49 A Noble's Sacrifice

Luffy, Vivi, and Sanji were climbing the mountain. Rushing through snow as Vivi tried to speed up. She looked in pain but her face was determined, as if she wouldn't stop unless she died.

Sanji and Luffy were behind her, talking about random stuff.

As they walked, the snow started coming down harder and harder, not only that but the Lapahns started showing up. Sanji and Luffy looked at the Lapahns while Vivi ignored them and continued moving through the show.

The Lapahns looked at the group and Thirteen before growling aggressively. Vivi continued as the Lapahns charged at her, lunging at Thirteen on her back. Luffy and Sanji blocked them and started fighting with the Lapahns, blasting them away and protecting Vivi.

As they continued fighting and walking time slowly passed.

Eventually, the fight with the Lapahns triggered an avalanche. Sanji threw Vivi to Luffy, who jumped to a tree as Sanji fought off the Lapahns, getting caught in the avalanche, Luffy shouted "SANJI!" Before jumping on top of the snow and digging him out.

Vivi landed back down and Luffy tied Sanji to his back, looking at Vivi, who nodded at him. They both continued on, getting to the cliff face.

Luffy looked up and Vivi grabbed onto the rocks. He looked at her as she grit her teeth, pulling up with her arms and letting out a low shout as the veins on her arms bulged. She managed to get her feet off the ground and onto the rocks before moving extremely slowly, biting her teeth so hard her gums started to bleed. Luffy watched her for a while before following directly under her as they climbed the cliff-face.

Vivi's nails cracked and her fingertips were getting shredded by the rocks, her palms oozed blood, leaving a trail up the cliff, but her face never changed. She couldn't feet her hands anymore, the only thing driving her to climb was sheer willpower.

Luffy watched from beneath her as she slipped before catching herself and choking as she sagged down from the weight. Luffy was about to grab her when he heard a slight cracking sound and Vivi grabbed the rocks again, continuing.

He paused as she continued before climbing after her again, completely silent.

After climbing for a while, her teeth chattered, her skin was no longer rosy, her hands were cut and bloody everywhere, and her legs made cracking sounds. Her hands were so bloody she couldn't see the blueness underneath as she continued climbing, breathing extremely heavy.

She seemed as though she was going to climb until she died. Her vision blurred, her body hurt, she shivered, but she never stopped.

When her vision darkened, she smashed her face on the cliff-face and cleared up her eyes, continuing.

Luffy watched from under her and tilted his head, looking at the top of the mountain. They were barely at the half-way point. At this rate, Vivi was going to die. He stretched out his arm behind her and she said "No! I'm going to do it!"

Luffy looked at her and replied "You're going to die." Vivi stayed silent for a moment before replying "Not until I reach the top." Luffy stared at her head before asking "What about your country?" Vivi continued climbing as she answered with a serious look on her face after a few seconds "Luffy, can you promise me something?"

Luffy stayed silent and Vivi continued "Bring my body to my father in Alabasta and…" she paused and closed her eyes, letting tears glide down her cheeks, freezing before they dropped as she ended "And save my country from Crocodile."

Luffy stopped as Vivi continued, shedding tears on the way. He finally smiled and said "I promise." Vivi smiled and continued, saying "Thank you…" as she missed a rock, slipping off the cliff-face.

Her eyes widened and she reached from the wall, tearing up as she couldn't even do what he wanted to do. She was weak. How was she supposed to save her country if she couldn't do this? How was she supposed to end slavery if she couldn't do this?

How was she supposed to bring Alabasta back to prosperity if she couldn't do this?

Time seemed to flow in slow motion for her as Luffy stretched out his hand to her.

She closed her eyes when suddenly, two arms stabbed into the cliff and stopped her from falling. She opened her eyes to see Thirteen holding her up, but his eyes were hazy.

She suspected he just reacted subconsciously and she clapped her cheeks before continuing to climb. Luffy looked at her before looking at Thirteen, who's eyes returned to normal, he smiled and continued.

Thirteen lifted his weights on his own, making things less heavy on Vivi as his tail slightly pushed along the cliff, boosting her up. His eyes slowly drooped as Vivi picked up the pace.

Luffy came right after her and silently pushed Thirteen up, taking even more of the weight off Vivi as she climbed faster. Vivi continued with gritted teeth, not realizing she was being helped and climbed faster than before.

In half the time it took to get halfway, they made it to the top.

Vivi climbed onto the top of the mountain and slowly got off the ground. Thirteen passed out halfway up the top half of the mountain and the weight was just the same as it was before for Vivi.

Luffy came up behind her as she slowly walked to the castle on the top of the cliff. Her hands were blue and dripping blood, her legs creaked and cracked with every step, her gums bled, her nose and forehead dripped blood, and she swayed from side to side with heavy breaths, but she never stopped.

Luffy followed behind her with blue hands and feet but a smile on his face.

Finally, they reached the door to the castle and it was wide open. Vivi smiled and said "Hey… We… Need a… Doctor…" before falling to the ground and blacking out. Luffy blinked and swayed the same, looking at his hands and feet. He sat on the ground before slumping to his side and passing out as well.

Not even 30 seconds later.

A blue nosed reindeer walked by before shouting "Doctorine! There's people here!" soon enough, an old woman came out and said "People? How did they get here?" the reindeer sniffed Luffy and said "I… I think they climbed up!"

Doctrine shouted "Impossible! That cliff is 5000 meters!" the reindeer answered "But… Look at their hands!" Doctrine looked at the hands of Luffy and Vivi before saying seriously "Chopper, bring them inside. They need medical attention, immediately."

The Reindeer, who's name was Chopper, nodded and tried to drag Thirteen, but to no avail. Doctrine waved and said "Take the rest, not him." Chopper looked at Thirteen's ears and tail in wonder before grabbing Luffy and Sanji.

Doctrine crouched down and tapped on Thirteen's cuffs before snorting. She grabbed Thirteen by the arm and lifted him off of Vivi with one hand, dragging him with her as she said "Take the girl to the Emergency room."

Chopper bit on Vivi's coat and brought her away, running on all fours into the castle quickly.