The ward was quiet, with only the howling wind and snow outside the window.
Chopper was currently facing away from Zoro and Giyu lying on the bed, pretending to organize the bottles and jars on the medical cabinet.
But from time to time, his eyes would glance over, watching what the two pirates might do.
Dr. Kureha sat in a chair not far from the fireplace, holding the bottle of alcohol she had just brought in, occasionally taking a sip and glancing at Chopper.
Suddenly, the tranquility was broken.
Chopper, who had been somewhat distracted, immediately straightened up, his eyes widening instantly as he warily looked toward the direction of the window. Even the fur on his body seemed to bristle slightly.
"There's... there's movement!" His voice carried obvious tension.
Almost as soon as he spoke, Giyu sensed it too—a continuous vibration.
Transmitted through the castle's thick stone walls, it felt different from the impact of the wind and snow outside earlier. It was more like a massive collapse and rolling happening in the distance.
Chopper rushed to the window in a few steps, trying hard to see what was happening outside. However, the glass was covered with thick frost, making it difficult to see clearly.
"It's... it's an avalanche! A huge avalanche!"
Chopper shouted in a panic, then turned and dashed out of the room. "I'm going outside to check!"
Dr. Kureha, sitting in her chair, paused the hand holding the bottle of alcohol. Her sunglasses tilted slightly toward the window but quickly returned to their original position.
She said nothing, merely took another sip of alcohol, even deliberately turning her body away as if she didn't care about Chopper rushing out.
However, in the moment she turned her head back, the corner of her lips curled into an almost imperceptible smile.
Almost without needing to communicate, Giyu and Zoro exchanged glances. Zoro had opened his eyes at some point, his gaze devoid of any sleepiness.
Simultaneously, the two threw off the thin blankets covering them and got out of bed swiftly.
One after the other, they hurried out of the ward, following the direction of the hallway Chopper had taken.
As soon as they stepped outside the castle, the wind and snow instantly engulfed them. The cold sensation immediately sharpened their senses.
Chopper's small figure stood at the edge of the cliff not far away.
"What's wrong?!" Zoro shouted loudly toward Chopper, his voice somewhat muffled by the blizzard.
Chopper didn't answer him immediately. Instead, he raised his head and let out a few short, incomprehensible calls toward the flock of large birds in the sky.
Soon, a large bird with its feathers covered in thick snow fluttered down onto a rock at the edge of the cliff, chirping urgently at Chopper.
After listening, Chopper abruptly turned to Zoro and Giyu, his tone urgent as he said, "It said! There's someone! Climbing the cliff! It's a person wearing a straw hat! He's carrying someone on his back! And... he's biting someone too!"
Luffy had been carrying Nami earlier. If he was biting someone now, it must be Sanji. Had he collapsed too?
Giyu and Zoro immediately rushed to the edge of the cliff, leaning out to look down. The fierce wind and snow swept across the cliff face, making it difficult for the two humans and the reindeer to see clearly.
But faintly, several dozen meters below the cliff, a tenaciously moving figure clung tightly to the nearly vertical rock wall, inching upward bit by bit.
Even through such distance and the blizzard, one could feel the difficulty. Every movement he made seemed exceptionally strenuous, as if he might collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
"That guy Luffy... carrying Nami and Sanji on his back in this weather... climbing such a cliff..."
Zoro's voice carried an unbelievable sense of shock, clearly astonished by the scene before him.
Giyu silently watched the small figure wearing a straw hat below.
Luffy... to protect his comrades, he would go this far. This nearly reckless willpower of his was unlike anyone he had ever seen.
Just then, Luffy, who was climbing below, noticed the several people at the cliff top. He paused for a moment, straining to lift his head as if trying to shout something.
"Hey! Lu..." Zoro had just started to call out when he looked at Luffy.
Then, an unexpected incident suddenly occurred!
Perhaps because he was distracted, Sanji, whom Luffy was holding in his mouth, suddenly slipped downward! It looked like he was about to fall immediately!
At the critical moment, Luffy's neck abruptly stretched downward, accurately biting Sanji's clothes once again and pulling him back safely.
However, this action further destabilized Luffy's already precarious balance, making it clear that he was already exhausted.
"Luffy! Don't get distracted! Wait for us!" Zoro roared downward, his fists clenched tightly.
"Rope."
Seeing the situation, Giyu immediately turned to Chopper and stated the most necessary item at the moment.
Chopper was also taken aback for a moment but quickly reacted: "Rope! Right! Rope! There's some in the castle!"
His words came out so fast it seemed like he was talking to himself, and then his body rapidly transformed, reverting to the reindeer form he had shown back in Cocoa Village.
"I'll be right back!"
He then immediately turned and rushed back into the castle, his footsteps sounding urgently on the snow.
The wait wasn't very long, but every second felt stretched by the blizzard.
Giyu and Zoro stared intently at Luffy's struggling figure below, each of his climbs tugging at their nerves.
"Hold on, Luffy!"
Soon, Chopper came running back with a large coil of thick rope in his mouth and placed it at his feet.
"Find a sturdy place to secure it. I'll go down to assist them," Zoro said immediately, his eyes scanning the surroundings as he began looking for a spot to tie the rope.
"I can handle it too," Giyu stepped forward, picking up one end of the rope and intending to wrap it around himself to go down and rescue Luffy.
"No!"
Chopper suddenly shouted loudly, his voice much deeper in his reindeer form but exceptionally firm.
He stood in front of Zoro and Giyu, his eyes filled with worry and determination as he said, "Your injuries haven't healed yet! Doctorine also said you must rest properly! Let me do it! I... I'm very strong!"
Then, as if to prove himself, Chopper took two steps back.
In a more noticeable transformation, his body instantly expanded, his muscles growing larger, and in the blink of an eye, he turned into a massive, burly humanoid form.
The blizzard blew through his dark fur, giving off an inexplicably reassuring sense of reliability.
"So he has this form too..."
Zoro looked at the transformed Chopper, raising an eyebrow as he marveled at the drastic change in form.
There was no time for hesitation or modesty. Giyu swiftly unfurled the rope in his hand, deftly wrapping it several times around Chopper's sturdy waist and chest before tying a secure knot.
"The rope is tight!"
Giyu looked up into Chopper's eyes, which were now positioned high above but still held a trace of nervousness, and said, "Be careful."
Chopper took a deep breath of the cold air, as if steeling himself.
He slapped his massive chest and nodded firmly, his voice growing resolute:
"Mm… Mm! Leave it to me!"