A few days ago at Whiskey Peak Town, when Gojo was about to kill Igaram, Vivi had stepped in and stopped him. Her voice had been firm despite the fear in her eyes.
Gojo had paused.
At that moment, he stopped—not out of mercy, but calculation. Maybe these people have money I can extort.
Back then, the ones at Whiskey Peak were bounty hunters. They had come for his head because of the bounty on it, and Gojo had responded in kind—by killing them. There was no moral hesitation in that. They hunted him for profit; he eliminated them in return. Even if he extorted money from such people, it wouldn't weigh on his conscience. To him, it was simply the law of strength.
So he spared Igaram's life for one reason only—money.
But later, when Mr. 5 and his partner arrived and revealed that Vivi was actually Princess Vivi of the Alabasta Kingdom, and that Igaram was the captain of the Alabasta Royal Guards, Gojo's thoughts shifted instantly.
If he played this correctly, he could gain far more.
He could collect money from Vivi in exchange for sparing Igaram's life. And by taking them with him, he would naturally draw the attention of the head of Baroque Works—Crocodile.
And that was even better.
If Crocodile was running such a massive underground organization, then he must possess enormous wealth. Lots and lots of money.
And Gojo needed money.
He intended to build a truly powerful ship—one capable of sailing through any waters, in any climate. His current ship was good, yes… but not good enough for the Grand Line.
Already, the vessel was showing signs of strain. The unpredictable climate shifts, the violent sea currents of the first half of the Grand Line—each passing day took its toll. It was only thanks to his Six Eyes that he could predict sudden weather changes and adjust course in advance. Without that foresight, the ship would have suffered significant damage long ago.
Even so, the wood groaned more often now. The hull creaked at night.
If things continued like this, his ship might last another two or three months at best. And that estimate assumed nothing catastrophic happened.
If an accident occurred, even that timeline would be a luxury.
Not to mention incidents like today.
An enemy attacking from beneath the water.
Earlier, he had been in a heightened mental state, allowing him to use his Observation Haki's Future Sight to predict Jinbe's underwater assault. Otherwise, Jinbe's strike from below could have shattered the hull and forced him to abandon the ship entirely.
Gojo's motives for going to Alabasta were clear.
Money.
Nothing else.
After an hour or so, the food was ready.
The aroma of cooked sea beast meat filled the ship. Gojo ate without restraint, devouring plate after plate. Each bite fuelled his recovery, warmth spreading through his body as the dull ache in his ribs slowly eased.
Their journey continued.
From this point forward, the ship would stop only at the Alabasta Kingdom.
Soon, Drum Island disappeared beyond the horizon, swallowed by mist and distance.
…
The next day, the Straw Hats arrived at Drum Island.
They had no choice but to stop. Nami needed treatment urgently.
She was burning with a high fever, unable to walk, her body weak and unresponsive. At one point, she had even fainted entirely. The sight of her pale face and laboured breathing tightened the air around the crew.
It was clear—Nami was seriously ill.
None of the crewmates could do anything substantial to help her, and that helplessness hardened Luffy's resolve.
Without a doctor, his crew was incomplete.
He needed a doctor.
After struggling through the harsh winter island—battling snow, climbing steep terrain, and enduring the biting wind—they finally reached Dr. Kureha's castle.
Nami's treatment began immediately.
Inside one of the ward-like rooms Dr. Kureha used for patients, Luffy glanced around curiously. His eyes landed on a large figure resting on another bed.
Bandages wrapped tightly around a muscular frame. The faint smell of medicine filled the room.
Luffy tilted his head. "Who is that person?"
Dr. Kureha replied calmly, "He's a fish-man who was severely injured by another human while fighting."
The room fell quiet again, save for the crackle of fire and the soft sound of wind brushing against the castle walls.
Luffy immediately asked, "Who was that person?"
As soon as Dr. Kureha heard the question, she clicked her tongue in irritation. "How would I know?"
She folded her arms. "They both suddenly appeared on Drum Island and started fighting like crazy. They destroyed many parts of the island. Thankfully, most of it was covered in snow, so the destruction is buried underneath it now. And at least they didn't fight in any town—or else an entire town would've been wiped out."
Her voice grew sharper as she continued.
"Just from the impact of those two monsters clashing, the whole island was shaking. The mountains trembled. Snow was falling from the peaks like avalanches." She snorted. "After defeating him and heavily injuring him, that man simply threw this one here in front of our castle—right where we were watching from—and said, 'If you want to save him, save him. If not, let him die.'"
She jabbed a thumb toward the other side of the room.
"I would've let him die," she added bluntly, "but he wouldn't allow it."
She pointed directly at Chopper.
Chopper stiffened slightly, hooves pressing together.
He was a doctor from the bottom of his heart. He couldn't bear to see someone injured. Once he saw a patient bleeding or struggling to breathe, he simply couldn't turn away and let them die. That wasn't how Chopper's heart worked.
After hearing Dr. Kureha's explanation, Luffy's eyes sparkled.
He's kind… and strong enough to stand up to this scary old lady.
That settled it for him.
He definitely wanted Chopper in his crew. Someone like Chopper would be perfect—a real doctor, and a good person.
Luffy immediately tried recruiting him.
But of course, Chopper refused.
On the other side of Drum Island, Wapol began causing chaos once more—attacking villages, threatening the people, trying to reclaim control. The Straw Hats took it upon themselves to stop him. Snowstorms, cannon fire, and flying debris marked the clash.
Things unfolded quite similarly to how they had in the original course of events—only one difference stood out.
Vivi was not there.
She was absent from the Straw Hats' side.
…
Late that night, when the castle had grown quiet and the wind howled faintly outside, Nami slowly came to her senses.
Her eyelids fluttered open.
The fire crackled nearby, casting warm orange light across the room. As her vision adjusted, she noticed another large figure resting on a bed not far from her.
Bandages wrapped around a broad frame.
The moment her gaze focused properly, she froze.
A Fish-Man.
She knew immediately.
After all, she had lived under one for years. The sharp features, the blue skin tone, the structure—she recognized the characteristics instantly.
Jinbe noticed her movement and turned his head slightly. His voice was calm and deep.
"It seems your illness has been cured, young lady."
Nami pushed herself up slightly against the pillow and nodded. "Yes… my illness is definitely cured. But it seems your condition isn't so good."
Jinbe gave a light, gentle laugh despite the bandages across his chest. "It is fine. After treatment from a good doctor, I have recovered a lot. I should be able to move around in a few days without any issue."
Nami studied him carefully. "By the way, from your appearance, it seems you are a Fish-Man."
Jinbe nodded. "Yes, I am a Fish-Man. Have you met another one before?"
At that question, Nami's hand instinctively moved to her arm.
Her fingers brushed over the tattoo—the mark of the Arlong Pirates.
Her expression hardened slightly. "Those memories are not good."
As soon as Jinbe heard that, his eyes sharpened. He had always preferred harmony between Fish-Men and humans. Hearing bitterness in her voice struck him deeply.
"Did someone do something bad to you?" he asked seriously. "If that Fish-Man is found, I will make sure he is severely punished."
The fire popped softly between them.
Nami shook her head.
"No," she said quietly. "That Fish-Man is dead. Someone killed him."
----
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