Chopper and The Crazy Lady

Hundreds of fir trees flanked the river the Straw Hats were sailing up to reach the island's heart. The mountains were colossal in size. They were all cylindrical, with a flat plateau on top. In certain spots, the huge peaks burst through the clouds, and each mountain had to be at least a couple of kilometers tall. The Drum Rockies were a massive and magnificent sight to see.

"Are we going the right way?" Luffy asked the head doctor as he looked forward; he could feel several new voices as the ship sailed forward.

He knew there was a possibility that they might need to fight, but all the straw hat captain could think now was getting Nojiko to a doctor.

"Yes, captain sir, we should arrive very soon," The head doctor replied, standing close to the captain, who had a serious look.

Nami was looking forward with concern while Zoro was cleaning his swords.

"Do you think these people will accept pirates?" Zoro suddenly asked; the moment he said those words, several guns were aimed at them.

"Pirates, turn your ship around! You're not welcome in this place!" The crew on deck heard a booming voice calling out to them. Armed, angry-looking guys gazed at them from the banks around the lake.

"And that answers it," Zoro murmured under his breath.

"We are going nowhere," Nami spoke firmly as she gazed at the people who were aiming guns at them. She wondered if she should just fight but knew she shouldn't do it out of nowhere without Luffy's permission, but she hoped they wouldn't dare to touch Nojiko.

"We need a doctor for my sister," Nami quickly added, hoping it would make them believe that they weren't here to harm them, but it seemed the mention of doctor Kureha only made them warier.

"There are no doctors available to help you! This is our homeland! Pirates are not permitted to enter!" One of the armed guys screamed, pointing his gun at Nami, who didn't show any sign of being afraid.

Knowing things could escalate quickly, Luffy walked forward, standing in front of his crew.

"We are not here to hurt anyone; we only need Doctor Kureha; we need her help; one of our crewmates is very sick," Luffy spoke firmly towards the people with guns, knowing this would draw all their attention towards him.

"How did you find out about the witch?" One asked, more like screaming as almost all of the weapons were pointed toward Luffy.

"They informed me." Luffy pointed to the doctors who were trying to hide. "They suggested Dr. Kureha may be able to help me with my Nakama. Please bring her here. I'll pay her."

"That's the Issho Twenty!" exclaims a guy who screamed angrily. "They're with Wapol!".

With that said, every man suddenly started aiming their guns at each one of the straw hats, their hands shaking slightly, but they needed to protect their home from pirates like them. Their fingers were dangerously close to the trigger of their respective weapons.

Seeing the situation escalating quickly, Zoro prepared to use his swords to protect his crew and the captain from the upcoming bullets; Sanji prepared to fight using his legs to break their weapons and stop the bullets.

Due to her observation Haki, Nami could see the attack coming; her body was quickly engulfed in red fire, especially her arms that turned to gold; if they dared to harm her sister or her crew, she would make them pay, Usopp prepared his rifle to shot back, but it seemed that was completely unnecessary due to Luffy causing an enormous lightning bolt to echo around them like a war cry, causing every man that had aimed their guns at the pirate crew to freeze in fear, their ears booming like bells in their heads, warning them, every part of their body telling them not to Attack the pirate crew, especially the Captain.

Luffy's eyes had gone from warm to ice-cold, his straw hat covering his eyes, making him more menacing.

"We are here only to cure our crewmate; if you want to throw your lives away, then Step Forward," Luffy finished with a voice that sounded so threatening that it made even his own crew feel a chill on their bodies.

The others were shaking like leaves; one soon stopped shaking before raising his hand in surrender.

"Very well," he said; the enormous guy gulped hard. With slicked black hair and a goatee, he was a tall and intimidating guy. He was dressed in a long, white fur-lined green tunic with arm armor plates. He donned heavy boots and a green and white fur-lined cap with ear flaps to protect himself from the island's extreme cold. He was armed with an extra-large shovel, which he carried in a scabbard on his back. "Come with me to the village, and I'll show you the way."

"Thank you," Luffy quickly said before turning to his crew. "Come on, we need to get her to Doctor Kureha as soon as possible," Luffy ordered; the crew didn't need to be told twice; as the doctors started moving her, she was covered with several blankets to keep her warm from the cold. Nami was walking close to her, keeping an eye on her despite knowing she could do absolutely nothing to help her sister.

The men with guns stepped away, some with fear that whatever sickness she had could get to them, while some hoped for her to get better soon.

The snow was thick, very thick, making it hard to walk; everyone could feel the cold; Luffy just brushed it off; for some reason, it didn't bother him as much as he thought; he didn't know why and didn't care to know, the guy helping them soon introduced himself as Dalton.

"Who exactly was this Wapol? Never thought a leader of a country would turn into a pirate?" Luffy asked curiously, remembering the stupid people who attacked them.

"This place was always known for the good doctors, people came from far away to get healed, and the king was a good man; it was an honor to serve him," the man explained with a puff of his chest, but then his face changed to a grim one, remembering when everything changed for the worse.

"When Wapol became king, it didn't take long for everyone to see what kind of king he was. He requested that all twenty of the country's greatest doctors join him permanently, and any who refused were executed on the spot. All of this was done in order for him to have a grip on the nation and force everyone to rely on him and his whims for medical care."

No one took what the man said well, but Vivi was literally boiling; she was a princess; when her father would eventually step down, she would make sure to become the best ruler Alabasta ever had.

"This country was attacked by five pirates, who almost destroyed this place. They had incredible strength. We never stood a chance. One of them especially was different from the others, his whole body was covered in darkness, and his eyes were terrifying; one moment he was a normal person, laughing and making jokes, the next he was the devil himself," the man finished with a shudder, the straw hats except Luffy suddenly felt a shiver through their entire bodies.

"So he ran away like a coward," Nami said with anger; she was no ruler, but even she understood the importance of ruling and sacrificing for the greater good of your people and not running away like a coward with your tails between your legs.

"That coward never even attempted to fight. He just raced to the water with his tail between his legs. He abandoned us all to preserve his own skin." With a gloomy expression on his face, Dalton crushed out his words.

"THE BASTARD?!" The princess could no longer keep herself in control anymore; she knew from her father that there were people who were terrible kings, bad rulers who cared little about their own people only if they could sit their ass on the throne; all they cared was to play their little game of thrones, who would rule and who would die, but thinking that someone like Wapol would simply abandon his country like this made her blood boil.

"Hey, Vivi, the bastard is gone," Nami reminded her, trying to ease her anger, the princess was usually cheerful and always positively looked at things, but the words Dalton was saying made her lose it.

"You meet him, right?" Dalton asked as he pointed at the doctors walking behind them, carrying Nojiko, who was breathing heavily. Dalton didn't really need an answer; the doctors Wapol took with him were here, but he wondered what happened to the bastard.

Sanji left out a mocking chuckle at the thought of the man who called himself king.

"He tried to take our ship and everything we had, so we did what any normal pirate would do in that situation, we killed his crew and him, except the doctors," Luffy said casually, as if it was no big deal, to the straw hats this was just another Tuesday.

Dalton gasped at what the captain pirate just said before his eyes went to the doctors, waiting for them to confirm it; they simply nodded their heads; no point in lying, and it was not as if any of them had any kind of empathy towards the dead king.

Dalton wondered how they could have done it; Wapol had strong people with him, but the giant thunderbolt from the captain back when he threatened them was still a little too fresh in his mind, so he didn't ask how they did it; he decided to ask only one question.

"How did Wapol die?" Dalton asked with no remorse or any kind of sign to show that he felt bad for what happened, more surprised than anything else.

"I launched a lightning bolt at him, making a big hole on his chest," Luffy simply said; he would never show mercy against people who dared to harm his crew or threaten them, no exceptions.

"Then you have our heartfelt gratitude," Dalton spoke with a bow of his head towards Luffy; when the pirates approached their kingdom, they thought they were doomed, but instead, they got the best news they could have ever gotten. "Get the word out to everyone on the island! Wapol is no longer alive, and we are free!"

The crew soon reached the town of Bighorn, which was closer to the massive Drum Rockies. As they made their way, they encountered Hiking Bears; Usopp was the first to spot them, hoping they weren't dangerous, but Dalton quickly eased his fear, saying they were harmless if you bowed to them, and much to the crew's surprise, the bear gave them a nod after they bowed.

Arriving at the town, the crew soon saw the way Dalton was looked with respect by the citizens, especially the way everyone greeted him, some even bowing respectfully to him. Vivi couldn't help but grin as they strolled through town, seeing how well Dalton was valued. She wondered if Dalton could rule the kingdom now that Wapol was dead, the island would need a new leader, and who better than someone everyone respected.

Arriving at Dalton's house, the crew quickly walked inside, followed by at least five doctors; the others decided to stay outside since Dalton's house was already crowded with just the pirate crew, not counting the five doctors.

Dalton quickly started a fire with Luffy's help, who used his Devil Fruit to suck the water from the wood so it could burn faster and easier. It was one of the abilities of the Storm fruit, but Luffy could do it only to small things, not big things like trees or living beings.

"I'm sorry about the fire. I wasn't really expecting visitors," Dalton apologized, removing his coat and hanging it on a chair.

"Don't worry about it," Nami dismissed him with a wave of her hand, looking worriedly at her sister.

"Check on her," Dalton quickly added, pointing towards the blue-haired girl who was breathing heavily.

The navigator quickly nodded before checking her temperature with a thermometer.

"One hundred and fifty-five? This is bad!" She gasped, her eyes widening in fear for her sister. Her face quickly returned to normal; there was no need to panic, Don't panic, she told herself repeatedly; the doctor would soon take care of her.

"She's my sister; she will get through this as if nothing ever happened," Nami said, stroking her blue hair, just like how their mother used to do when they were little. Her face was all red, her breathing was heavy, feeling her throat burning like fire, and her whole body felt weak.

"What is she suffering from? Can't you heal her?" Dalton asked, looking at the five doctors who were inside. The one in the front shook his head with a grim look on his face.

"We don't know what she has, we tried everything, but nothing works; the only hope left for her is Doctor Kureha," the main doctor spoke.

"Then you are in the right place. Doctor Kureha can heal any sickness; your friend will be better in no time," Dalton said with an uplifting tone, hoping it would help.

"What are we waiting for then? Tell me where she is. I will get her to Doctor Kureha in no time," Luffy said firmly towards Dalton, whose face became grim at what the pirate asked, knowing it wouldn't be so simple.

"It's up there." Dalton groaned and pointed out the window to the Drum Rockies' biggest peak. "Did you see the castle?" He asked them. "Wapol had lived there before fleeing the nation, and his father had lived there before him. Dr. Kureha took up residence when Wapol departed."

"We'll need her to come down then. This is an emergency, so call her." Sanji spoke out as he gazed up at the mountain before returning his gaze to Dalton.

"It's not as easy as that." With a shake of his head, Dalton expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. "I'm worried we won't be able to reach her."

"Why the hell not?" Luffy asked, but more like shouting; he was slowly losing his patience.

"She comes down only once in a while to check for patients; if anyone is sick and needs her help, whoever she heals is forced to pay her; that's why everyone calls her a Witch," Dalton explained with a grave tone.

"Jeez, no wonder everyone calls her a witch," Usopp commented, never heard of this kind of doctor before.

"Yes, and not mentioning that she's a hundred and thirty-nine years old," Dalton added, causing the whole pirate crew to gasp in shock.

"What the hell do people eat here to make them live this long?" Sanji asked, perplexed, he had heard of people living a long life, almost reaching a hundred years old, but this doctor was on steroids to live that long.

Meanwhile, Luffy wondered how his grandpa would react to meeting someone even older than him; he usually always boasted to them that he was older, and because of that, they needed to respect him for whatever reason.

"Is there any way to get to her?" Luffy asked, his voice sounding a bit desperate; if the worse came to worse, he would climb the mountain with his bare hands if he had to.

"I don't know, but I've heard tales. According to what I've heard, she'll ride a sled down the mountain on moonlight evenings. People claim to have seen it, and they always report that a bizarre beast accompanies her."

"I'm not going to let her suffer another day. We'll have to bring Nojiko to the Doctor if we can't get the Doctor to come to us!" Luffy said categorically. "Guys, go get some rope for me. If I have to climb the stupid mountain, I'll get her up there!"

"You'll never make it up that mountain; it's 10 kilometers tall!" Dalton lifted his voice to be heard over the crew's murmuring. "There's a path up the mountain, but we don't have the power to go there."

"Which path are you talking about?" Luffy and Dalton locked gazes. "And what precisely do you mean by 'power it?'"

"The Castle Plateau has a lift that carries visitors to the peak, but Wapol didn't want people to visit since almost everyone was complaining to him, some for a good reason, and some were just reminding him how much of a shitty king he was, going as far as to tell him that his father would be ashamed of what he became," Dalton said with a sigh.

"When he left, he took out the batteries; we can't charge the damn lift." He quickly added with a grim face.

"But with my Devil Fruit. I can directly power it." Luffy said as his whole arm was covered in lightning; this earned a smile from the large man, who quickly nodded his head.

"I think you can," With a confident grin, Dalton nodded to the Captain. "When Wapol departed, the lift was left at the foot of the ropeway. We fixed what we could, but it would never work without a new battery. But if you can get the engine to function, you shouldn't have any problems."

"Dalton, show us where this lift is." As he gazed at Nojiko, Luffy asked.

"Of sure, please follow me," Dalton got to his feet, and the gang dashed back out into the snow. Nojiko had dozed off again as her stretcher was wheeled across town, and the Issho Twenty's physicians continued to struggle to keep her stable.

They didn't have to wait long to get to the lift. The ropeway was just outside of Bighorn, and the lift was still resting on the platform. Luffy was shown the engine by Dalton, and the Straw Hat Captain began to work. He raised his hand up, and a bolt of lightning struck his arm, engulfing it in lightning before putting it on the engine. Luffy gradually increased the power until the lift started to move and the engine whirred to life. Now that he understood how much electricity to provide the machine, he instantly cut the power.

"Let's get going; we don't want to keep Nojiko waiting any longer than necessary." Nami rushed the Issho Twenty, as well as the rest of the Straw Hats and Dalton, aboard the elevator.

Luffy restarted the motor after everyone was aboard and Nojiko was safely secured. The elevator started to move again with a buzzing sound. They gradually ascended the ropeway, rising higher and higher into the air until they were far over the trees. The cold landscape spread out under the lift, but the Straw Hats were too preoccupied to notice. As it followed the ropeway, the lift resumed its ascent.

As the gusts became stronger, the lift swayed back and forth. Everyone was doing all they could to keep Nojiko and themselves in check. The lift eventually climbed above the clouds and winds. The party exhaled a sigh of relief as they approached the peak. As they approached the peak's platform, Luffy reduced the motor's power, and Dalton applied the brake. The brakes were secured with a lever flick, and the passengers could descend onto the summit plateau.

"Nojiko, we're nearly there." As they carried the sleeping woman's stretcher inside the castle, Luffy murmured to her.

Many folks were perplexed as to why the enormous entrance door was closed. However, no one really questioned it. Everyone was focused on bringing Nojiko to Dr. Kureha as soon as possible.

"How is she going to hear us?" Luffy asked Dalton, who turned to look at Luffy before looking at the enormous gate in front of them.

"We can just knock, it might take a while, but she will eventually hear us," he said, turning to walk towards the door and suddenly hearing numerous thunders around him as if a thunderstorm suddenly engulfed them. Knowing the lightning and the thunderstorm might not be enough, Luffy took a deep breath...

"GET OVER HERE, YOU OLD WITCH," Luffy shouted at the top of his lungs, causing the weather to change slightly, snowing more than usual, which was quite something hard to achieve for a place like the Drum Kingdom.

Crazy Old Witch

"What wa-was t-that" a strange reindeer spoke with a shaken voice.

"It seems that the castle has a guest, damn it. I knew I should have worn better clothes." An older lady responded.

"What should we do?" The reindeer asked, still with a shaken voice.

"Of course, we go there and see what all the fuss is about; you know we always welcome our guests with open arms!" Dr. Kureha guffawed as she drew a bottle of liquor from a sled bag. "It's possible that someone has delivered a patient to us. Chopper, let's go!"

"Yes, Doctorine!" Chopper said as he sped over the snow, the sleigh trailing behind him. The lightning calmed down a short time later. None of them knew that Chopper's life would soon change forever.