"Prosperity—!!!"
With a deafening crash, the ground along the entire street split open. The wooden door of the hat shop was blown off its hinges, the wall cracked and slowly slid down to lie flat on the ground.
The door seemed to think: Damn it! Still not enough?
The shopkeeper screamed in terror and collapsed to the floor, pale as a ghost.
"The monsters have gone mad! Help!"
Laboon leapt into the shop, his eyes locked onto the shopkeeper with unyielding authority. His voice carried the weight of absolute command.
"Either sell the hat, or face death."
Laboon was genuinely angry now.
"If you call me a monster again, I will kill you."
The shopkeeper trembled, pointing frantically at the shelves.
"M-my two customers, take anything! Free! Please don't kill me!"
Laboon nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Chopper, waving a fin.
"Woo! (Come on! Pick whichever one you like!)"
Chopper stepped carefully into the shop. His eyes scanned the walls lined with hats before settling on a pink polka-dot cap, stitched with an X pattern.
He pointed timidly.
"Th-that one…"
Laboon snatched the hat and placed it on Chopper's head.
"Wow! (It suits you perfectly!)"
Chopper touched the hat, and tears finally spilled from his eyes.
"Th-thank you, Laboon brother… Laboon brother, let's go."
Although the villagers called him a monster, Chopper was inherently kind.
(A kind heart naturally grows into a doctor, Chopper.)
Laboon grinned and adjusted Chopper's tiny blue cap.
"Wow! (We're brothers!)"
Finally, he reached into his bag and tossed a handful of berries onto the counter, enough to pay for the hat.
Laboon didn't want Chopper to think the hat was stolen.
Laboon was a very special whale.
As they walked out of the shop, Chopper glanced nervously at the trembling villagers behind them. He tugged Laboon's fin and whispered,
"Laboon brother… is this… really okay? Those villagers are terrified…"
Laboon stopped, and Ritter's words flashed in his mind: "Listen, little Laboon."
Little Laboon mimicked the same grand gesture he had just seen, suddenly adopting an old-fashioned, serious tone. He cleared his throat and patted Chopper's shoulder with his fin.
"Woo! (Listen, little Chopper!)"
He first pointed at the blood-mist pirate flag on his bag, then at Chopper's new hat.
"Woo! Woo! (We are great pirates! The freest people on the sea!)"
As he spoke, he pulled a bottle of juice from his satchel—originally meant as a snack. Little Laboon lifted it, almost smashing it on the ground, but couldn't bring himself to do it. Just as he was about to set it down, he picked it up again, grit his teeth, and made a firm decision.
"Laboon, Laboon, you cannot embarrass yourself in front of your little brother."
Laboon closed his eyes and slammed the bottle down hard on the floor—imitating Ritter's stylish bottle-smashing move.
"Wow! (We have fine drinks to share with friends!)"
Then he raised his fin and made a dramatic chopping motion.
"Wow! (And a hunting rifle for wild boars!)"
Chopper gaped in awe. His eyes were huge. Having just eaten a Devil Fruit, he couldn't speak human language well yet, and he had never seen anything like this.
Seeing Chopper's reaction, Laboon grew even more excited. He clasped his fins behind his back and paced like a little old man.
"Woo~ (How dare they call us monsters?)"
"Woo! (If they mean us harm, they should be ready to face us!)"
Finally, he pushed up imaginary glasses and struck the ultimate mentor pose.
"Woo… (You are still young. When you grow up, you will understand…)"
Chopper's eyes sparkled.
"Wow, Laboon brother! I want to become someone like you one day."
Remember, little Laboon was the youngest resident among the two crews. Now, with a little brother calling him Laboon brother, he felt a rush of pride.
Laboon suddenly turned, fin pointed to the sky.
"Woo! (A true man must protect those who are important!)"
(Inner thought: This is what Roger Bro taught me… Right? Should be…)
Then he crouched and slammed his fin into the ground.
"Wow! (But you must never bully the weak!)"
(Inner thought: Ritter said those random killers are just small-time pirates…)
Chopper listened, wide-eyed. Though young and unable to fully understand, these were Laboon brother's words!
He pounded his little hooves.
"Wow! Laboon brother knows so much!"
After running some distance, Chopper suddenly stopped.
"Laboon brother… I… I have a question…"
Laboon: "Woo? (Hm?)"
Chopper lowered his head, nervously poking his hooves together.
"If… if I become stronger in the future, will I… be able to protect Laboon brother too?"
Laboon froze.
He looked at the tiny reindeer in front of him, yet with a serious expression, and felt a lump in his throat.
"Woo…"
He rubbed his head vigorously, surprised at how nice it felt, and then said,
"Wow! (Of course you can!)"
Chopper, dizzy from the head rub, laughed joyfully.
"Okay! It's a promise!"
Returning to the castle, they found everyone gathered in the living room, their expressions serious.
Ritter, arms crossed, leaned against the wall.
"Well, look who the 'great pirates' brought back?"
Laboon: "…Woo. (Uh-oh)"
Kureha, smoke dangling from her mouth, said,
"I heard you two overturned half the town's floors?"
Doctor Hiruluk, tears streaming, exclaimed,
"So touching!"
Laboon: "Woo?! (How do I deal with this public humiliation? Situation critical!)"
Chopper rushed forward.
"I-it's my fault! Laboon brother only did it to protect me…"
Ritter laughed, and the blood mist formed two cups of hot milk, handing them to the two.
"Well done. I thought you two might get bullied out there. Laboon has grown up—a capable pirate."
Laboon remembered the hat Ritter had given him before.
"This was our promise. This hat is yours."
Seeing Ritter before him, the two figures seemed to overlap.
"Woo… woo woo woo" (I can't cry. I'm a big brother now. I can't cry in front of my little brother.)
Perona floated over, handing Chopper a small ghost toy.
"For you~ to celebrate officially becoming a member of the crew!"
Chopper hugged the toy, eyes glistening.
"Everyone…"
Laboon wiped his eye with his fin before it turned into a stream of tears.
"Wow! (They recognized us!)"
Late at night, Chopper and Laboon snuck onto the rooftop to watch the stars.
Chopper touched his new hat.
"Laboon brother, in the future… can I really become a great doctor like Kureha?"
Laboon patted his chest.
"Wow! (Of course! You're my little brother, and your boss Laboon recognizes you!)"
Chopper smiled, pointing to the stars.
"When I grow up, I'll go out to sea, find Laboon brother, and show you how much I've grown. By then, I will be a mature, dependable reindeer."
Laboon blinked, remembering the promises made to Brook, the Rumbar Pirates, and even his own promises to Ritter.
He nodded solemnly, extending his fin.
"Woo! (It's a promise!)"
Chopper lifted his little hooves.
"Mm! It's a promise!"
Under the starlight, the whale and the reindeer leaned close, their hats swaying gently in the night breeze.