Chapter 13 - Drum Island Part 5
Well, at least he wouldn't feel bad about eating venison anymore. Seriously? How did deers pick up the concept of discrimination? How! No wonder Chopper was so jumpy. He was hated by deer simply for being born different, and that was before he accidentally ate a Devil Fruit! So when he tried to go to the humans, he was shot at by fearful people instead of being welcomed.
Which was sadly, a very human response. Thomas wasn't ashamed to admit that. Something big came out of the woods like that, and he'd be concerned too. But that didn't change the fact that Chopper simply had been given a raw deal. He needed friends. Humans, and deers, he supposed, were social. At the end of the day, all Chopper had was a mentor. One that clearly cared for him. That could never be argued. Period.
But that was it. And while Kureha was an old woman in an age bracket that shouldn't even exist, Chopper was much, much younger. Something that wasn't hard, but Chopper could probably be hardly any older than a teenager at most. In human years. He wasn't sure how that worked in deer years.
Still, Thomas had made up his mind on the matter. He was going to try to get Chopper onto the crew. His long-term presence be damned. If he could get Luffy and Sanji to stop trying to eat Chopper for a few minutes, that would be easy enough to explain how cool Chopper was.
And it wasn't as if Luffy wanted a doctor in the first place.
Seriously, how they had survived as long as they had with only Nami's medical expertises was a testament to both Nami's skill and the rest of the crew's insanity.
Suddenly, the door burst open again. Thomas, expecting Luffy, opened his mouth, only for Chopper to be the one standing there.
"Wapol is back."
The words were simple, though Thomas couldn't quite grasp their meaning. Who was Wapol? And why was this a big deal?
"Again! I'm going to punch him in the face!" Norris's voice echoed down the hallway, causing Chopper to jump as Kureha let out a sigh as she pinched her brow.
"You will do no such thing!" Kureha shouted back, pushing herself out of her chair. "If you try to fight you're going to have your ribs end up in your lungs!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Much better!" Zoro grinned, rubbing his arms inside his newly acquired coat. Very few of Wapol's men contested Nathan's silent declaration. He managed to beat Nathan to the punch on that front. It was maybe half a dozen men?
At the moment, Nathan was helping dig up Dalton, while Wapol's men who surrendered and were not lying in a beaten heap were being disarmed. When one would start making noise in protest, Nathan would just look up at them.
Or he did. Either way, it quickly solved a lot of problems. They were even starting to thaw out the example Nathan made, who didn't seem to be too badly harmed by the block of ice. It either was an impressive show of control on Nathan's part, something likely as he seemed very upset. He wasn't sure who this Dalton person even was, but Nathan was willing to commit uncharacteristic aggression in the man's defense.
Which said enough about Dalton. Nathan was soft. Not just physically, but mentally. Two people attacking a whale for close to a month? Yes, Nathan fought them off each time, but there shouldn't have been a month of fights in the first place.
Benefiting from hindsight? The two were only marginally less harmless, so too extreme measures wouldn't be needed. But even if they were necessary, Zoro could tell that Nathan wouldn't step over that line. Even the man he froze with far more hostile intent was likely fine. Yes, Nathan could fight, and fight well. After Little Garden, Zoro couldn't question that much. But he also couldn't deny that Nathan was sheltered.
It was hard to think of Nathan being the oldest of the crew, no matter how true the statement was. Because he certainly didn't act the part. Sure, Nathan was learned. If there was anyone outside of Thomas and Vivi who had a more traditional education, it was him. And it showed. It wasn't as if Nathan didn't know what he was specialized in, no matter how irrelevant it first seemed. He did.
But that didn't change the fact that Nathan was soft. Quick to care about others, even if he shouldn't have. It was going to get Nathan hurt. Or worse. Luffy was strong enough to deal with it. But if someone got the drop on Nathan or overpowered his forms? It would not take long. And while he was certainly doing his best to improve, even without his transformations, the progress was painfully slow. It was progress, but it just simply wasn't fast enough.
"Zoro, I think Nathan is very angry right now," Vivi looked uncomfortable. It was uncharacteristic for Nathan to be like this, but that wasn't something that needed to be stated. He knew it. Usopp knew it. Nami knew it. Vivi knew it. But it wasn't too bad. Nathan wasn't going to take things further than he already had.
"It's nothing to worry about," Zoro shrugged, still enjoying his warm jacket. It wasn't like Nathan was going to try and kill someone. He was much too soft for something like that.
Of course, the air began to feel very cool. It seemed as if Wapol's men had been right all along. Dalton had been buried under the avalanche, three large arrows sticking out of his chest. And Nathan was not happy about things one bit.
Zoro watched as Nathan's form looked up into the sky and bellowed, a shout that crossed between anger and mourning in equal measure. And with it came snow. Small flutters of flakes began to fall, quickly picking up speed at a rapid rate, Nami let out a groan.
"Of course, it can manipulate the weather," he caught her voice as a frustrated whisper, barely able to hear it over the grinding of her teeth. Manipulate? "Wouldn't be the first time."
At this point, he shouldn't be too surprised. While he had reservations, nothing Nathan transformed into seemed to be purely worthless. In truth, they were often exotic in their abilities.
"It wouldn't be the first time, what!" Usopp shouted, looking around nervously as the townsfolk muttered, a growing sense of unease filling the air. Though it was obvious. Nathan had several forms that seemingly could manipulate the weather.
Maybe he should look through that book sometime. Nathan did say something about a form having sword hands. That would be worth looking into.
Vivi was already rushing over, ready to calm Nathan down, as a group of medics approached Dalton's body. He didn't catch the words they said, but the winds began to die down, the howling and newfound freezing temperatures beginning to fade. Nathan didn't seem happy about what was happening, but he didn't appear enraged anymore.
Then again, it was hard to tell when Nathan was transformed.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Reviving the dead? That was impossible! Why should I be trusting them with something like that! Why was I trusting them with something like that! Though, it could be that Dalton wasn't dead. Luffy was built differently, yes, but even I had a hard time imagining that he would live through three holes in his chest and be buried by an avalanche.
Maybe that was why? I was holding on to some hope that Dalton could make it out somehow. Despite all this. I'd laid down by that point. Part of me didn't trust them even now, even as they worked. They were doctors, but they had to be with Wapol. Why else would they be here? If the island only had one doctor, then they had to have been brought here. And we certainly hadn't done that!
But if they were, why were they trying so hard to save Dalton? I knew of the Hippocratic oath, or at least the basics of it. Was that why they were trying to save Dalton now? Or was there something more that I just wasn't getting? I did my best not to scowl or shake my head.
I knew what was really bothering me, beyond just Dalton being in a state of near death. It was me losing my temper. Yeah, yeah, me being angry was, always, a bit of a problem. I'd had a temper, and while I hadn't truly lost it fully in years, it was there. It was always in the sense of it was the quiet ones you had to watch out for. The ones you'd least expect. Normally, that wasn't much of a problem. For all my temper, I wasn't that dangerous, and I damn well knew it.
But I also didn't have the power to transform into Pokémon back then. Yes, people around here seemed to be made of seriously stern stuff. But that did little to change the fact I was a lot more dangerous now. Pokémon, even weaker ones, could be devastating. They were magical wild animals, even at their most mundane.
And it didn't help that I wasn't entirely sure how much transformation affects my personality. Aurorus? Even-tempered, while very strong. But what would have happened if I had been a Gyarados?
I already had half of that equation. I just needed the flying type. And that concerned me. In game, despite all of Gyarados's rage issues, there weren't any problems controlling the Pokémon, despite its known temper in the lore. In the anime and other materials?
Gyraados was a swimming natural disaster, enough to take entire towns clean off the map with its overwhelming strength and explosive temper. Don't get me wrong. I expected to need that type of overwhelming power in the future. But I hadn't really thought much of it, beyond just that it could be something to use. It wasn't as if I'd learned interesting tech with the thing in many of my playthroughs and nuzlockes, including that Gyraados was the best counter to Gyarados.
But that wasn't important right now. What was important was that little thought that was worming around in the back of my head. What if? What if I had been a Gyarados at that moment? How would I have reacted? Would I be me? Or would the rage that come so naturally to the line amplify my own?
How many could have died as a result, if I had been a Gyarados? I couldn't afford to lash out like that. Not anymore. I couldn't let my temper take control like that. It was just going to get people hurt or even killed, those who had nothing to do with it. Sure, Zoro could have stopped me, but that's beside the point. I had too much power to not be in control of myself.
And I don't think it was isolated to Gyarados, either. Feralgatr had also been. Problematic. When I had transformed, I felt urges. I attacked Wapol, next to no questions asked. And I had gone for the throat. If it weren't for the man's metal chin, I would have tried to tear him to pieces. And this was not a good thing. It had taken being shot with a cannon to snap me out of it. The wound didn't sting now, but honestly, it would likely scar on my human body.
But I hadn't been able to control at least one form. It wasn't level based. I wouldn't be able to control Auroras otherwise if it was. Was it instinct? Predatory? Feralgatr was based on alligators, one of the oldest species on the planet. It was something that could very easily mess you up. But it was still something I didn't know. Just how little did I know about the full extent of my abilities? Was it just predatory mons that would cause these issues? But Totodile and Croconaw didn't have such issues.
One of these days, I was just going to have to sit down in a semi-safe place and just try to figure this whole mess out. I needed to understand my limits. If there were more strings attached then just levels and types. There had to be. I didn't have access to any of the stone evolutions yet. What even would the stones be? That was yet another question that I had no way to answer. Not even a hint!
The feeling of a gloved hand against my side snapped me out of my thoughts. Vivi looked up at me as I slowly lowered my head. She looked concerned. And I couldn't say that she was wrong to be so. It was just. I was still so mad! Dalton didn't deserve to be buried alive under an avalanche!
Then came the shouting, before Vivi could say anything. I looked up, mentally swearing that if I was going to have to ice-beam another person, I was not going to be happy about things. But, in what felt like the first time today, it was good news. Dalton was awake. And moving!
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Thomas knew a few things at the moment. The first was that the castle was under attack. He still wasn't sure who this Wapol person was, other than that they'd run into him while he was not feeling well.
Nathan had apparently tried to remove Wapol's face, which was uncharacteristic for the man, while Luffy had launched him from the ship. Of course, that didn't explain what he was doing here, exactly. Revenge seemed obvious. Luffy had to have embarrassed the man. He wasn't planning on getting involved in the fight. Thomas knew that he wasn't in good enough shape for that, even if he was healthy.
But it was still a fight he wanted to see, even if from a safe distance. Wapol's Devil Fruit sounded like a potent one, if in the right hands. However, the question was if it was in the right hands. Plus, it would be interesting to see Chopper fight as well. Outside of higher-ranking agents, Devil Fruits weren't common. Seeing such a clash was smart, and could be useful. They'd be figthing them once that got to Alabasta. Any ideas that could give them an upper hand was not something he'd turn down.
And it was an interesting fight. Interesting being the only word that could be used to describe the start. How Wapol used his fruit made Thomas's brain hurt. How was someone seriously expecting eating two people to fuse them together going to result in something greater? It was sorta right, but it didn't make it any less disgusting.
Chopper, on the other hand, more than proved his worth. Thomas wasn't sure why Sanji had stopped, but Chopper had several tricks up his non-existent sleeves. For a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Chopper was far more flexible than he should have been. It almost reminded him of Nathan, in a way.
Though, with the fight attracting his full attention, he hadn't noticed Wapol slip away in the chaos. Luffy hadn't either, and that seemed to be enough to get their captain moving.
"What do you think you're doing in my castle!" Wapol from a distance looked ridiculous. From the pot-belly to the metal jaw, it was hard for Thomas to take him seriously.
At a distance. Up close? Wapol was a massive man, and his metal chin only managed to make him look more imposing. With the hide of a white animal wrapped around him, and his body seeming as if it was covered in sheets of metal, this was well beyond him.
"Well, you see, I'm just here for the tour, so I'm just going to go," Thomas tried, before booking it in the opposite direction, as much as his sick and sore body could manage.
"Tour!" Wapol bellowed after him. "You have to be with either that brat or the hag! The punishment for defying the King of the Drum Kingdom is death!"
The words made Thomas's heart to freeze. King? King? This man was a king? What had they gotten involved with now?
No, surely not. This man could not be a king.
"HHAARA!" Thomas turned around as a shout hit his ears. Wapol was less lucky, finding a fist colliding with the back of his skull suddenly, burying his face into the stone floor.
"Norris!" Thomas couldn't stop himself from smiling, even as he noticed the strained grin on her lips.
"I think the old woman was right. That hurt more than it should have," Norris's free arm was wrapped around her limbs.
"Okay, let's just retreat for the moment," Thomas offered, hoping having his face buried into the stonework would be enough to stop Wapol, or at the very least slow him down long enough to make themselves scarce.
"You dare!" The crunching of stone made it clear that Thomas's wishes were false, Wapol pulling himself up, chewing up the stone in his mouth as if it were candy. "You dare strike at a king! I will have you!"
"Gum Gum Rocket!"
Just as Wapol had picked himself up, in came Luffy, slamming into Wapol and body checking the larger man into a wall.
Thomas decided to take the opportunity to make sure that they used the time to clear the area. Luffy had this fight.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You don't need to do this," Dalton's voice made its way to my ears.
"Nonsense! The great Captain Usopp will carry you!" Usopp's the response reached my ears, but I could tell his heart wasn't entirely in it. He did put on a good display, don't get me wrong. But he was writing a check his body was unable to cash. Someone like Usopp carrying Dalton? The mental image was amusing.
Seeing the actual thing? Much less so. I kinda felt bad for stealing his thunder after such an inspiring speech, but Usopp really wasn't going to be able to carry Dalton where we needed to go. So I picked the two of them up, and put them onto my back. I didn't want Usopp to feel bad, because he was trying his best. But it was either me or Zoro, and I doubt Zoro would be willing to humor him.
Though maybe doing so was making it worse.
I hoped the sound that came from my mouth at least conveyed that it was fine. It was the least I could do, given how he had gotten nearly killed because we weren't there. I'd have to do it with words at some point. But right now, we needed to get to that cable. Luffy was more than likely beating Wapol, just like he did on the Going Merry. That was something I knew in my heart. Luffy had this. He had this in the bag.
But for the people of this island? They needed to see it. Needed to know it. That Wapol had been cast down forever, and would no longer threaten them or their families any longer.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"I'm honestly getting more intrigued about this woman the more I learn about her," I muttered, partially too myself. Aurorus was not going to fit on that gondola. Which meant Zoro was the one having to carry the injured Dalton. Usopp and I tried to go halves, but Dalton was easily six foot and pure muscle, while Usopp and I were twigs. With Usopp being the stronger of the two of us.
Still, to live in a tree, and connect a cable all the way to the top of the mountain? I could respect that. And how she was able to come and go without being detected was making more sense. I doubt anyone would come all the way out here.
The thing was, the gondola was packed to the brim. Enough to concern me. Yeah, having a fear of heights was fun. And Dalton didn't look like he was in great shape either. The doctors had done the best job they could, but he was still in pretty rough shape. I'd do more to help, but Happiny, just wouldn't and Audino? I still doubt heal pulse was in the cards.
Plus, I was halfway terrified that shifting my weight and mass around too much would make something go wrong. It wasn't like there were guard rails to stop this thing from swaying too much. I did what I could, at least. Mostly helping Nami keep Dalton in as good as shape as we could keep him.
"Hey, isn't that someone on the roof?" I heard one of the soldiers shout, pointing up toward the sky. That wasn't what drew my eyes, though.
It was two, thin long noodles, stretching across the sky.
Oh yeah, Luffy has this. He has this in the bag.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I was the first one out the door. Not just because I wanted to be the first one off that swaying possible death trap, but because if there was any cleanup, I wanted to be a part of it. I transformed, leaping up the stairs in bounds, before arriving topside, seeing an old woman, Sanji, as well as a deer.
A deer that was standing upright, like a human being. I blinked briefly. Though, it shouldn't be a surprise. Dalton could turn into an ox, then a deer could turn into a human. Weird, but whatever. I could live with weird.
Though, what was weird was how the snow underneath my hoofs didn't feel like snow. I shifted my feet slightly, whatever I was standing on was far squishier than snow should have been. Looking down confirmed why that was the case. I wasn't standing on snow. I was standing on a man that had two faces. Not like the Batman villain. Two separate faces. Yeah, that was weirder than any walking deer.
And why was I hearing Luffy's voice?
"Get out of, oh hi, Nathan!"
"Stantler!"
Protect Protect Protect!
Thankfully, I was quick enough to prevent my demise from ballistic rubber Captain, Luffy's rubber body doing the best impression out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon as he hit the barrier.
"Shishishishishi!" Oh good, he's laughing. That means he isn't hurt by that.
"Get any quicker with that, and I might have you go first more often," Zoro teased, Usopp hiding behind him.
After making sure that Luffy was okay, as far as he ever could be considered okay, I let myself change back, wrapping my arms around myself to keep out the cold. I really didn't know how Luffy could handle being like this.
"Is everyone okay?" I asked our captain. Thomas wasn't present, and neither was Norris.
Was what I thought, before old woman through a kick strong enough to smash through stone, revealing the two of them hiding behind a wall, before dragging them off. I didn't intend on pissing whoever that was off anyway, but having similar kicking power to Sanji increased her factor of not messing with her.
"Yeah, Thomas and Norris are fine," Luffy said, as if I hadn't seen what was going on behind him, and the fact that Norris wasn't injured when she left completely passing him by.
Then Dalton and the rest showed up. Looking about the mess, and getting confirmation that Luffy had defeated Wapol, it almost looked as if a weight had been lifted from the man's chest. Then he caught sight of the deer. A deer that was hiding in all the wrong ways.
"Thank you! This land will be born again!" Dalton didn't bow, didn't kneel. The man straight up got down on his hands and knees in thanks. A smile began to break out on the deer's face. A smile that was quickly quashed.
"What is that?" I heard a man shout.
"Is that a monster!" Said another.
"A monster?" The last one was Usopp, and that was what sent the deer bolting.
"That's our new crewmate, and you just scared him off!" Luffy shouted, lightly bopping Usopp's long nose, before the Luffy went off in pursuit.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I stayed away from the doctor. She scared me, and I was going to use the calm to get some degree of rock samples. We'd been so busy, that I hadn't been able to collect anything. We'd be leaving in a hurry, so I decided to make the most of my time after checking in on Thomas and Norris, the latter of which had broken several bones.
But that wasn't the only reason I was currently outside. I'd felt a pair of eyes upon me for a while. And it didn't take much to guess their source.
"Got a name, little fellow?" I asked, doing my best to keep my eyes on my work.
"Are you a pirate?" That wasn't an answer to my question, but whatever.
"Yeah. Quite the carrier change, let me tell you," I grabbed hold of the rock fragment and pulled, managing to dislodge it, before storing it away. It was some type of granite, but I'd have to look at it closer to know more. "So, tell me, what can I do for you?"
Luffy was looking all over the place for him, with all the subtly that Luffy was known for. And the deer knew more about this place than Luffy did. But he was coming to talk with me. Why?
I had chosen Stantler to get out the gate. Which was a deer based Pokémon. Was that why?
"I was wondering if you ate some type of deer based Zoan Fruit?" He asked, looking up at me. Oh, this made a bit more sense. Sadly, I think honesty was going to be the best policy here.
"No. I don't think I've eaten a Devil Fruit, period," I admitted, regretting it instantly at the look of defeat in his eyes. "Doesn't mean we still can't be friends regardless."
He seemed to perk up for a moment after that, before frowning again.
"But I'm a deer. Humans and deer cannot be friends," he turned around, seemingly dejected. Oh god, was I really going to say that?
"And who decided that?" I offer, as he paused mid-step.
"Because I'm a freak!" He shouted, whipping around. "I'm a deer that ate the Human-Human Fruit!"
I just, gave him a look. "Look, every single member of our crew is some sort of freak. I can turn into numerous animals with mystical powers. Luffy is made of rubber and is far stronger than someone's whose power is being made of rubber should be. Zoro fights with a sword in his mouth. Sanji fights without using his hands. Nami can read the weather like it's a book. Usopp is somehow the best and worst liar I've ever met. Vivi is a Princess of an entire kingdom and is yet one of the nicest people I've ever met. Thomas fights with baseball bats while wearing a crown. Norris is the closest one to normal, but given the track record, I doubt it."
He looked at me, completely confused as to what my point was.
"The concept of being normal, not being weird, not being a freak, is overrated. Everyone is weird, everyone is strange. Normal is just a polite fiction, made up, so people could make niceties to one another. So you say you're a freak, because others call you a freak? That's because they're freaks, too. We're all freaks. We're all weird. And we have no reason to hide that fact," I smile, offering him a hand. "I know it's not my place to make the offer, but I know Luffy is interested in having you on the crew. We'd be lucky to have you, if you're interested."
He looked up at me, expression torn between shock, tears, and happiness. His body seemed to sway back and forth, as if his body could not contain his glee. And I felt the cool chitin of his hoofs press against my hand.
"I am going to need a name, you know," I smiled, shaking his hand. Hoof. Whatever.
"Chopper."
"Nathan."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"How exactly were you able to get out of paying her?" Nami looked very smug.
"Oh, I just so happened to find the key to the armory before anyone else did. She let us go when it came to the rest," Nami flashed me a grin. Still, that was saving us what sounded like a yes amount of money. I was more than willing to pay, as any amount of treasure would be worth our crewmate's lives. But it would be nice to have money for supplies.
"It's good to know you're feeling better, Thomas," I nodded, as the man remained bundled up under a blanket. Norris had broken a considerable number of bones, and was somehow stretching out, despite her injuries. If I needed further confirmation that people in this place were simply built different, this was it.
"It is nice to get out early. The sooner we get to Alabasta, the better off we are," he said, his head being the only piece of skin I could make out. I did agree. But if he still needed medical rest. At least we had our doctor now. As unorthodox as he was. Oh well, like I told Chopper, we didn't tend to do things normally around here.
We were just waiting on Chopper to say his goodbyes. I did feel for him. Kureha was basically his teacher. That was going to suck. Still, I was a bit envious.
He was getting to say goodbye. Something that I had robbed from me by circumstance.
The keyword being was. All that envy died a painful death at the sight of the woman chasing after Chopper with an alarming amount of knives.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I didn't scream all the way down. The historical record was written by a liar.
By the time I managed to come to my senses, it was because of the sound of gunfire, echoing in the distance.
"Wow," I breathed, just taking in the air. It was pretty. Beyond pretty. The snow falling from the sky becoming pink. I don't know why it was important. But based on Chopper's tears?
It didn't matter why. It simply was.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Sorry Karoo, I don't have any fire types," I have the formerly frozen duck on the head, enjoying the energy of the party. It would certainly help. But despite my own chilled bones, the moon was high, and the snow fell like pink flowers.
"Probably slipped huh? Clumsy." Zoro laughed, much to Vivi's displeasure.
"Karoo says Zoro was swimming in the river and disappeared. So he dove in to save him and got frozen," Chopper said, as I had to cover my mouth as Nami punched Zoro on the back of the head. Norris just laughed, keeping Thomas close to her side.
"You can understand what Karoo says, Chopper?" Vivi asked with a slight grin.
"Yes. I'm originally an animal, after all," Chopper said.
"That's amazing Chopper! Then medicine isn't your only talent!" Nami grinned, as Chopper looked just as happy.
"I wonder if you can understand Nathan's transformations," Thomas said, as we all looked at him. "What? I can't be the only person to be thinking that!"
"Something to test for another time," I shrugged. It was late in the night, and it was somewhat of a party time.
"Yeah, it's time for Thomas's medicine," Norris said, pushing herself up.
The expression on Sanji and Luffy's face was as priceless as it was concerning. "What is this about medicine?"
Oh god, did they not actually know?
"Did you guys seriously not notice that he was involved nursing us back to health?" Thomas's voice sounded completely incredulous. "Why did you even offer him a spot then!"
"He's a deer with seven transformations!"
"Emergency rations."
Well, I was going to be fighting Sanji in the future, I could tell that much. There were a lot of Pokémon that could also be used as 'emergency rations'.
Still, it was nice. Another victory, another crewmate. As Usopp put it best, a toast. To our new doctor, and our new crewmate! Tony Tony Chopper!
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Come'on, Nathan you got to try it at least once."
Oh, they were honestly right. I needed to try at some point. I brought the cup of sake up to my lips, taking a sip.
Thump!
I think that just killed my liver.
Which was sadly, a very human response. Thomas wasn't ashamed to admit that. Something big came out of the woods like that, and he'd be concerned too. But that didn't change the fact that Chopper simply had been given a raw deal. He needed friends. Humans, and deers, he supposed, were social. At the end of the day, all Chopper had was a mentor. One that clearly cared for him. That could never be argued. Period.
But that was it. And while Kureha was an old woman in an age bracket that shouldn't even exist, Chopper was much, much younger. Something that wasn't hard, but Chopper could probably be hardly any older than a teenager at most. In human years. He wasn't sure how that worked in deer years.
Still, Thomas had made up his mind on the matter. He was going to try to get Chopper onto the crew. His long-term presence be damned. If he could get Luffy and Sanji to stop trying to eat Chopper for a few minutes, that would be easy enough to explain how cool Chopper was.
And it wasn't as if Luffy wanted a doctor in the first place.
Seriously, how they had survived as long as they had with only Nami's medical expertises was a testament to both Nami's skill and the rest of the crew's insanity.
Suddenly, the door burst open again. Thomas, expecting Luffy, opened his mouth, only for Chopper to be the one standing there.
"Wapol is back."
The words were simple, though Thomas couldn't quite grasp their meaning. Who was Wapol? And why was this a big deal?
"Again! I'm going to punch him in the face!" Norris's voice echoed down the hallway, causing Chopper to jump as Kureha let out a sigh as she pinched her brow.
"You will do no such thing!" Kureha shouted back, pushing herself out of her chair. "If you try to fight you're going to have your ribs end up in your lungs!"
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Much better!" Zoro grinned, rubbing his arms inside his newly acquired coat. Very few of Wapol's men contested Nathan's silent declaration. He managed to beat Nathan to the punch on that front. It was maybe half a dozen men?
At the moment, Nathan was helping dig up Dalton, while Wapol's men who surrendered and were not lying in a beaten heap were being disarmed. When one would start making noise in protest, Nathan would just look up at them.
Or he did. Either way, it quickly solved a lot of problems. They were even starting to thaw out the example Nathan made, who didn't seem to be too badly harmed by the block of ice. It either was an impressive show of control on Nathan's part, something likely as he seemed very upset. He wasn't sure who this Dalton person even was, but Nathan was willing to commit uncharacteristic aggression in the man's defense.
Which said enough about Dalton. Nathan was soft. Not just physically, but mentally. Two people attacking a whale for close to a month? Yes, Nathan fought them off each time, but there shouldn't have been a month of fights in the first place.
Benefiting from hindsight? The two were only marginally less harmless, so too extreme measures wouldn't be needed. But even if they were necessary, Zoro could tell that Nathan wouldn't step over that line. Even the man he froze with far more hostile intent was likely fine. Yes, Nathan could fight, and fight well. After Little Garden, Zoro couldn't question that much. But he also couldn't deny that Nathan was sheltered.
It was hard to think of Nathan being the oldest of the crew, no matter how true the statement was. Because he certainly didn't act the part. Sure, Nathan was learned. If there was anyone outside of Thomas and Vivi who had a more traditional education, it was him. And it showed. It wasn't as if Nathan didn't know what he was specialized in, no matter how irrelevant it first seemed. He did.
But that didn't change the fact that Nathan was soft. Quick to care about others, even if he shouldn't have. It was going to get Nathan hurt. Or worse. Luffy was strong enough to deal with it. But if someone got the drop on Nathan or overpowered his forms? It would not take long. And while he was certainly doing his best to improve, even without his transformations, the progress was painfully slow. It was progress, but it just simply wasn't fast enough.
"Zoro, I think Nathan is very angry right now," Vivi looked uncomfortable. It was uncharacteristic for Nathan to be like this, but that wasn't something that needed to be stated. He knew it. Usopp knew it. Nami knew it. Vivi knew it. But it wasn't too bad. Nathan wasn't going to take things further than he already had.
"It's nothing to worry about," Zoro shrugged, still enjoying his warm jacket. It wasn't like Nathan was going to try and kill someone. He was much too soft for something like that.
Of course, the air began to feel very cool. It seemed as if Wapol's men had been right all along. Dalton had been buried under the avalanche, three large arrows sticking out of his chest. And Nathan was not happy about things one bit.
Zoro watched as Nathan's form looked up into the sky and bellowed, a shout that crossed between anger and mourning in equal measure. And with it came snow. Small flutters of flakes began to fall, quickly picking up speed at a rapid rate, Nami let out a groan.
"Of course, it can manipulate the weather," he caught her voice as a frustrated whisper, barely able to hear it over the grinding of her teeth. Manipulate? "Wouldn't be the first time."
At this point, he shouldn't be too surprised. While he had reservations, nothing Nathan transformed into seemed to be purely worthless. In truth, they were often exotic in their abilities.
"It wouldn't be the first time, what!" Usopp shouted, looking around nervously as the townsfolk muttered, a growing sense of unease filling the air. Though it was obvious. Nathan had several forms that seemingly could manipulate the weather.
Maybe he should look through that book sometime. Nathan did say something about a form having sword hands. That would be worth looking into.
Vivi was already rushing over, ready to calm Nathan down, as a group of medics approached Dalton's body. He didn't catch the words they said, but the winds began to die down, the howling and newfound freezing temperatures beginning to fade. Nathan didn't seem happy about what was happening, but he didn't appear enraged anymore.
Then again, it was hard to tell when Nathan was transformed.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Reviving the dead? That was impossible! Why should I be trusting them with something like that! Why was I trusting them with something like that! Though, it could be that Dalton wasn't dead. Luffy was built differently, yes, but even I had a hard time imagining that he would live through three holes in his chest and be buried by an avalanche.
Maybe that was why? I was holding on to some hope that Dalton could make it out somehow. Despite all this. I'd laid down by that point. Part of me didn't trust them even now, even as they worked. They were doctors, but they had to be with Wapol. Why else would they be here? If the island only had one doctor, then they had to have been brought here. And we certainly hadn't done that!
But if they were, why were they trying so hard to save Dalton? I knew of the Hippocratic oath, or at least the basics of it. Was that why they were trying to save Dalton now? Or was there something more that I just wasn't getting? I did my best not to scowl or shake my head.
I knew what was really bothering me, beyond just Dalton being in a state of near death. It was me losing my temper. Yeah, yeah, me being angry was, always, a bit of a problem. I'd had a temper, and while I hadn't truly lost it fully in years, it was there. It was always in the sense of it was the quiet ones you had to watch out for. The ones you'd least expect. Normally, that wasn't much of a problem. For all my temper, I wasn't that dangerous, and I damn well knew it.
But I also didn't have the power to transform into Pokémon back then. Yes, people around here seemed to be made of seriously stern stuff. But that did little to change the fact I was a lot more dangerous now. Pokémon, even weaker ones, could be devastating. They were magical wild animals, even at their most mundane.
And it didn't help that I wasn't entirely sure how much transformation affects my personality. Aurorus? Even-tempered, while very strong. But what would have happened if I had been a Gyarados?
I already had half of that equation. I just needed the flying type. And that concerned me. In game, despite all of Gyarados's rage issues, there weren't any problems controlling the Pokémon, despite its known temper in the lore. In the anime and other materials?
Gyraados was a swimming natural disaster, enough to take entire towns clean off the map with its overwhelming strength and explosive temper. Don't get me wrong. I expected to need that type of overwhelming power in the future. But I hadn't really thought much of it, beyond just that it could be something to use. It wasn't as if I'd learned interesting tech with the thing in many of my playthroughs and nuzlockes, including that Gyraados was the best counter to Gyarados.
But that wasn't important right now. What was important was that little thought that was worming around in the back of my head. What if? What if I had been a Gyarados at that moment? How would I have reacted? Would I be me? Or would the rage that come so naturally to the line amplify my own?
How many could have died as a result, if I had been a Gyarados? I couldn't afford to lash out like that. Not anymore. I couldn't let my temper take control like that. It was just going to get people hurt or even killed, those who had nothing to do with it. Sure, Zoro could have stopped me, but that's beside the point. I had too much power to not be in control of myself.
And I don't think it was isolated to Gyarados, either. Feralgatr had also been. Problematic. When I had transformed, I felt urges. I attacked Wapol, next to no questions asked. And I had gone for the throat. If it weren't for the man's metal chin, I would have tried to tear him to pieces. And this was not a good thing. It had taken being shot with a cannon to snap me out of it. The wound didn't sting now, but honestly, it would likely scar on my human body.
But I hadn't been able to control at least one form. It wasn't level based. I wouldn't be able to control Auroras otherwise if it was. Was it instinct? Predatory? Feralgatr was based on alligators, one of the oldest species on the planet. It was something that could very easily mess you up. But it was still something I didn't know. Just how little did I know about the full extent of my abilities? Was it just predatory mons that would cause these issues? But Totodile and Croconaw didn't have such issues.
One of these days, I was just going to have to sit down in a semi-safe place and just try to figure this whole mess out. I needed to understand my limits. If there were more strings attached then just levels and types. There had to be. I didn't have access to any of the stone evolutions yet. What even would the stones be? That was yet another question that I had no way to answer. Not even a hint!
The feeling of a gloved hand against my side snapped me out of my thoughts. Vivi looked up at me as I slowly lowered my head. She looked concerned. And I couldn't say that she was wrong to be so. It was just. I was still so mad! Dalton didn't deserve to be buried alive under an avalanche!
Then came the shouting, before Vivi could say anything. I looked up, mentally swearing that if I was going to have to ice-beam another person, I was not going to be happy about things. But, in what felt like the first time today, it was good news. Dalton was awake. And moving!
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Thomas knew a few things at the moment. The first was that the castle was under attack. He still wasn't sure who this Wapol person was, other than that they'd run into him while he was not feeling well.
Nathan had apparently tried to remove Wapol's face, which was uncharacteristic for the man, while Luffy had launched him from the ship. Of course, that didn't explain what he was doing here, exactly. Revenge seemed obvious. Luffy had to have embarrassed the man. He wasn't planning on getting involved in the fight. Thomas knew that he wasn't in good enough shape for that, even if he was healthy.
But it was still a fight he wanted to see, even if from a safe distance. Wapol's Devil Fruit sounded like a potent one, if in the right hands. However, the question was if it was in the right hands. Plus, it would be interesting to see Chopper fight as well. Outside of higher-ranking agents, Devil Fruits weren't common. Seeing such a clash was smart, and could be useful. They'd be figthing them once that got to Alabasta. Any ideas that could give them an upper hand was not something he'd turn down.
And it was an interesting fight. Interesting being the only word that could be used to describe the start. How Wapol used his fruit made Thomas's brain hurt. How was someone seriously expecting eating two people to fuse them together going to result in something greater? It was sorta right, but it didn't make it any less disgusting.
Chopper, on the other hand, more than proved his worth. Thomas wasn't sure why Sanji had stopped, but Chopper had several tricks up his non-existent sleeves. For a Zoan-type Devil Fruit, Chopper was far more flexible than he should have been. It almost reminded him of Nathan, in a way.
Though, with the fight attracting his full attention, he hadn't noticed Wapol slip away in the chaos. Luffy hadn't either, and that seemed to be enough to get their captain moving.
"What do you think you're doing in my castle!" Wapol from a distance looked ridiculous. From the pot-belly to the metal jaw, it was hard for Thomas to take him seriously.
At a distance. Up close? Wapol was a massive man, and his metal chin only managed to make him look more imposing. With the hide of a white animal wrapped around him, and his body seeming as if it was covered in sheets of metal, this was well beyond him.
"Well, you see, I'm just here for the tour, so I'm just going to go," Thomas tried, before booking it in the opposite direction, as much as his sick and sore body could manage.
"Tour!" Wapol bellowed after him. "You have to be with either that brat or the hag! The punishment for defying the King of the Drum Kingdom is death!"
The words made Thomas's heart to freeze. King? King? This man was a king? What had they gotten involved with now?
No, surely not. This man could not be a king.
"HHAARA!" Thomas turned around as a shout hit his ears. Wapol was less lucky, finding a fist colliding with the back of his skull suddenly, burying his face into the stone floor.
"Norris!" Thomas couldn't stop himself from smiling, even as he noticed the strained grin on her lips.
"I think the old woman was right. That hurt more than it should have," Norris's free arm was wrapped around her limbs.
"Okay, let's just retreat for the moment," Thomas offered, hoping having his face buried into the stonework would be enough to stop Wapol, or at the very least slow him down long enough to make themselves scarce.
"You dare!" The crunching of stone made it clear that Thomas's wishes were false, Wapol pulling himself up, chewing up the stone in his mouth as if it were candy. "You dare strike at a king! I will have you!"
"Gum Gum Rocket!"
Just as Wapol had picked himself up, in came Luffy, slamming into Wapol and body checking the larger man into a wall.
Thomas decided to take the opportunity to make sure that they used the time to clear the area. Luffy had this fight.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"You don't need to do this," Dalton's voice made its way to my ears.
"Nonsense! The great Captain Usopp will carry you!" Usopp's the response reached my ears, but I could tell his heart wasn't entirely in it. He did put on a good display, don't get me wrong. But he was writing a check his body was unable to cash. Someone like Usopp carrying Dalton? The mental image was amusing.
Seeing the actual thing? Much less so. I kinda felt bad for stealing his thunder after such an inspiring speech, but Usopp really wasn't going to be able to carry Dalton where we needed to go. So I picked the two of them up, and put them onto my back. I didn't want Usopp to feel bad, because he was trying his best. But it was either me or Zoro, and I doubt Zoro would be willing to humor him.
Though maybe doing so was making it worse.
I hoped the sound that came from my mouth at least conveyed that it was fine. It was the least I could do, given how he had gotten nearly killed because we weren't there. I'd have to do it with words at some point. But right now, we needed to get to that cable. Luffy was more than likely beating Wapol, just like he did on the Going Merry. That was something I knew in my heart. Luffy had this. He had this in the bag.
But for the people of this island? They needed to see it. Needed to know it. That Wapol had been cast down forever, and would no longer threaten them or their families any longer.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"I'm honestly getting more intrigued about this woman the more I learn about her," I muttered, partially too myself. Aurorus was not going to fit on that gondola. Which meant Zoro was the one having to carry the injured Dalton. Usopp and I tried to go halves, but Dalton was easily six foot and pure muscle, while Usopp and I were twigs. With Usopp being the stronger of the two of us.
Still, to live in a tree, and connect a cable all the way to the top of the mountain? I could respect that. And how she was able to come and go without being detected was making more sense. I doubt anyone would come all the way out here.
The thing was, the gondola was packed to the brim. Enough to concern me. Yeah, having a fear of heights was fun. And Dalton didn't look like he was in great shape either. The doctors had done the best job they could, but he was still in pretty rough shape. I'd do more to help, but Happiny, just wouldn't and Audino? I still doubt heal pulse was in the cards.
Plus, I was halfway terrified that shifting my weight and mass around too much would make something go wrong. It wasn't like there were guard rails to stop this thing from swaying too much. I did what I could, at least. Mostly helping Nami keep Dalton in as good as shape as we could keep him.
"Hey, isn't that someone on the roof?" I heard one of the soldiers shout, pointing up toward the sky. That wasn't what drew my eyes, though.
It was two, thin long noodles, stretching across the sky.
Oh yeah, Luffy has this. He has this in the bag.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I was the first one out the door. Not just because I wanted to be the first one off that swaying possible death trap, but because if there was any cleanup, I wanted to be a part of it. I transformed, leaping up the stairs in bounds, before arriving topside, seeing an old woman, Sanji, as well as a deer.
A deer that was standing upright, like a human being. I blinked briefly. Though, it shouldn't be a surprise. Dalton could turn into an ox, then a deer could turn into a human. Weird, but whatever. I could live with weird.
Though, what was weird was how the snow underneath my hoofs didn't feel like snow. I shifted my feet slightly, whatever I was standing on was far squishier than snow should have been. Looking down confirmed why that was the case. I wasn't standing on snow. I was standing on a man that had two faces. Not like the Batman villain. Two separate faces. Yeah, that was weirder than any walking deer.
And why was I hearing Luffy's voice?
"Get out of, oh hi, Nathan!"
"Stantler!"
Protect Protect Protect!
Thankfully, I was quick enough to prevent my demise from ballistic rubber Captain, Luffy's rubber body doing the best impression out of a Tom and Jerry cartoon as he hit the barrier.
"Shishishishishi!" Oh good, he's laughing. That means he isn't hurt by that.
"Get any quicker with that, and I might have you go first more often," Zoro teased, Usopp hiding behind him.
After making sure that Luffy was okay, as far as he ever could be considered okay, I let myself change back, wrapping my arms around myself to keep out the cold. I really didn't know how Luffy could handle being like this.
"Is everyone okay?" I asked our captain. Thomas wasn't present, and neither was Norris.
Was what I thought, before old woman through a kick strong enough to smash through stone, revealing the two of them hiding behind a wall, before dragging them off. I didn't intend on pissing whoever that was off anyway, but having similar kicking power to Sanji increased her factor of not messing with her.
"Yeah, Thomas and Norris are fine," Luffy said, as if I hadn't seen what was going on behind him, and the fact that Norris wasn't injured when she left completely passing him by.
Then Dalton and the rest showed up. Looking about the mess, and getting confirmation that Luffy had defeated Wapol, it almost looked as if a weight had been lifted from the man's chest. Then he caught sight of the deer. A deer that was hiding in all the wrong ways.
"Thank you! This land will be born again!" Dalton didn't bow, didn't kneel. The man straight up got down on his hands and knees in thanks. A smile began to break out on the deer's face. A smile that was quickly quashed.
"What is that?" I heard a man shout.
"Is that a monster!" Said another.
"A monster?" The last one was Usopp, and that was what sent the deer bolting.
"That's our new crewmate, and you just scared him off!" Luffy shouted, lightly bopping Usopp's long nose, before the Luffy went off in pursuit.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I stayed away from the doctor. She scared me, and I was going to use the calm to get some degree of rock samples. We'd been so busy, that I hadn't been able to collect anything. We'd be leaving in a hurry, so I decided to make the most of my time after checking in on Thomas and Norris, the latter of which had broken several bones.
But that wasn't the only reason I was currently outside. I'd felt a pair of eyes upon me for a while. And it didn't take much to guess their source.
"Got a name, little fellow?" I asked, doing my best to keep my eyes on my work.
"Are you a pirate?" That wasn't an answer to my question, but whatever.
"Yeah. Quite the carrier change, let me tell you," I grabbed hold of the rock fragment and pulled, managing to dislodge it, before storing it away. It was some type of granite, but I'd have to look at it closer to know more. "So, tell me, what can I do for you?"
Luffy was looking all over the place for him, with all the subtly that Luffy was known for. And the deer knew more about this place than Luffy did. But he was coming to talk with me. Why?
I had chosen Stantler to get out the gate. Which was a deer based Pokémon. Was that why?
"I was wondering if you ate some type of deer based Zoan Fruit?" He asked, looking up at me. Oh, this made a bit more sense. Sadly, I think honesty was going to be the best policy here.
"No. I don't think I've eaten a Devil Fruit, period," I admitted, regretting it instantly at the look of defeat in his eyes. "Doesn't mean we still can't be friends regardless."
He seemed to perk up for a moment after that, before frowning again.
"But I'm a deer. Humans and deer cannot be friends," he turned around, seemingly dejected. Oh god, was I really going to say that?
"And who decided that?" I offer, as he paused mid-step.
"Because I'm a freak!" He shouted, whipping around. "I'm a deer that ate the Human-Human Fruit!"
I just, gave him a look. "Look, every single member of our crew is some sort of freak. I can turn into numerous animals with mystical powers. Luffy is made of rubber and is far stronger than someone's whose power is being made of rubber should be. Zoro fights with a sword in his mouth. Sanji fights without using his hands. Nami can read the weather like it's a book. Usopp is somehow the best and worst liar I've ever met. Vivi is a Princess of an entire kingdom and is yet one of the nicest people I've ever met. Thomas fights with baseball bats while wearing a crown. Norris is the closest one to normal, but given the track record, I doubt it."
He looked at me, completely confused as to what my point was.
"The concept of being normal, not being weird, not being a freak, is overrated. Everyone is weird, everyone is strange. Normal is just a polite fiction, made up, so people could make niceties to one another. So you say you're a freak, because others call you a freak? That's because they're freaks, too. We're all freaks. We're all weird. And we have no reason to hide that fact," I smile, offering him a hand. "I know it's not my place to make the offer, but I know Luffy is interested in having you on the crew. We'd be lucky to have you, if you're interested."
He looked up at me, expression torn between shock, tears, and happiness. His body seemed to sway back and forth, as if his body could not contain his glee. And I felt the cool chitin of his hoofs press against my hand.
"I am going to need a name, you know," I smiled, shaking his hand. Hoof. Whatever.
"Chopper."
"Nathan."
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"How exactly were you able to get out of paying her?" Nami looked very smug.
"Oh, I just so happened to find the key to the armory before anyone else did. She let us go when it came to the rest," Nami flashed me a grin. Still, that was saving us what sounded like a yes amount of money. I was more than willing to pay, as any amount of treasure would be worth our crewmate's lives. But it would be nice to have money for supplies.
"It's good to know you're feeling better, Thomas," I nodded, as the man remained bundled up under a blanket. Norris had broken a considerable number of bones, and was somehow stretching out, despite her injuries. If I needed further confirmation that people in this place were simply built different, this was it.
"It is nice to get out early. The sooner we get to Alabasta, the better off we are," he said, his head being the only piece of skin I could make out. I did agree. But if he still needed medical rest. At least we had our doctor now. As unorthodox as he was. Oh well, like I told Chopper, we didn't tend to do things normally around here.
We were just waiting on Chopper to say his goodbyes. I did feel for him. Kureha was basically his teacher. That was going to suck. Still, I was a bit envious.
He was getting to say goodbye. Something that I had robbed from me by circumstance.
The keyword being was. All that envy died a painful death at the sight of the woman chasing after Chopper with an alarming amount of knives.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
I didn't scream all the way down. The historical record was written by a liar.
By the time I managed to come to my senses, it was because of the sound of gunfire, echoing in the distance.
"Wow," I breathed, just taking in the air. It was pretty. Beyond pretty. The snow falling from the sky becoming pink. I don't know why it was important. But based on Chopper's tears?
It didn't matter why. It simply was.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Sorry Karoo, I don't have any fire types," I have the formerly frozen duck on the head, enjoying the energy of the party. It would certainly help. But despite my own chilled bones, the moon was high, and the snow fell like pink flowers.
"Probably slipped huh? Clumsy." Zoro laughed, much to Vivi's displeasure.
"Karoo says Zoro was swimming in the river and disappeared. So he dove in to save him and got frozen," Chopper said, as I had to cover my mouth as Nami punched Zoro on the back of the head. Norris just laughed, keeping Thomas close to her side.
"You can understand what Karoo says, Chopper?" Vivi asked with a slight grin.
"Yes. I'm originally an animal, after all," Chopper said.
"That's amazing Chopper! Then medicine isn't your only talent!" Nami grinned, as Chopper looked just as happy.
"I wonder if you can understand Nathan's transformations," Thomas said, as we all looked at him. "What? I can't be the only person to be thinking that!"
"Something to test for another time," I shrugged. It was late in the night, and it was somewhat of a party time.
"Yeah, it's time for Thomas's medicine," Norris said, pushing herself up.
The expression on Sanji and Luffy's face was as priceless as it was concerning. "What is this about medicine?"
Oh god, did they not actually know?
"Did you guys seriously not notice that he was involved nursing us back to health?" Thomas's voice sounded completely incredulous. "Why did you even offer him a spot then!"
"He's a deer with seven transformations!"
"Emergency rations."
Well, I was going to be fighting Sanji in the future, I could tell that much. There were a lot of Pokémon that could also be used as 'emergency rations'.
Still, it was nice. Another victory, another crewmate. As Usopp put it best, a toast. To our new doctor, and our new crewmate! Tony Tony Chopper!
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
"Come'on, Nathan you got to try it at least once."
Oh, they were honestly right. I needed to try at some point. I brought the cup of sake up to my lips, taking a sip.
Thump!
I think that just killed my liver.
