Cabernet, Sanji, and Luffy with Nami still on his back raced down the mountain on a log. This was the opposite way that they wanted to go.
They at least managed to fight off the Lapins that were attacking them, but their fortunes turned for the worse once again. Their log was hurdling straight towards an outcropping and was going to crash.
Sanji sacrificed himself to hurl the other three with all his strength backwards to slow their momentum.
"I'll go get Sanji. You take Nami up the mountain when the avalanche stops and I'll be right behind you." Suggested Cabernet.
...
At the bottom of the mountain in the town of Big Horn, a duel between swordsmen raged onwards.
Cherry had a number of cuts across her body while Jaxin had not yet been wounded. "Give up, girl. You're no match for me." He mocked as they took distance for a moment.
They charged once more, but this time Cherry did something Jaxin didn't expect. She reached her hand directly for his incoming blade.
At first he was delighted at the opportunity and naturally went to claim it. However, in a moment his Observation Haki sensed danger, so he pulled his sword back at the last instant and dodged.
'What did she do?' He wondered, seeing that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
'Did I imagine it? Is her resemblance to Hawkeye making me jumpy?' This thought made him doubt himself. 'NO! She isn't Hawkeye! I'll show her the difference between us!'
Cherry was having a great time on the other hand. He was actually a decent opponent for her, his Observation Haki even detected her intent when reaching for his sword.
Suddenly a shout from one of the townspeople. "AVALANCHE! An avalanche is headed straight for us!"
The townspeople rushed to get out of the way of the coming mass of snow, but the two fighters didn't make any moves to evacuate.
"You're not going to run away, coward?" Cherry mocked.
Hail began to fall from the sky, mostly in small pieces but with some larger chunks mixed in. The blizzicane was getting started in earnest now.
Cherry and Jaxin clashed once more. Cherry kept trying to touch his blade, but he never let her do so. Suddenly, a hailstone the size of an apple cracked directly into Cherry's head, seeming to daze her.
"Chance!" Jaxin laughed evilly.
His sword slipped passed her defense and slashed across her chest.
Blood stained the snow. Jaxin laughed with mad glee at having cut the object of his hatred, or at least a proxy of it.
His laughter stopped when he saw that Cherry still stood firmly on her feet.
"This is all you can manage? No wonder you took a blade to your back despite calling yourself a swordsman, you can't even cut properly." Cherry said, seeming unfazed by the bloody wound.
"Let this be a lesson for you, Zoro. If your opponent tries to touch your sword, do not let them do so no matter what." Cherry instructed, turning her back on Jaxin.
"What the hell are you doing, idiot?! Don't turn your back on your enemy!" Zoro shouted.
It was already too late, however. Jaxin was already upon her, swinging his sword at her back with all the strength and rage he could muster.
Cherry did not turn to meet him and simply allowed him to slash at her back. The observers gasped in horror, but Jaxin's terrible smile faded and shifted to fear. He held his blade up to his eyes and they trembled. There was no wound left on Cherry's back. She quickly swiveled around to face him.
*BANG*
A gunshot rang out. Jaxin looked at Cherry and then at the bleeding hole in his stomach in disbelief as he stumbled backwards.
"Lesson number 2. You can hold yourself to whatever standards you wish, but do not ever assume that your opponent will fight you honorably." Cherry said, blowing the smoke off the end of her pistol's barrel.
Cherry suddenly rushed behind Jaxin and raised her sword. "Lesson number 3."
She slashed him across his back, giving him yet another mark of shame that will follow him forever.
"If you insist on sparing the lives of your enemies, at least do not spare their pride. Destroy a man's pride and he will never be a real threat to you again." She said, though that was more true when it came to cultivators than it did for the people of this world.
Cherry walked around in front of Jaxin who had slumped to his knees, his eyes were full of complex emotions. Anger, fear, despair, regret.
She pulled out a few black strands of her hair, wadded them up in her hand, and turned them into a powdery substance. She mashed her hand and the powder against Jaxin's forehead and he started to scream in pain.
"Oh, quit being a cry baby." Cherry admonished, finishing up her little 'parting gift' for him.
When she moved away, the observers couldn't help but giggle.
"What did you just do to me?" Jaxin asked, breathing heavily.
In large letters upon his forehead like a tattoo, the words "I'm a little bitch boy" were written.
Cherry didn't answer the little bitch boy's question. "The path of a swordsman isn't for you, friend. Following a path that isn't suitable for you is worse than going back to choose another. By the way, that avalanche is still coming. Better get a move on if you don't want to die."
This woke everyone out of their stupor and they moved to find shelter. Cherry helped Dalton to his feet and into a nearby building. Even Jaxin managed to drag himself to shelter. The avalanche slammed into the town about a minute later.
Cherry tended to Dalton's wounds, while he insisted she should be tended to first. She assured him that she was perfectly fine and not even bleeding any more.
Zoro asked Cherry a question. "What did you do to his sword?"
"I told you didn't I? Don't let somebody touch your sword. I ruined the edge with my devil fruit ability when he slashed me the first time. I have no doubt there are other devil fruit that can sunder weapons as well, so you should be mindful of that. Wouldn't want those pretty swords you got there to get ruined, would you?" She answered.
He figured that was a good point and made a note to be mindful in the future. His swords could not be easily replaced after all.
...
Luffy struggled to climb up the side of the mountain while Cabernet followed behind him, carrying Nami and Sanji respectively.
Wapol's group had caught up to them beforehand, but the Lapins blocked them as thanks for Cabernet digging them out of the snow. "You're too cute to die, silly!" She told them.
Hailstones smashed against the rock wall, threatening to hit them, but they had little choice but to press onwards and hope they wouldn't get hit.
Cabernet had to remove her flames to carry Sanji safely, so her body had lost its source of heat and had become more vulnerable.
After a few close calls, they barely managed to reach the top of the mountain. Luffy collapsed, unable to go any further, so it was up to Cabernet to carry all three the rest of the way. She dragged them along the final stretch and into the castle.
The castle was completely frozen over, even on the inside.
"W-what are you doing here, you bastard?!" A voice shouted.
Cabernet looked over to the source and saw a tiny creature with a hat over its antlers. It was attempting to peek around a corner, but the majority of its body was clearly visible.
"Are you Doctor Kureha? You're so CUTE! I mean, ahem, my friends need help." She gestured to the unconscious Luffy, Nami, and Sanji, desperately trying to keep a serious face.
The small reindeer, Chopper, was terrified of this monstrous woman, but his instincts as a doctor got the better of him. "I-I'll help them, but... YOU have to back away! Don't get too close!"
Cabernet backed away, but she looked so hurt by his words that Chopper felt his heart ache at his own cruelty. How could he treat someone like a monster after he himself had been on the receiving end of that kind of treatment? "Y-you can help me carry them inside, but I'm watching y-you..."
Cabernet was elated that the cute creature didn't seem to hate her, and started to help him carry the others into the warmer parts of the castle.