The revelation of Tony Tony Chopper had transformed Drum Island from an ignored winter wasteland into the most sought-after destination on the Grand Line. Marines, World Government agents, pirates, and worse were all converging on the snow-covered kingdom, each faction determined to claim the "Zoan God" for their own purposes.
But of all the forces racing toward Drum Island, one group held a decisive advantage: proximity.
The Going Merry cut through the increasingly frigid waters with determined purpose, her lion figurehead seeming to smile despite the snowflakes gathering on its mane. The Straw Hat Pirates had already reached the territorial waters surrounding their destination, close enough to see the towering peaks that gave the island its name.
On deck, Luffy bounced excitedly in his winter coat, his breath forming small clouds in the cold air. The captain's enthusiasm was infectious, his grin wide enough to warm the entire crew despite the dropping temperature.
"A reindeer doctor who can transform into all those different forms!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms wide. "That's so cool! With Chopper on our crew, nobody will ever have to be sick again!"
Igaram stood near the railing, his distinctive curled hair now topped with a winter hat that made his silhouette even more unusual. The loyal retainer of Arabasta watched the Sky Screen's lingering images with a mixture of admiration and regret.
"Such incredible medical talent," he murmured, his voice heavy with wishful thinking. "If only we could recruit someone like Tony Tony Chopper to serve Arabasta. Our kingdom has such need of skilled physicians."
The captain of the Arabasta royal guard thoughts inevitably turned to the crisis unfolding in his homeland. Even now, rebels were marching toward the capital, their hearts poisoned against King Cobra by lies and manipulation. How many would die in the coming conflict? How many could be saved if they had access to a doctor of Chopper's caliber?
Near the ship's edge, Zoro continued his training regimen despite the cold, his three swords cutting precise patterns through the frigid air. The swordsman's dedication never wavered, regardless of weather or circumstance, but his attention was divided between his kata and the conversation around him.
"If this reindeer joins us, he'll need protection," Zoro said between sword strikes, not pausing in his routine. "The rest of you are either too weak or too stupid to keep a target that valuable safe."
His gaze flickered meaningfully toward Luffy and Usopp, both of whom had a talent for turning simple situations into catastrophic disasters. A doctor capable of creating immortality would attract every desperate pirate and power-hungry noble in the world—the crew would need someone with the sense and strength to guard such a precious nakama.
Below deck, the urgent reason for their journey continued to worsen. Princess Vivi knelt beside the makeshift infirmary they'd established in the women's quarters, wringing out cool cloths to place on Nami and Sanji's burning foreheads.
Both patients bore the telltale signs of their mysterious affliction: angry red welts where unknown insects had bitten them during their time on Little Garden. Sanji's bite mark decorated his neck like a grotesque necklace, while Nami's right arm had swollen to nearly twice its normal size.
"Hang in there," Vivi whispered, her voice heavy with worry. "We're almost there. The doctor will know what to do."
The two drifted in and out of consciousness, their fevered minds conjuring delirious dreams. Sanji muttered about beautiful princesses and grand feasts, while Nami occasionally called out compass headings and wind directions, her navigator's instincts persisting even in delirium.
Unbeknownst to the Straw Hats, danger approached from beneath the waves. The peculiar submarine ship of the Bliking Pirates cut through the ocean depths, following the Going Merry's wake with predatory intent.
In the submarine's command center, Wapol lounged in his captain's chair like a grotesque parody of royalty. The exiled king's massive frame was draped in his characteristic white fur coat, while his distinctive tin-plated chin gleamed in the artificial light. Between his teeth, he methodically chewed on an iron blade, the Paramecia-type Baku Baku no Mi (Munch-Munch Fruit) allowing him to consume and digest anything.
"To think such an extraordinary individual would emerge from my former kingdom," Wapol mused, crunching through the weapon's metal handle. "Fate has a twisted sense of humor."
Chess, his bow-wielding subordinate dressed in his signature checkered outfit, nodded enthusiastically from his position beside the throne. "Your Majesty's wisdom is unparalleled! With such a skilled doctor under your command, the Drum Kingdom shall rise to greatness once again!"
But it was Kuromarimo, the afro-haired former minister, who voiced the darker truth lurking beneath their plans. His spherical hair bobbed as he leaned closer to his king, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.
"Your Majesty, that reindeer seems familiar. Isn't it the creature that Dalton protected? The pet of that quack Hiriluk?"
The name hit Wapol like a physical blow, his chewing stopping abruptly as memory flooded back. That pathetic excuse for a doctor, ranting about cherry blossoms and miracle cures, accompanied always by his blue-nosed reindeer companion. The very reindeer now revealed to be a future legend.
"If that's true," Kuromarimo continued, his voice growing more urgent, "then Tony Tony Chopper is no mere asset to be controlled. He's a threat that must be eliminated. We killed his master, Your Majesty. Do you truly believe he'll forget such a debt?"
The logic was inescapable and terrifying. Chopper had witnessed Hiriluk's execution, had seen his beloved mentor gunned down by Wapol's forces. Even if the reindeer himself was forgiving by nature, his future pirate allies would undoubtedly seek revenge for such cruelty.
Wapol's massive hand tightened around the sword hilt, the metal groaning under pressure. "Then we eliminate him before he becomes a problem. The Straw Hat Pirates first, then we settle our account with both the reindeer and that witch Kureha."
His laughter echoed through the submarine's corridors, a sound devoid of warmth or mercy. "Drum Island belongs to me! I am its rightful king!"
"Long live His Majesty!" the crew chorused, their voices a mixture of genuine loyalty and calculated self-preservation.
Meanwhile, atop Drum Peak...
In the highest tower of the castle that crowned Drum Island's tallest mountain, Tony Tony Chopper spun in delighted circles, his small hooves clicking against the stone floor. The young reindeer's joy was infectious, his happiness radiating from every fiber of his being.
"Doctorine! Did you see? Did you see?" he exclaimed, his voice high with excitement. "The Sky Screen called me the Zoan God! People all over the world know about my medicine now!"
For perhaps the first time in his short life, Chopper felt truly acknowledged. The isolation and rejection he'd faced from both reindeer and humans seemed distant now, overwhelmed by the validation of being recognized as someone special.
"In the future, I'll develop a real panacea!" he continued, his innocent mind accepting the Sky Screen's revelations without question. "Just like Hiriluk always dreamed! I won't let him down!"
But Dr. Kureha's expression remained grim, her weathered face showing none of her apprentice's enthusiasm. At 139 years old, she had seen enough of the world to understand that fame was often a curse in disguise. Her bottle of plum wine sat forgotten on the table as she processed the implications of their exposure.
"Chopper," she said quietly, her voice cutting through his celebration like a blade. "We need to leave. Now."
The reindeer's spinning stopped abruptly, confusion replacing joy in his large eyes. "Leave? But Doctorine, this is good news! People finally recognize that I'm not just a monster!"
"That's exactly the problem," Kureha replied, already moving to gather essential supplies. "Recognition makes you a target. Every power-hungry fool in the world will come looking for you now."
She had protected Chopper from the Blackbeard Pirates' rampage through similar precautions, and her instincts were screaming that they were about to face something far worse. The old woman's hands moved with practiced efficiency, packing only the most crucial medicines and research notes.
"But I don't understand," Chopper said, his innocence heartbreaking in its completeness. "If I can help people, why would anyone want to hurt me?"
Kureha paused in her preparations, looking at the small reindeer who had brought so much light into her cynical world. How could she explain the darkness that lurked in human hearts? How could she tell him that his greatest gifts would mark him for exploitation or elimination?
"Because, my dear boy," she said softly, "in this world, the ability to help people often makes you dangerous to those who profit from suffering."
Chopper was accustomed to this kind of hiding life. He used to live with his adoptive father Hiriluk, and was often chased and beaten. Sometimes he had to hide in one place for a long time.
"Okay, doctor, let's pack up and leave now."
Kureha is his master and adoptive mother, and Chopper trusts everything she says 100%. He is a little confused in his little head, and doesn't understand why the doctor is so nervous, or even afraid?
Isn't it a good thing to be recognized by the sky screen?