"Sanji, knock it off! Chopper's not food!" Kai said firmly.
"No, that's right! I'm not food!" Chopper added angrily, transforming from a reindeer back into his human form.
"!!!"
The transformation left everyone around them dumbfounded.
"A reindeer… can talk?" Luffy's jaw dropped.
"Can you transform again?" Usopp's eyes widened in amazement.
There was a stunned silence for a moment, before a loud shout erupted.
"Monster!"
( ๑ŏ _ ŏ๑ )!
Chopper's shoulders slumped in disappointment. It seemed that he still couldn't fit in with people; it felt like there were too few who didn't see him as a freak.
ε=( ́ο`*))) Alas!
It looked like he wouldn't be joining any crews after all and would have to stay on Drum Island. His desire to set sail seemed to have frozen solid.
But then, Luffy and Usopp's next words reignited the spark in his eyes.
"This is amazing! A reindeer who talks and transforms—will you join our crew?" Luffy asked, beaming.
"It's really interesting and cute," Usopp agreed. "You're furry and adorable!"
Chopper looked around at the smiles on their faces. Unlike before, where he was met with fear and disgust, these people were excited and curious, not afraid of him!
An indescribable feeling welled up inside him. Though he couldn't quite grasp it, he knew he was incredibly happy!
...
Half an hour later~
Everyone was gathered around the stove, savoring the meat of the Goldfish King that Kai had retrieved from his System Inventory.
Chopper was happily munching on marshmallows, preferring to stay away from the meat. After all, he was a vegetarian, and eating meat felt a bit off.
Kai, watching Chopper's contentment, couldn't help but think of how Chopper would pick up so many "bad habits" from Luffy and the crew—like eating meat and drinking alcohol. It was a shame he didn't seem to pick up the good stuff.
"Kai, this Goldfish King meat is incredible! It's so delicious! I'm glad you saved some for us!" Luffy said with a satisfied sigh.
Everyone around him nodded in agreement, including Dalton, the owner of the house, who was impressed by the aroma.
Dalton looked at Kai with curiosity. "What kind of Goldfish King is this? I've never heard of it."
"Oh, this is a super large Sea King type," Kai answered casually, leaving Dalton puzzled.
"Super… large Sea King type?"
"How did you get this meat?" Dalton asked, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Just hunted it and cut it up!" Kai shrugged, while Luffy gave Dalton a look as if he were naive.
Dalton's sweat increased. It was an extremely cold winter island, and he usually felt a bit chilly even with the stove on, but today, it felt like his sweat glands were working overtime.
"By the way, as thanks for helping my friends reach the island, I'll leave some of the Goldfish King's meat for you!" Kai said to Dalton.
"Thanks!" Dalton replied, then suddenly looked at Kai with suspicion. "How do you know I helped them get here?"
"Just a guess!"
"Because I know your islanders hate pirates. After all, your country was recently ravaged by pirates!"
Dalton's eyes widened with excitement. He stood up, staring at Kai. "How did you know this? Are you with the pirates who attacked?"
"No, no, I just happen to know!"
"The pirate who destroyed your country is rather infamous."
"Blackbeard—Marshall D. Teach!"
"Right, that's the name!" Dalton confirmed.
"Exactly," Kai thought to himself.
"Yes, that's him."
Dalton sat back down slowly. "Even though I loathe him, the destruction of our country had an unexpected silver lining."
"Why? Isn't it always bad when a country is destroyed?" Vivi, who had been quiet until now, stood up, her voice filled with emotion.
Everyone turned to look at her, puzzled.
...
"Uh, sorry, I got a bit carried away. Please continue!" Vivi sat back down, embarrassed.
Dalton was taken aback by Vivi's reaction but continued. "The destruction of the country freed us from the tyranny of our king!"
"We used to be called the Drum Kingdom. Our king, Wapol, was cruel and oppressive. He was the first to flee when the pirates attacked, leaving his people behind…"
"How could a king do that? A king should protect his people!" Vivi exclaimed, standing up again.
Dalton was taken aback. Why does it feel like she's more fired up than I am?
But Luffy and the others understood Vivi's reaction.
A hand rested on Vivi's shoulder, and a calm voice said, "Don't be too shocked, Vivi. Not every king is like what you described. Many are like Wapol and don't care about their people."
"But those kings who truly care and protect their people? They're the ones who are fit to rule."
"Kai…" Vivi murmured, looking at him with a soft gaze.
Kai gave her a reassuring nod. Just as he was about to speak, a commotion erupted outside.
Dalton immediately stood up. "Stay here. I'll go check out what's happening."
With that, he opened the door and stepped outside.
"Let's see what's going on. Maybe we can help out," Kai suggested to everyone.
As they followed Dalton outside, they saw him staring in shock, fear flashing in his eyes.
"Wapol!!!"
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.