Vihaan blinked again at the small, blue-nosed reindeer now pressed awkwardly behind a barrel—his entire body sticking out, save for his antlers, which trembled slightly. His bright eyes peeked through as he mumbled something incomprehensible.
"You know we can see you, right?" Vihaan muttered, smirking.
"I-I'm hiding!" the reindeer protested.
Dr. Kureha rolled her eyes. "That's my assistant. A total idiot. But a capable idiot."
The reindeer gasped. "D-don't compliment me so openly, you hags!"
Then, as Vihaan laughed, the reindeer began to twitch… then dance.
He wagged his stubby legs, spun in a tiny circle, then fell on his face. "D-don't look at me when you say nice things!"
"You're ridiculous," Vihaan said, now fully grinning.
"I'm Tony Tony Chopper," the reindeer muttered, hopping onto a stool beside them. "I'm a reindeer… who ate the Hito Hito no Mi, the Human-Human Fruit."
"So that's why you can talk," Nami said softly from the bed, finally stirring awake. Her voice was hoarse, but the fever had clearly broken.
Chopper jumped.
"Aaaaahh! She's awake! The pretty girl is awake!! I didn't prepare a bouquet! I'm not ready for guests!"
"She nearly died!" Kureha barked. "And you're worried about flowers?"
"Exactly! She deserves flowers!"
After a warm broth and a few minutes of calm, Nami leaned up on her elbow. "Hey, Chopper… how did you end up here, anyway?"
Chopper looked hesitant at first, but the warmth in her voice—gentle and genuine—seemed to reach him.
"…You really wanna know?" he asked.
Nami and Vihaan nodded.
He took a deep breath, and his expression turned solemn.
"I was born… different. Even before the Devil Fruit, my nose was blue. The other reindeer cast me out. Then, after I ate the Hito Hito no Mi, I became even more of a freak."
Vihaan and Nami listened silently.
"They hated me. Humans feared me. I was chased, beaten… until I met Dr. Hiriluk."
Vihaan's eyes softened at the name.
"He was crazy… a fraud of a doctor… but he had a dream. He said a kingdom could be saved with cherry blossoms. He took me in. Taught me everything. He became my first real friend."
Chopper looked down, ears drooping.
"But he was sick… terminal. He left me with Dr. Kureha. He…" Chopper's voice cracked, "He drank poison to die on his own terms… smiling."
Nami gently reached forward, her fingers brushing the fur on his arm. "That's horrible… and beautiful."
Chopper blinked fast. "D-don't touch me so gently… idiot…"
Vihaan chuckled. "He sounds like someone worth following. You've done him proud."
Chopper turned away, hiding his face. "S-shut up… idiots… you're all idiots…"
Back in the snow-covered village below the mountain, the rest of the Straw Hat crew faced chaos.
Wapol, bloated and furious after his last retreat, had returned—flanked by his men, Chess and Kuromarimo, and this time ready for revenge.
"You dared defy me!?" Wapol shouted, jaw opening disturbingly wide as he prepared to eat another part of the ship.
"I'LL FIRE THIS RIGHT INTO YOUR STOMACH AGAIN!" Usopp yelled, armed with a new, souped-up slingshot bomb he had prepped since Loguetown.
Sanji landed a spinning kick on Chess, knocking him into a snowbank. "Back off, you walking buffet."
Zoro, however… was nowhere in sight.
"He's lost again, isn't he?" Sanji growled as he parried Kuromarimo's spinning afro attack.
"Yep," Usopp sighed. "Took the left path when I said right, remember?"
"Figures."
Still, even without Zoro, the crew held their ground.
Back atop the mountain, Chopper looked up at the sky and whispered, "It's snowing harder. They'll be in trouble."
Vihaan stood. "Then we go help."
Nami glanced at him. "Are you okay to fight?"
He smiled. "I've got my warmth back. Thanks to you."
As he helped Nami onto her feet, Vihaan turned to Chopper. "You ever thought about coming with us?"
Chopper's eyes widened. "W-why would I…?"
"Because you're strong, kind, and stubborn," Nami said. "We could use a doctor. And a friend."
He blinked again, ears twitching. "I… I'll think about it!"
"Good. For now…" Vihaan summoned two small mirror platforms and offered one to Chopper. "Let's go save our idiots."
Before they left, Vihaan helped Nami into a cozy white fur-lined parka, its tight belt highlighting her waist while the hood framed her face in soft fluff. She pulled the zipper up with a soft smile.
"You're staring," she teased, catching Vihaan's gaze.
"Just admiring the snow goddess before the battle," he replied smoothly, slipping into a dark navy-blue jacket with twin mirror-emblem buttons and a scarf wrapped neatly around his neck.
Chopper, meanwhile, bundled up in a fuzzy red cap and wool scarf that covered half his face.
They turned toward Dr. Kureha, who was watching from the door of the cabin, sipping from a flask.
Vihaan raised his voice, "Doc… would you mind if we, uh… took your assistant with us?"
Kureha scoffed and waved her hand.
"That idiot's long outgrown this mountain. He needs the sea. Besides—" she grinned, teeth glinting "—you'll need someone to patch your arrogant pirate butts up when you keep throwing yourselves into stupid fights."
Chopper teared up, hiding behind a log.
"D-don't say things that nice, you witch…!"
Kureha shouted, "Get going already before I change my mind!"
Vihaan smirked, Nami chuckled, and with that—the trio launched off the snowy summit, riding down toward the battle below.
Vihaan gave a mirror platform to chopper to go down with them as he slid down the mountain with nami on another mirror platform