The next day...
The Going Merry arrived in a freezing cold sea. Everyone was bundled up: the Straw Hats, the two "tool" characters (Valentine & Mr. 5), Doctor, and the trash king Wapol.
"Ray," Vivi said softly, standing beside him, "judging by the weather, we should be near Drum Island."
"Hmm."
Behind them, Luffy, Zoro, and the others were lying on the deck like dead fish again.
Since Nami was feeling much better thanks to the Doctor, Vivi could handle caring for her alone, which meant the brutal beating-training had resumed.
Mikita was still tied to the iron rod, gazing dreamily at Ray.
Gem wasn't much better.
They'd both always admired strength, which is why they joined Baroque Works.
But seeing Ray in action? They now understood what real power looked like
'Probably even Mr. 0 couldn't compare to him.' Unconsciously, new ideas started forming in their minds.
...
Two hours later...
An island covered in snow, with weird chimney-like peaks towering into the clouds, appeared.
"Everyone!" Luffy shouted excitedly, "Let's go ashore!"
…
On the shores of Drum Island...
Dalton, a muscular man in a green coat, looked serious.
He watched the armed townspeople gathering at the dock, ready to fight off pirates.
"We absolutely cannot fight them," he frowned. "This crew... we can't handle them."
"Ah? Why?" someone asked.
"The Straw Hat Pirates," Dalton said grimly. "Total bounty: 282,000,050 Berries. That's a major pirate crew. If we fight them head-on, we'll die."
"Nearly 300 million..." The number echoed, and the armed residents broke out in a cold sweat despite the freezing air.
Soon after, the pirates arrived.
The Going Merry slowly sailed towards the dock.
Seeing the Straw Hat flag, Dalton started swallowing nervously without even realizing it.
…
As they got closer, the mist cleared.
Luffy and the others saw the people lining the shore, holding guns.
Luffy looked confused.
"What's this? I thought they'd welcome us like at Whiskey Peak."
Everyone else tensed up.
Hundreds of bullets firing at once? Even they had to be careful.
Ignoring Sanji's protests, Vivi strode forward proudly.
"We mean no harm!" she called out. "We heard there's a doctor here called a witch! Our navigator is critically ill! Please, could you let us come ashore?"
She then pulled Luffy down into a deep bow.
Ray knew this country had recently been attacked by Blackbeard and was super wary of pirates.
'They haven't attacked yet, probably because their leader recognized us.'
But Ray didn't want to waste time.
He told Chouchou to bring out the tied-up Wapol, and asked the Doctors to come out too.
Seeing the familiar doctors and the bound Wapol, Dalton and the townspeople gasped.
'What are these pirates planning?'
Just then, Chouchou spoke up.
"Inferior humans~"
THUMP!
Ray gave him a swift punch before he could continue.
'This puppy's opening line is way too offensive.'
To save time, Ray spoke himself. "We'll hand Wapol over to you. In exchange, let us come ashore for medical treatment."
Without waiting for an answer, Ray wrapped his fluffy tail around Nami and flew straight up into the sky.
"Chouchou, follow me!"
"Understood, Master!" Chouchou transformed and flew after him towards the tallest peak.
The residents just stared, mouths agape, completely bewildered.
"That dog can fly?"
"Wow... silver figure, dancing in the snow... like a god!"
"Old man, can you just speak normally?"
While they were marveling, Luffy and the others looked annoyed.
'They just flew off?! What about us?!' But since Ray was handling it, they stopped worrying.
Thanks to Vivi's diplomatic skills, Luffy, Sanji, Usopp, and Vivi followed Dalton into town, leaving Zoro, Karoo, and the two "tools" to watch the ship.
…
Ray and Chouchou soared through the sky. Suddenly, Ray felt two hands stroking his tail.
"Hehe," Nami mumbled sleepily, "Told you I'd sleep on it someday. So comfy~"
She had woken up briefly and was now causing trouble.
Ray's eye twitched.
He considered dumping her onto Chouchou, but remembered she was still sick and just sighed.
"Move less. Rest quietly."
"Mhm mhm~"
...
Five minutes later...
They landed on the tallest peak, right as Dr. Kureha (the "witch") and a small, strange reindeer-human hybrid (Chopper) were about to head down to town.
Kureha eyed Ray and the giant dog warily.
"You... flew up here?"
"Yes."
"Here for treatment? The girl?"
"Yes."
"Hehe. Why should I treat her?"
"You're a doctor. I have payment."
Kureha chuckled. "My fees aren't cheap, you know."
"And i'm not poor either."
"Hahaha! Alright, Chopper, town can wait. Let's examine this girl."
Ray had Chouchou shrink down a bit more, placed Nami gently on his back, and let them follow Kureha and Chopper into the castle.
Ray then sat down under a nearby tree to wait.
…
Back in town...
Luffy and the others were relatively relaxed, but Vivi was worried.
'Will Ray actually talk to the witch properly? What if he threatens her?'
Anxious, she asked Dalton how to get up the mountain and then dragged Luffy and the others onto a cable car heading up the peak (with Sanji operating it, of course).
Watching them go, a nearby resident asked Dalton.
"Are they really trustworthy? What if they're like Blackbeard? The newspapers said they were cruel."
Dalton just smiled.
"Evil people wouldn't make deals. Exchanging Wapol for permission to land means they don't have ill intentions. Besides, my gut feeling is always right. This group is pure! Especially that straw-hat guy. The newspapers are definitely wrong."
…
On the cable car...
Luffy was practically bouncing with excitement.
"There's a strange doctor up there, right? Hehehe! We're gonna get a ship's doctor soon!"
Everyone else: "Huh?"