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Chapter 103: New Crewmate Chopper
"S... Sugoi!!!"
Chopper, Luffy, and Sanji watched in mesmerized awe, simultaneously letting out gasps of admiration.
Even Zoro and Vivi's eyes revealed their amazement.
"In the snow, I can barely call this my home turf. Here, I can do many things that I normally couldn't."
Her current elemental energy reserves were actually insufficient to condense such massive ice constructs out of thin air.
But on this winter island, the ice element was exceptionally abundant, and with snowflakes constantly falling, controlling them to condense and take shape was far easier for her than creating something from nothing.
The others seemed to understand, though not fully, but they all nodded, genuinely feeling that Ganyu's ability was both impressive and practical—most reliable at critical moments.
Only Vivi on Luffy's back, amidst her amazement, seemed to make a connection to something else. Her expression darkened slightly, and a trace of worry clouded her brow.
A Devil Fruit user's strength is significantly enhanced on their home turf...
Then, in her homeland, Alabasta, where more than half the territory is desert, wouldn't that mean...
"Wow, it feels really nice here," Luffy said from the side, his eyes shining as he took in the view beyond the staircase.
They were currently standing hundreds of meters in the air, with only a layer of transparent steps below them, making it look as if they were suspended in the sky.
If Usopp and Nami were here, they probably would have been too scared to walk.
Thinking of those two companions, Sanji urged, "Let's hurry down the mountain. Nami-san and the others are probably getting impatient."
"Hehe, you're right!"
Luffy clapped his hands and stood up straight again, full of energy. "Alright! Let's head back quickly! Let them meet our new partner, Chopper!"
With that, ignoring Chopper's reaction, he took the lead and ran down the wide, gentle ice stairs with a "thump, thump, thump."
Sanji and Zoro immediately followed.
The two ran side by side. Originally, they were both disgusted to be running on the same steps as the other, but neither wanted to fall behind, so... it inexplicably turned into a race.
"Two idiots." Ganyu looked at their rapidly retreating figures, a bit speechless.
At this moment, Chopper asked somewhat anxiously, "Ganyu, will those two... accept me?"
Ganyu stopped, turned around, crouched down, and said in the gentlest tone possible, "Don't worry. Usopp and Nami will definitely be happy to see you."
Hearing this, Chopper's nervousness faded significantly, and he nodded vigorously. "Mm!"
Ganyu's smile deepened. Suddenly, she raised a finger and pointed behind Chopper. "Chopper, if you don't run now, you're going to get shot again."
Chopper froze. Just as he was about to move, another roar came from behind him.
"You bastard, you're still here!"
BANG!
Another gunshot rang out, hitting the ice step right next to Chopper. It ricocheted, grazing his antler and flying into the air.
Chopper was scared out of his wits and immediately took to his heels.
"Run! Doctor Kureha is chasing me again!"
Ganyu couldn't help but chuckle as she watched his frantic retreating figure.
She didn't run with him. Instead, she stood still, and only after he had run far away did she turn back to look.
She saw Dr. Kureha standing at the edge of the cliff, gazing at Chopper's back, her eyes filled with tears.
.....
At the foot of the mountain, the ice stairs connected to the snowy plain.
Luffy and the others, having just stepped onto solid ground, ran straight into a group of people rushing toward them.
It was Usopp, Nami, Dalton, and the others coming to support them.
"Luffy! You guys really are okay!" Usopp saw his friends immediately and shouted happily, waving his arms. His bruised and swollen face made his smile look a bit funny.
"Luffy! Everyone!" Nami breathed a sigh of relief, a joyful smile appearing on her face. But when her gaze landed on Vivi, wrapped tightly on Luffy's back, her smile grew even brighter. "Vivi! Your illness...?"
"Mm!" Vivi nodded vigorously on Luffy's back. Although weak, she was in high spirits. "The doctor in the castle is amazing. She said the virus has been completely cleared. I just need to rest for a few days, and I'll make a full recovery!"
"That's great!" Nami and Usopp cheered in unison.
But soon, Vivi noticed the bruises on Usopp's face and Nami's slightly messy, stained clothes. She couldn't help but ask, "What... what happened to you guys? You look like you just fought a war."
"That's right! Nami-san! Are you hurt?!" Sanji rushed to Nami's side like a gust of wind, his eyes anxiously scanning her up and down. In his urgency, he subconsciously reached out to undo Nami's coat to check—
Bam!
A merciless fist smashed solidly onto Sanji's head, causing him to see stars instantly and face-plant into the snow.
"Serves you right," Zoro muttered quietly, looking as if he had expected this.
On the other side.
Usopp was recounting his glorious achievements to Luffy. "Haha, you might not know this, but after you left, a group of people..."
As he spoke, he suddenly realized that besides Luffy and the others, there seemed to be an extra listener... a small, brown, furry, unfamiliar creature.
Usopp was pleasantly surprised. He could tell at a glance that this brown creature was just as gullible as the village children.
It came down with his companions, could it be...
"Luffy, who... who is this little creature?" Nami asked the question Usopp wanted to ask first.
She had long noticed this cute and somewhat timid little guy.
Like Ganyu, it had horns, but while Ganyu's looked like goat horns, this one's looked more like... antlers?
"Oh! I almost forgot. His name is Chopper, and he's our new crewmate from now on." Luffy slapped his forehead and introduced Chopper to the two.
Chopper was a bit shy and habitually tried to hide behind Ganyu.
But when he turned his head, he found that Ganyu had walked over to Dalton at some point and was whispering something to the former garrison captain and a few villagers.
There were more people over there, so he was even more afraid to go over.
Just as he was panicking, two figures loomed over him.
Then, he felt himself being picked up by two hands and hugged against something soft and large.
"Hello there, Chopper." The orange-haired girl smiled brightly, like winter sunshine, looking at him up close. "I'm Nami, the ship's navigator. I'm responsible for guiding this ship!"
The long-nosed guy also leaned in, speaking kindly. "Hello Chopper, I'm Usopp. You heard me just now, right? I just took down dozens of your country's soldiers by myself. If you have any trouble in the future, just come to me."
The two were incredibly approachable, showing no strange looks because of his "non-human" appearance.
Before long, Chopper, who had been afraid, opened his heart and began to chat with them.
Meanwhile.
"I see. So you defeated Wapol outside the castle and drove him off the island."
Dalton fell into a long shock and silence after receiving the information from the surprisingly beautiful blue-haired girl before him.
At the same time, he felt a mix of confusion and joy.
Wapol was driven away just like that? Were they completely liberated?
"He's a Devil Fruit user. After being blasted off the island by Luffy, it's highly likely he won't survive. Even if he does, he probably won't have a chance to return to this island," Ganyu added calmly.
With her keen eyes, she naturally saw that this man was heavily injured and was only holding himself up through sheer force of will.
She shook her head secretly. You can't build a good country without a healthy body.
After a thought, she flicked her finger at Dalton. A stream of light entered his body, instantly healing most of his injuries.
"This is..." Dalton looked at his body in astonishment, feeling the painful wounds vanish in an instant.
Is this her... Devil Fruit ability?
He looked up, wanting to thank the girl who healed him, only to see that she had already turned and walked away.
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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