[Author Talk---]
Hey readers, I know many of you are disappointed because I said that Akuma will be shown very little in this volume.
So I plan to change it! Akuma will appear more but remember that other characters also need screen time.
And are you all ready for the soon coming surprise?
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After a few minutes of running, Luffy finally reached the shore where Going Merry was docked.
"Sanji!"
Luffy called out but no one replied back to him. With a frown, he climbed up on the deck.
"Vivi? Goof?"
Luffy opened the kitchen door and looked inside but Sanji or anyone was not in there.
'Something is wrong!'
Luffy ran around the whole ship but only found a small piece of paper lying on the study table.
[Come to the castle if you want to save your crewmates.]
Gripping the paper, Luffy gritted his teeth and jumped off from the Going Merry.
"Damn it!"
It wasn't even a day and his crewmates were already captured. No, it is a very big problem that they are captured.
'Sanji and Goof might be fine but Vivi and Karoo. I need to hurry and find Zoro.'
Luffy reached the village and rushed towards the old man Kurai's house.
But then he saw a small humanoid reindeer sitting on the cold steps of the house with a devastated face.
"Doctor Kurai… I-I failed to protect you…"
Chopper held his lowered head and cried in front of Dr. Kurai's house.
Just a few minutes ago, multiple pirates with a devil fruit user leading them, came into the village.
The devil fruit user had a searching ability which she used and found out the location of Usopp and Nami.
She ordered the pirates to capture them but Doctor Kurai stepped in their process.
And so, even he was taken away by the pirates. Chopper was only a few seconds later to see how miserable Dr. Kurai was.
* * *
Suddenly, a warm hand not belonging to the cold world petted on Chopper's shoulder.
"Don't worry. Because of us, Doctor Kuari was caught so I am the one who is responsible for his safety."
The voice had some bitterness, sadness and confidence in it.
Chopper lifted his head and saw the young man with the straw hat.
There was a grin on his face as he looked at Chopper and gave a thumbs up.
Luffy entered the house and confirmed that both Usopp and Nami with Dr. Kurai were not there.
"Which way is the castle?"
Asked Luffy, Chopper didn't seem to understand the situation much as he pointed towards a mountain top.
"Okay! Just you wait, I will save my friends and bring Doctor Kurai safely here."
Luffy then ran towards the direction where Chopper had pointed.
"Hey! Wait!"
Chopper wanted to warn Luffy that the castle was the most dangerous place in the whole island but he missed the chance.
Luffy was long gone in the white snow.
Chopper knew he was weak and unable to help Luffy save his friends and Dr. Kurai.
He opened the door and walked inside the house with his shoulders down.
Chopper felt the weight on his back increase with what happened today.
"Because of me…"
He went to the bedroom and looked at the messy room which showed how Nami had struggled with the pirates.
On the desk to the window, there were many books belonging to Doctor Kurai.
One such book was his personal diary, Chopper picked it up and flipped the pages.
Actually, Chopper was not allowed to read it but now the atmosphere of the house was shaken.
As he flipped to the latest pages, Chopper stopped when he saw a name he knew.
* * *
It seems Tony has become more braver and confident.
I still feel sad when I learned that I am suffering from the deadly disease called Soul Lost.
What will I say to Tony? He will be very heartbroken so I must keep it a secret.
My mother took care of Tony as her own child and I also made sure to think of him as my little brother.
But what will happen when I also die and join my mother and Dr. Hiriluk.
No, I must let Tony out of this prison and let him see the world outside.
That's the only way where he can achieve his dream of becoming the greatest doctor.
* * *
The lines in the latest pages were such. Each word had a special meaning for Chopper.
A drop of water fell on the dry and cold page, wetting it around the corner.
The drop of water was the tear from Chopper's eyes as he finished reading.
Soul Lost!
A special disease that slowly eats away a person's soul within half of his life span.
Nobody knows where this disease came from. But it had no cure even after more than a thousand years.
Many might never know of this disease as it was very rare to be caught but not Chopper.
"Doctor Kurai!"
Chopper bursted into tears as he hugged the diary with his tiny hands.
Only after crying for a few minutes did he calmed down and remembered the grinning face of Luffy.
"I must save Dr. Kurai!"
Chopper placed the diary on the table as it was before and searched for his bag.
Inside the bag, a few small golden balls were laid.
The Rumble Ball is a special drug, developed by Tony Tony Chopper, meant to enhance Devil Fruit abilities.
Turning into a full reindeer, Chopper dashed towards the mountain where the castle was located.
* * *
In the throne room, Kitta sat on the huge throne and drank a glass of wine.
In front of him, on the floor were seven members of the Straw Hat Pirates.
Sanji, Usopp, Nami, Goof, Dr. Kurai , Vivi and Karoo. They were made to kneel down.
"Straw Hat Pirates, a pirate crew from the worst generation. But why are there two missing? Where's the Captain? And the Pirate Hunter?"
Kitta asked with anger as he glared at a woman with a curvy figure.
"Captain, Straw Hat Luffy and Pirate Hunter Zoro weren't there. They should have led some of our pirates to distract them. I will soon find them!"
The woman replied with a frightened face as he lowered her head in front of Kitta.
"And Dr. Kurai. Why would you help outsiders?"
Kitta got up from the throne and walked till he reached Dr. Kurai.
"Who are you to order me? I am doing what I think is right!"
Dr. Kurai looked at Kitta with a smirk. Which obviously angered Kitta.
*Boom*
A kick landed on the side of Dr. Kurai, which sent him flying a few meters.
"Doctor!"
Only Usopp and Nami knew who Dr. Kurai was but others also showed their anger towards Kitta.
"Hey! Why beat an old man!"
Sanji said with some hint of mockery in his voice to taunt Kitta.
Kitta stared at Sanji and stepped back.
"Open his handcuff. Let me show him the power of a high captain from the Devil's Pirates."
A pirate came and released Sanji, and the pirate immediately went back.
"If you defeat me here, not a single person on this island will chase you."
Kitta with his hands behind his back, said. Sanji raised his eyebrow and glanced at his crewmates and the beat up doctor.
"You will regret it."