you bawl like this too."
"…." Robin covered her forehead.
So now that they were getting more familiar, he was just going to spout nonsense nonstop? Or maybe she really shouldn't have brought up that topic back then. Before that moment ruined the mood, the captain still cared quite a bit about his image…
Kinship?
Chopper vaguely caught that word and looked up. "Big brother… so you were just like me? People bullied you and called you a monster too?"
Huh?
Shano blinked. Did this little guy misunderstand?
…Has anyone ever called me a monster?
He tilted his head, seriously trying to remember.
Vague memories began flashing through his mind.
"No! That monster's catching up!!"
Dragging Arlong's corpse behind him, a terrifying silhouette advanced. The fish-men screamed shrilly, "Don't just stand there—run!!"
BOOM!
A devastating back kick sent Garp crashing into a cliff. The impact echoed through the mountain. The old man stared in shock:
"What kind of monster are you?!"
"Koff…"
Crocodile turned over, battered and bloodied. "Even after all that, I still can't beat you… What the hell kind of monster are you…"
Snap.
The memory sequence ended.
Turns out a lot of people had called him a monster over the years.
Shano suddenly felt a bit sentimental.
"Yeah… I guess I've been through stuff kind of like you."
Robin once again facepalmed.
"Wuuu…" Chopper immediately hugged Shano even tighter.
Big brother is such a warm-hearted good person! Even though he's suffered even more, he doesn't mind at all—he's still comforting me…
If only I could be as amazing as him someday!
"Alright, alright. We've long since gotten past it. You should too, right?" Shano gently patted Chopper's back—but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a shadow flitting past a distant treehouse window.
Kureha?
No—that old hag's been hiding there eavesdropping the whole time, hasn't she? Just watching me coax this kid and not even bothering to come greet us?
He stood up, walked to the treehouse door, and knocked hard.
Knock knock knock!
"Hey, old hag! Quit hiding and open the door already! The beautiful swordswoman brought meat!"
"Who are you calling old hag, you rude little brat?!"
With an angry yell, the door burst open and a foot came flying out—but Shano easily caught it. The two of them immediately started brawling in the background, sending snow flying everywhere.
"Big sis… you're a swordswoman?" Chopper wiped his tears and asked Robin quietly.
"Nope~" Robin smiled. "The captain meant three separate things."
So… beautiful… swordswoman… and meat?
Chopper's eyes lit up in sudden understanding—then froze. "Eh?"
Atop Drum Island's highest mountain, rising five thousand meters above sea level, sat a grand castle—the royal palace of the Drum Kingdom.
Outside, snow swirled furiously. Inside, it was warm as spring.
"F-Five hundred and forty million berries?!"
Wapol, round as a ball, was lounging on his throne, shoveling food into his mouth with gilded utensils. At the soldier's report, he choked and spat out a shower of metal crumbs.
"You sure you weren't mistaken?! That big-shot pirate named Shano really came to our country?!"
"One hundred percent, Your Majesty!"
The one-armed squad captain sobbed on his knees. "Just look at my hand! That guy's 'swordsman' title isn't just for show—his slash was so fast, we couldn't even see it… and swoosh, off went my wrist…"
"Shut up!"
Wapol flipped his banquet table in a rage, pacing frantically in front of the throne. His metal boots pounded the floor loudly.
"Damn it, damn it! Why would a monster like that come after a tiny country like ours?!"
"Your Majesty!"
His aide Jess hurried forward. "We need to fortify the castle immediately! We can't let our guard down—word is, even a Marine Admiral couldn't—"
"Fortify? Fortify what?!"
Wapol smacked him aside. "Idiot! You think a pirate of that level is anything like those quacks we exiled?!"
"Go!"
He pointed toward the window. "Get everyone ready—head for the port immediately! We'll escape to sea, lay low for a while, and come back when it's safe!"
"Eh?!"
His ministers were all dumbfounded.
"Stop standing around! Weapons, food, doctors—take everything! Don't leave a scrap for those peasants! One hour! Everyone gather at the castle gates!"
The soldiers snapped out of it and rushed off. The great hall was soon in chaos.
Once only his closest ministers remained, Wapol suddenly turned back and gulped down his throne, then kicked open a hidden door behind it.
"That bastard must be after my treasure hoard! Mwahaha… good thing I was prepared!"
He charged into the treasury, his bloated body bouncing through piles of gold and jewels. His modified iron jaw opened wide, devouring everything in sight.
"Your Majesty!" Jess clung to the doorway, horrified. "Are you planning to swallow the entire treasury?!"
"Mwahaha! Of course!"
Wapol roared between mouthfuls. "My Munch-Munch Fruit can digest castles! This little treasure pile is nothing! I'll spit it back out later—won't lose a single coin!"
In minutes, the entire treasury was gone.
"Your Majesty!"
Captain Dalton finally couldn't take it anymore. He blocked the castle entrance, his towering frame transformed into a bison.
"You can't just abandon the people! Even if we can't fight off that pirate, as king, you should at least—"
"Out of my way!"
Wapol slapped him. "Last time you defied me was when that quack died! I should've kept you locked up! And now you dare block me again?!"
Dalton staggered back, blood at his lips—but he still stubbornly spread his arms.
"Please, at least leave some doctors! You already exiled all the others. If you take the last ones too…"
"Not my problem!"
Wapol sneered and kicked him in the stomach.
"Peasants' lives aren't worth jack compared to my health! Jess! Kromali-mon! Teach this disobedient fool a lesson!"
[Left: Military Strategist Jess | Right: Minister Kromali-mon]
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
The two began kicking Dalton mercilessly. Even in bison form, he couldn't fight back.
With a grunt, Dalton collapsed. As his vision blurred, he saw Wapol marching out the gate.
Faintly, he heard the toady voice of the squad captain:
"Your Majesty is wise! Anyone who dares compare peasants to you—such a traitor deserves—"
"You shut up too!"
Wapol suddenly grabbed the captain by the neck.
"Useless trash! You lost to a blue-nosed reindeer and still haven't found that damn old hag Kureha!"
"Y-Your Majesty—!!" The captain flailed.
"Take your broken hand and go die!!"
Wapol hurled him off the cliff.
"Trash like you has no place on my ship!"
"AHHHHH—!!"
His screams vanished into the snowy gorge.
Terrified, the soldiers rushed to load supplies onto the cable car.
Stop… you all…
Please stop…
Dalton struggled with all his might but couldn't move. In his fading sight, the retreating figures grew distant. He clenched his teeth in despair as tears rolled down his face.
To abandon the country… and not leave even one doctor or weapon for the people…
This king… is beyond redemption!
"Mwahahaha!!"
At the port, Wapol stood on the deck, slapping his swollen belly and laughing maniacally.
Inside him was the kingdom's entire treasury—more than enough to enjoy for years at sea.
"Move it! Faster!"
Jess and Kromali-mon urged the soldiers to load the last of the supplies.
Suddenly, a uniformed doctor paused, looking around.
"Did… did anyone else hear something?"
The deck fell silent.
Everyone listened.
Through the howling wind, a strange sound approached—closer and closer.
BOOM—CRACK!
"It's from above! Look up!!"
Even Wapol and his ministers turned.
A massive shadow was falling from the sky at breakneck speed, accompanied by explosive bursts of compressed air.
"What the hell is that?!" Wapol shrieked.
The shadow slowed, landing gently across the shore. As the snow cleared, its form was revealed:
—A towering man.
Dressed in black, wearing a fluffy bear-ear hat, and holding a thick Bible. At least six or seven meters tall. Huge, yet calm and gentle.
"So this is the renowned medical nation?"
He glanced at the crew of uniformed doctors and smiled.
"Running into so many doctors right at the port… how lucky."