Humming, soft and gentle and accompanied by the crackling of a fire...these are the first time Robin hears as the world slowly begins to come back to her. Her eyes slowly open, and she finds herself staring at an unfamiliar stone ceiling. Where as she had been burning up before she now feels only a comfortable warmth. The aches and pains accompanying the fever seem so far away now. Robin slowly turns her head in the direction of the humming, an unfamiliar tune that could almost lull her back to sleep. She's surprised to find the noise coming from a...reindeer standing on a chair in front of a table. It promptly hops off the chair, and their eyes meet seconds later. Several long moments of complete silence follow at least until Robin sits up on the bed.
"Who are you?" Robin questions it. The small, blue nosed reindeer jumps and much to her amusement he goes sprinting out of the room. The reindeer is standing with half of his face hidden behind the door way and his body wide out in the open. Robin giggles a bit at it's cute antics. "My, aren't you adorable? Could you tell me-"
"Shut up, Human!" shouts the reindeer. "...And how is your fever?"
"Much better. I have you to thank for that, am I right?" Hearing footsteps approaching, Robin turns her head to the door just as it's thrown open. Run strides into the room calmly, ignoring the old woman behind him as she shouts at him to get back into bed.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Run tells her smiling. "It's fine, doc. I just had a little fall, and nothin' is broken. I need to check on-" He finally notices Robin sitting up in bed and approaches quickly. "Robin! How are you feeling?"
"You fell off a mountain, boy!" the woman shouts at him. "I guess you have that thick skull of yours to thank for breaking your fall. But you're not 'fine'." Run sits on the edge of Robin's bed, gently touch the back of her forehead with one palm and mocking her with the other, at least until she steps forward and hits him on the top of the head.
"Ow! You're awfully violent for a doctor!" She bats the red head's hand away with ease and reaches out, pressing a finger tip against Robin's forehead.
"Looks like your fever has come down." She actually smirks as she steps back from the bed. "Hmmm...38.2 degrees Celsius. That's more or less alright. I'm Doctor Kureha. You may call me Doctorine." Run rubs the knot on top of his head for a few seconds before his smile returns.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes," Robin assures him. "I feel much better now. What about you?"
"Aah, just a few scratches in a paint. But nothin' that won't buff out. Luffy and Sanji are doing alright, too. Luffy had to be treated for frostbite. Sanji has a few broken ribs but he was treated without issue. They should be sleeping pretty soundly right now. But..." Run captures one of her hands and raises it to kiss her knuckles gently. "...I'm more worried about you. Are you sure you feel fine?"
"Mm, I promise. I feel just fine."
"That's only the result of the drugs I've given you," Kureha tells them, stepping forward once again and actually lifting the hem of Robin's shirt. Dark bruising stands out against the tan skin of her ribs, drawing both of their attention. "You were bitten by an insect called Kestia. It's a poisonous tick that lives in jungles with an especially hot and humid climate. The good news is that your symptom would have only lasted for about two more days. After that, you would have died." Both blink in surprise and Kureha releases her shirt. "It's known as the 'Five Day Disease'."
"Good pep talk, doc," Run tells her.
"I don't sugar coat my diagnosis, boy. That said, tt takes at least ten days to fully treat the disease. Even with MY medicine it'll still take you at least three days before you're completely back on your feet." Robin slowly shakes her head in response.
"Unfortunately, we can't stay that long," says Robin. "We have to take Vivi to Alabasta as soon as possible." Kureha spins around with scalpel in hand, and Run moves in an instant, catching the woman's wrist inches from Robin's neck with a crisp 'smack!' echoing through the room.
"Easy, doc," warns Run. "We appreciate what you've done...but don't take it too far." Kureha looks down at the red head who stares up at her. His grip can't exactly be described as gentle but it's fairly obvious that he's not exactly squeezing down as hard as he can.
"When a patient of mine leaves, it's because they're either dead or cured. I'm not letting your girlfriend out of my sight, red hair." Robin reaches out, placing her hand on top of the red head's.
"We understand, doctor," Robin tells her. "We'll wait until treatment has been completed."
"We haven't got that kind of time," Run says quickly. "Vivi-" The door to the room very suddenly bursts open, and in comes running the blue nosed reindeer with Luffy and Sanji clinging to him. From the looks of things it seems that they're trying to eat him! They go running this way and that before dashing back out the door. "Well, alright, I've just gotta ask...what exactly is that reindeer?"
"His name is Chopper. He's just a reindeer with a blue nose," Kureha tells them.
"I see that. But to the best of my knowledge reindeer don't speak."
"That's because he ate the Human-Human Fruit. He's my student, you know. I taught him everything I know about medicine."
"He's certainly a cute little fuzzball," Robin adds, earning a chuckle from Run. After everything finally begins to wind down, and Sanji and Luffy have given up chasing the reindeer they all gather in the room at a small table. Of course, the first thing that Luffy does is invite 'the old woman' to join their crew as the doctor. Kureha responds by kicking him across the room into the wall. Clearly, she doesn't like being called 'old'...something Luffy just doesn't quite get as he attempts a second time. In the middle of all of this, the reindeer, Chopper, wanders back into the room.
"Aaah! It's the reindeer!" Luffy calls, immediately chasing it out of the room with Sanji following, and Kureha chasing them. "Come back here, meat!" They disappear for only a moment or two before bursting through another door and then out through another, leaving it standing open and frigid air blowing in.
"My, they're certainly lively," Robin giggles.
"Yeah, and you'd think they were raised in a barn," adds Run, standing and walking across the room to close the door behind them.
"How are you feeling?" calls Chopper, appearing from around the corner. The small reindeer scans the room quickly, searching for any signs of Luffy and Sanji before entering. "You still have a fever. You may not feel like it since Doctorine's medicine works so effectively but you still have Kestia bacteria in your body."
"I feel much better," Robin assures Chopper as Run crosses the room and sits on the edge of the bed once again. "You looked after me while I was unconscious, right?"
"S-Shut up! I don't need to be thanked by a Human!" Of course, while he says this he does a strange little dance much to the amusement of Robin and Run. After he's finished, the little reindeer eyes them carefully. "Are you all really pirates?" He approaches a bit closer, reaching out one hoof to carefully prod one of Run's knees.
"Yeah."
"Real ones?"
"Real ones."
"You have a flag with a skull on it?"
"We have a Jolly Roger. It's on the ship." After a moment of silence Run chuckles. "Are you interested in pirates, Chopper?" He immediately back-pedals, flailing his arms around wildly, and crashing hard into a book-shelf.
"No! Why would you think that?!"
"Alright, no need to yell. But even so...how about coming with us? Having you join would solve a lot of problems at once. I would be able to leave here immediately, the crew would gain a doctor and you would be able to sail with-"
"Don't be ridiculous! I'm a reindeer!"
"And?"
"A...And? I walk on two legs! And I can even talk! Don't you get scared when you see me?!"
"Is that supposed to be scary?" Robin asks him. "I find you to be quite a cute little fuzzball."
"I have a blue nose, too." Seconds later, Luffy and Sanji come sliding into the room, and immediately begin chasing after Chopper again. The trio go tearing out of the room quickly while Robin and Run watch them, somewhat amused by it.
"Those brats sure are quick," mutters Kureha, attracting their attention to the old woman. "I don't like it, red hair." Run arches a brow in response. "You trying to recruit my student behind my back."
"Aah, well, sorry about that, doc."
"If you want to take him with you then I won't stop you. But just know that it won't be easy. See, he has a scar in his heart, one so big that even I can't treat it." She tells them that, from the time he was born he was all alone. Abandoned, and ostracized by his herd, and even his parents just because his nose was blue. And then after eating a Devil Fruit, he was treated as even more of a monster, and an outsider, and pressured to leave his herd. When he did, he headed down the mountain, this time in the form of a Human...however, it wasn't perfect and his nose stayed blue, as well. The villagers, fearing that he was a monster, chased him away without a second thought.
"Chopper just wanted friends, and yet he was called a monster. He's lived all alone since then only ever wanting a friend. Can you guys heal that scar?"
"I don't know," Run admits honestly. "But we'll damn sure try."
"Hmph. You know, there was only one person other than myself, Dr. Hiriluk, that actually treated Chopper as something other than a monster. He gave the reindeer his name...he was like a son to him." She turn to stare into the fire. "But not all stories have a happy ending..."
----
"He's certainly been through a lot at such a young age," Run mutters. "I understand your concern now." It's certainly a sad story to say the least. To be cast out of his herd and then lose the only person who looked after him, and treated him like something more than just a monster.
"You understand now," Kureha tells him. "I can't allow him to just go sailing off with any old pirate crew." Suddenly the door to the room is thrown open, and in rushes Chopper.
"Aah, is Luffy chasing you again?"
"Doctorine! It's him!" Chopper exclaims. "It's Wapol! He's back!" Run stands and moves around to look out the window, and sure enough the big mouthed man and his two lackeys are gathered in front of the castle. Chopper and Kureha immediately exit the room, apparently going to confront the man.
"That guy just doesn't know when to back down." Run steps back with and heavy sigh. "I thought he'd get the message but I guess not. Wait here. I'm gonna-"
"I'll come with," Robin tells him, tossing back the blanket and sliding her feet over the edge of the bed.
"You should stay in bed. You heard the doc."
"I'm not made of glass. I'll be fine." After a few moments Run nods in understanding. Honestly, it's not like he'd be able to stop her anyway. So, she carefully slips her shoes and coat on before the two leave the room, heading for the front gate of the castle. Down stairs and long halls, they cut a winding path that they aren't entirely sure is correct until suddenly Luffy comes running down one of the halls in their direction. "Luffy?"
"Cold, cold, cold, cold!" Luffy chatters, rubbing his hands across his arms. He takes several steps past them...then suddenly stops and doubles back. "Aah, Robin? What are you doing out of bed?"
"We heard that Wapol is at the gates and we were coming to help. What are you doing?"
"It's cold!" Luffy complains, shivering and quickly rubbing his exposed arms. "Aaah, but if you're going to help then-" He points in the direction that he's come from. "-That's the way to the front gate. I'll be back in a second! I've gotta find a coat!" He goes running off down the hall again, and after a moment they head in the opposite direction. It's a short walk to the entrance which stands wide open despite the sub-zero temperature. Gathered ahead of them they can see Kureha, Sanji and Chopper, and beyond them Wapol and his lackeys. For some reason, Wapol is laughing, the sound carrying across the frozen earth.
"Grave?" Wapol laughs. "For that stupid doctor?! Do you really think that idiot deserves something as grand as my castle as his grave?! How dare you violate my sacred castle with that doctors flag?! Burn it down! I don't want even a single shred of that quacks flag left!"
"You shouldn't speak ill of the dead," Robin calls, silencing the man's laughter, and alerting the others to their presence.
"And you really shouldn't speak badly about someone else's flag," Run adds, as they step up beside the others. Both of Wapol's subordinates shy away from the red head's presence almost instinctively before shaking it off and standing firm once more. "I thought I told you it's not worth it? Leave. Just leave."
"Hmph, I thought I told you to stay in bed, girl," Kureha says.
"I wanted to see what all the commotion was about," Robin tells her, earning a heavy sigh from the woman.
"This flag is the doctor's faith!" Chopper yells, growing into a much large form right before their eyes. "I won't let you lay even a single finger on it! No matter what!"
"Will you be joining us in this fight, old lady?" Sanji asks, immediately earning the ire of Kureha who responds by kicking him in the head much to the amusement of Run. She tells them that if it looks like the fight is going to be too much for them then she'll help out. It was then that the man with the afro, who they were sure they'd been heard called Kuromarimo, fires off a large hair-ball in the direction of Kureha. Seconds before it impacts, however, Sanji blocks it with his leg. "Oi, oi, what's wrong with you? You shouldn't throw things at a lady...hm?" Sanji blinks, and shakes his leg, attempting to shake the hair-ball off but to no avail. "O-Oi! What's with this damn thing?! Is it statically charged?!"
"There's more where that came from!" Kuromarimo says, seconds before firing off several more hair-balls. "Marimo's Static Cling!" They all stick firmly to Sanji, and he immediately begins attempting to pry them off, complaining the whole time.
"Oh, these things are so damn gross! Oi, Red! Don't just stand there! Gimme a hand!" The red head approaches their cook quickly.
"Would you...come on...I need you to...stop wigglin' around, casanova!" Run shouts at the man, attempting to help him out. Of course, rather than simply allow him to help pry them off, the man immediately sticks one of the hair-balls to him.
"Here, hang onto this."
"Wha- aah, I don't want it!" Run sticks the hair ball back on Sanji, who immediately returns it.
"C'mon, take one of 'em!"
"I'll pass! I'm not interested in what you're sellin'!" Neither of them notice the man with the bow, Chess, notching a flaming arrow until he's already drawn it back. "...Crap." Robin slowly shakes her head before crossing her arms in front of her just as the man releases the arrow. The next second, the hair-balls are plucked from the two arguing men, who barely dodge the flaming missile. "Aah, thanks, Robin!"
"That woman...she's eaten a Devil Fruit, too?" Chess wonders aloud moments before he's forced to dodge an angry Chopper's punch. But while the man manages to dodge Chopper isn't nearly so lucky, and he's swallowed by Wapol the next instant.
"I'm back!" calls Luffy, running up from behind them.
"Great timing! Luffy, grab my leg from there!" Sanji tells him. Luffy stretches from there, gripping his leg only to be propelled towards Wapol. "Armee de L'Air Assault...Gum Shoot!" Luffy sails shoulder first into Wapol, striking him in the stomach and forcing him to spit Chopper out as he goes flying into the distance. The little reindeer flies back towards them, right into a number of Robin's waiting arms. She lowers him back to the ground, the extra arms disappearing as she does so.
"Good job," Run tells them. "Hm?" Rather than ending the fight, it seems as if Wapol is tougher than they'd given him credit for. The man slowly stands, brushing himself off as he does so. "He's tougher than he looks, I guess."
"I can no longer stand these people!" Wapol growls. "I'm going to show them my power! The power of Munch-Munch Factory! Chess! What have I eaten today?!" The man lists off the strangest assortment of inedible items: two cannons, cannonballs, a gunpowder salad and even a house.
"Just what kinds of things do you eat?" Luffy asks.
"A real picky eater, this guy," Sanji adds, as they all watch the man suddenly reshape himself into a house with cannons for arms...much to the absolute amazement of Luffy. That amazement is soon turned to horror, and disgust when Wapol suddenly eats both of his own men. "Wha?! He's eating his own people?!"
"Hmm, I wonder how they taste," Robin mutters aloud, earning a laugh from Run in response. He swallows them, dances around for a moment and when he's finally still the door on his chest is thrown open.
"Feast your eyes on this miraculous union!" Wapol exclaims.
"We are the strongest warrior in the Drum Kingdom!" calls the figure, climbing through the door. "Chessmarimo!"
"Awesome!" exclaims Luffy.
"Which part exactly?" Sanji asks.
"Maybe the part where they're sitting on each others shoulders," Run offers, not nearly as impressed with their 'transformation' as his Captain is.
"Don't let your guard down," Kureha tells them. "If he was easy to defeat, the people would have done it a long time ago."
"I'm the king of this country...and that is my castle," Wapol announces. "I won't allow you to fly any flag other than my own! Especially not that quack doctor's flag!" He fires off a cannon ball at the top of the castle, the blast aimed at the flag flying high. This sends Chopper over the edge, the little reindeer covering the distance between Wapol and himself before the man can react.
"You bastard! Doctor tried to save everyone! Even you!" Chopper shouts, grabbing Wapol by the front of his coat, and cocking back. Then, just as suddenly as he'd begun he stops, holding his hand in place. "L...Leave! I'm not going to hit you...so leave this country forever!"
"Chopper! Don't be an idiot!" Kureha screams. "He isn't going to listen to you!" Before he can react, Chopper blasts him at point black range with a cannon, throwing him straight back. "Chopper!"
"Oi, big mouth!" Luffy calls, attracting everyone's attention to the top of the castle. Using the sleeve of a winter coat, he's tied the flag off as if it were never broken. "You were a fake pirate, isn't that right? From the beginning you never understood the meaning behind this flag because you were a fake who was unwilling to risk his life for it! A pirate flag isn't something to be raised half heartedly! It isn't a joke, or something to toy with!"
"Fool! If not for a joke then why would a King such as myself raise it?!" Wapol shouts, pointing the cannon at Luffy and firing a shot off. It's a direct hit; the explosion of smoke, and snow, and dust obscuring Luffy from view for several long moments before finally revealing him standing tall, the flag held in his hand.
"I don't know who's flag this is but it's a man's promise to risk his life! It wasn't raised as a joke, and it's not something I'll allow you to break while laughing so foolishly!" He firmly jabs the flag pole into the stone. "Oi! Chopper! I'm gonna beat this guy! What do you wanna do?" Wapol points his cannon at Luffy again...and when Sanji runs to interfere, he suddenly freezes up back arched sharply.
"Seems like his back has finally give out," Kureha announces. "Not surprising given he isn't even close to being healed." She surprises them by striking the man in his ailing back, and sending him dropping face first into the snow. "You should be still. Doctor's orders.
"Stop it!" exclaims Chopper, rushing Wapol. Before he can strike the man, however, Chessmarimo intercepts him, blocking his punch. Chopper jumps back from them, changing form back into his smaller self.
"Why are you helping them?" Chessmarimo asks. "You were treated like a monster before...you don't even have a single friend here! Why even bother?!"
"I don't care! Even if I don't have friends I'm still going to fight! As long as the doctor's flag is here...I...!"
"Wrong! I'm his friend!" Luffy calls, suddenly sling-shotting himself from the tower to the ground. "Chopper, you can deal with that guy, right?" He nods firmly in response, and Luffy grins. "Alright, then! I'll take big mouth on myself." Chopper produces what looks to them as a small yellow jaw-breaker from his pocket.
"Rumble Ball. The effects of this last three minutes...I'll take you down in three minutes!" He pops the jaw-breaker into his mouth, and chomps down. The effects seem to be immediate. In less than a minute Chopper changes form several times, effectively out-maneuvering Chessmarimo as if it were nothing. First, the standard form of a reindeer, secondly a fighting form with muscular arms. Thirdly, a slimmed down form which he uses to effortlessly dodge their attacks, and a final form...in which his fur puffs out in all directions, standing on end as if he's been struck by a bolt of lightning.
"My Rumble Ball is a drug that disrupts the wavelength of a Devil Fruit's transformations," Chopper explains. "Five years of research went into its development. In that time I discovered four more transformations. The standard three plus four more granting me seven transformations."
"Dahahaha~!" laughs Run, grinning from ear to ear. "That little jaw breaker is cool as hell!"
"He developed something like that himself?" Robin asks, sounding impressed to Run's ears. Truthfully, she never would have imagined it possible to manipulate the Devil Fruit's wavelength like that. "How interesting." While Robin and Run are impressed by Chopper's intelligence, Luffy himself is impressed more by the transformations. He seems to be beside himself, stars dancing in his eyes and face split in a huge grin.
"A seven-phase transforming, talking reindeer!" Luffy cheers, completely ignoring Wapol along with everyone else. They two go round and round with Chessmarimo being unable to hit Chopper, and when they finally separate completely, the little reindeer lands and forms a small circle with his fingers. "Oohhh! A beam! He's gonna shoot a beam!"
"What are you doing now?" Chessmarimo asks.
"I wasn't just dodging you," Chopper tells him. "I was looking for your weak spot...and now I've finally found it! His jaw!" In a single swift upper-cut, the fight is over and Chessmarimo is left lying motionless in the snow. It takes only a second for Robin to notice the absence of Wapol and far shorter to notice a set of foot-prints heading into the castle.
"Luffy! Run! He's gone inside!" Robin tells them, alerting the everyone to his disappearance.
"Aah, that man don't listen!" shouts Run. The two go running off inside quickly, paying little attention to anything else as they do. Inside the castle, they find the man standing in front of a pair of large stone doors, hurriedly attempting to de-ice what appears to be a large lock. "Hey, big guy!" Wapol immediately whirls around to face them.
"It's over!" Wapol tells them, motioning to the doors behind him. "Believe it or not behind these doors is the castle's armory! After I open the door and eat all the weapons inside, no one will be able to stand against me! I'm going to take back my castle and my kingdom! What do you think of that?!" Hearing snow crunching behind them both glance back at the calm approach of Robin, who has her arms crossed in front of her. Both turn to look back at Wapol just in time to see an extra arm snatch and throw the key in their direction.
"You really should hide these things better," Robin says, catching the key with ease. "And you really shouldn't tell others your intentions."
"Good job, Robin!" Luffy chirps, grinning from ear to ear.
"It's not over yet!" a sweating Wapol screams, surprising them all by taking off up the stairs. They immediately give chase, taking the stairs two at a time behind the man all the way up to the very top of the castle, and down a series of frozen halls behind eventually stopping in a circular room with a large tarp covered object in the center.
"Looks like this is the end of the road, Wapol. No where left to go."
"I still have one last trick up my sleeve!" He yanks the tarp off to reveal a huge seven bored cannon, which he immediately swivels around to point at them. "I'm going to completely obliterate the two of you, and after I'm done I'm going to finish off the rest of your pathetic crew!" Wapol pulls the lever on the back of the cannon...and absolutely nothing happens. "Wha...?" Inside of a cannon blast, a trio of small pale colored birds comes rolling out, chirping wildly.
"...Snow birds," Luffy says, approaching and grabbing the man by his face. "Listen up! I don't care if you're a king or even a god...I'm a pirate and I'm gonna kick your ass!"
"Y-You can't be serious! Drum Kingdom is part of the World Government! Attacking me is the same as attacking them! You'll be making yourself targets! Enemies of the Government!"
"Pirates are already enemies of the World Government," Run simply points out. "I know that a fake pirate like you can't wrap his head around it but...we don't care." The man surprises them by suddenly opening his mouth wide...and transforming his tongue into a cannon!
"Tongue Cannon!" The shot is deafening and so powerful that it blasts a hole in the wall, and chokes the room with a thick smoke. His laughter sounds moments later as the smoke and dust begin to clear. "Looks like they let their guard down! Idiots!"
"Well, one of us did," Run tells the man, voice sounding from behind. Luffy suddenly grasps the man's shoulders, and begins to spin himself around rapidly.
"You shouldn't underestimate us!" Luffy laughs, seconds before launching the man up into the rafters. "Gum-Gum...Bow Gun!" Wapol smashes into the ceiling, firmly lodging himself in there and giving them time scramble up onto the roof as well. "You'd better be prepared to accept the consequences if you insult someone else's flag!"
"Now! Gum-Gum...!"
"Sea King's...!"
"W-Wait! Please! I-I-I'll make you v-vice king...!"
"...Bazooka!"
"...Lash!" Wapol is sent flying into the distance, so far that he completely disappears from their sight...from Alabasta entirely.
"Heh...good job, Run."
"Aah, I don't feel like I really did anything." From their vantage point they easily spot a small group of people running towards the castle entrance. "Well, here comes the cavalry. I think I see...Zoro? We should go down and-" Before he can even finish Luffy has stretched himself out, and catapulted himself straight down towards the ground. "-greet them..."
----
After managing to get down from the roof without falling, the red head makes his way back to the castle entrance. As it turns out, it's not just Zoro but Nami, Vivi and Usopp as well an injured Dalton and a slew of villagers that have comes up the mountain...by cable car, it seems. It only takes him a second to realize that Luffy and Chopper are missing...but upon seeing two sets of foot prints running off he concludes that Luffy is most likely chasing the little reindeer around the castle again.
"Oi, Red!" Zoro calls, as he approaches. "What happened?"
"Aah, it's a long story," Run tells him. "What about you guys? Looks like you've all been the wringer."
"It's a long story." The two share a brief laugh, as the rest of the crew approaches.
"Yo, Robin, you're looking a lot better!" Usopp says in way of greeting.
"I'm feeling much better, Usopp," Robin assures him, turning to look at Vivi. "As soon as Luffy finishes convincing Chopper to join us then we'll head right for Alabasta."
"You're not going anywhere!" Kureha shouts, approaching quickly. "You shouldn't even be out of bed right now, girl! You still need at least three more days before you've fully recovered!" The doctor doesn't waste any time at all getting them all inside. Although she quickly treats Sanji, and Dalton before shoving them into a bed it's well after dark by the time she's finished. Of course, rather than allow herself to befall the same fate Robin makes her escape from the room, wandering the halls of the frozen castle in silence.
"Getting sloppy," sings a familiar voice, attracting her attention to the red head behind her. He stands within arms reach, hands tucked into the pockets of his pea coat and grinning from ear to ear. "Been a while since I've gotten the drop on you, Robin."
"I suppose I really do need some more rest," Robin tells him as he approaches closer. "Walk with me?"
"Always." The two continue on down the hall in a slow meandering pace. They don't have a particular destination in mind, and simply scan their surroundings as they walk eventually finding their way out of the castle gates and out onto the frozen mountain top. "I know I've asked a few...well, dozen times by now but are you alright?"
"Yes. Thank you for asking." She glances side long as the red head. "I've never seen you so worried."
"I never felt like I might lose you before." Robin steps up to the man, her hands coming up and gently cupping his cheeks before kissing him.
"I told you in my letter...no matter what I'm coming home to you. Coming home forever. Understand?" His hands land on her hips and a smile slowly curves his lips before he leans back in, stealing another kiss before she can react. "Mm. Good."
"Ahem!" Both heads turn to find the rest of the crew standing there, minus Sanji who Zoro dragging through the snow face down by his ankle and Luffy who is no doubt still chasing after Chopper. The two separate, turning to face the crew gathered before them while Run clears his throat.
"Have, uh...we settled up with Doc Kureha, then?" Run attempts.
"It's taken care of, lover boy," Zoro tells him, dropping Sanji's ankle. "We're just waiting on-"
"Reindeer!" shouts Luffy, sprinting in their direction as quickly as possible. "Come out, Reindeer!"
"I...I can't go with you!" calls a voice from the entrance of the castle, attracting their attention. "It's impossible!"
"No, it's not! Come on, it's gonna be fun!"
"But...But I'm a monster! I can't go with you! I have hooves, and antlers...I even have a blue nose! There's no way I can go with you! E...Even so...thank you for asking. I-"
"Shut up, and let's go!" exclaims Luffy, throwing his hands skyward.
"Y...Yeah!" replies Chopper, tears streaming down his face and nose running...
----
They wait in silence for Chopper's return. Having to say good bye to someone after spending so many years together is certainly something that takes a bit of time...it was something that Run had had to do himself when he'd left his father's crew. To say that it was difficult would certainly be an understatement. Luffy and Usopp have run off to make the cable car ready for their departure, and the rest of the crew sits in a comfortable silence while they wait.
"Think he's going to be much longer?" Zoro finally asks, earning their attention.
"Aah, relax," Run tells him. "Thought you were a swordsman? When did you turn into such a clock watcher?"
"Clock watcher? What are you-" Before he can finish his sentence a snow ball strikes him square in the face.
"Dahahahaha~! Gotta stay on your toes!" Zoro immediately leaps to his feet, glaring at the red head fiercely while Robin giggles.
"You wanna fight that badly, lover boy?!"
"Oh-ho! Pretty fired up for such a cold place, Zoro!" The swordsman crouches quickly, scooping up a hand full of snow and rapidly balling it. Unfortunately as he draws back he's struck in the face again as Run fires off another snow ball in his direction. "Gotta be quicker than that!"
"I'm gonna-"
"Everyone! Get on the sleigh!" exclaims Chopper, suddenly sprinting out of the castle tied up a small sleigh. "We'll go down the mountain this way!" Behind Chopper, they can see Kureha running, a ball and chain spinning rapidly in her grip. Thankfully, Luffy and Usopp had picked that moment to tell them all that the cable car was ready, and they were able to board the sleigh before Kureha caught up with them. It's a quick slide down the thick rope from the top of the mountain to the bottom with Luffy calling for a second go.
They had just reached the forest when the thunder of cannons sounded from the castle, and the sleigh comes to an abrupt halt. Quickly changing forms, Chopper runs around the sleigh several feet away to face the castle, and when everyone turns around...they're treated to a beautiful sight.
"It's beautiful," mutters Nami. The snow surrounding the castle has been tinted a vivid pink and with the mountain serving as a trunk...it looks like one giant blossoming cherry tree with the pedals falling across the entire island. It's as if spring has finally come to the frozen island. They watched for as long as they could until finally they had to return to the Going Merry...and after fishing a frozen Karoo out of the icy river, they weigh anchor and set sail for Alabasta once again.
Naturally, everyone is curious as to why Karoo ended up in the river...and unfortunately for Zoro, Chopper translates the ducks soft squawking. He tells them that he dove in after Zoro disappeared during his swim, which earns the swordsman a smack in the head from Nami.
"Alright! Let's set sail for Alabsata" Luffy exclaims...