When Usopp and Vivi encountered the massive avalanche, they immediately abandoned their sled and desperately fled down the mountain. Vivi barely escaped disaster, but Usopp was unluckily buried in the snow.
Vivi grabbed Usopp's long nose and spent quite a bit of effort to pull him from the thick snow pile. While dragging him down the mountain, she noticed the still-unconscious Usopp starting to mutter deliriously, saying he saw beautiful flower fields and rivers that didn't seem of this world.
Thinking Usopp was near the afterlife, Vivi's expression changed drastically, frantically slapping his face. She finally managed to wake him, only to hear Usopp shout: "All of you, come here! The Usopp Pirates, seventy-four thousand strong!"
After yelling this, Usopp passed out again.
Believing Usopp might really die, Vivi, to wake him, without hesitation swung her palm and vigorously slapped his face until it was completely swollen like a pig's head. He finally regained consciousness.
While thanking Vivi for saving him, Usopp was confused why, having only been buried in snow, his face was so swollen and painful.
Perhaps feeling her earlier slapping was improper, Vivi, walking through the wind and snow, her face slightly flushed and embarrassed, told Usopp his swelling was just from frostbite. She quickly changed the subject, urging him to figure out their situation and location.
As they walked, Vivi and Usopp noticed a protruding object in the snow ahead. Then a shirtless man emerged from the snow, the sudden change scaring them limp.
"Seriously... so cold, then a sudden avalanche. But for me, this counts as special training," Zoro said, head and body piled with snow, veins bulging from the cold on his forehead and arms.
Noticing the two sitting nearby, Zoro greeted Vivi. He looked at the man beside her with a face swollen like a pig's head for a while before recognizing the signature long nose—it was Usopp.
Zoro asked what they were doing there. Vivi and Usopp found it strange that Zoro, who was supposed to be watching the ship, was here.
Snowflakes fell continuously. As the three walked and talked, Vivi found it absurd that Zoro had gone winter swimming training in such cold weather.
But there was more. While swimming, Zoro saw a fish. Surprised fish existed in such cold, he chased it, swimming and swimming, got lost, couldn't find the Going Merry, and randomly came ashore.
Then, walking into a forest, Zoro tragically got lost again.
"Are you an idiot?" Usopp asked bluntly upon hearing this.
Freezing, Zoro asked to borrow clothes from Usopp but was flatly refused.
Shivering slightly, Zoro settled for second best, asking for a shoe, but was refused again.
Usopp said Zoro had brought it upon himself.
Listening to their conversation, Vivi deeply felt Nami's illness was very likely from spending a long time together with these careless-minded guys.
Without realizing it, they returned to Big Horn Village.
Seeing a crowd gathered, Zoro walked over to ask.
The villager, seeing Zoro not wearing any clothes, was so shocked his mouth hung open.
When the avalanche hit the village, Dalton—already shot with three arrows—was buried in the snow, out of sight. Without timely rescue, he would surely die.
But Wapol's men prevented the villagers from saving him, surrounding the area with weapons.
These obstructing villagers were once under Dalton's command in the Drum Kingdom guard. Though he had cared for them, they now stood by and watched him die, blocking others—truly heartless and ungrateful.
Pointing guns, they snarled viciously as they threatened villagers, saying Dalton was dead, they were Wapol's men, and anyone opposing Wapol was as good as dead.
Though Zoro didn't fully understand, and didn't know who Dalton was, he saw these fierce-looking people were the ones who attacked them at sea—enemies.
Usopp wondered why Zoro was so eager to act, but soon understood.
Zoro was freezing beyond endurance. Seeing Wapol's men dressed thickly, he charged forward and knocked down with one punch the one shouting the loudest.
Now wearing a thick coat, Zoro was warm, looking much more energetic.
Everyone was astonished that Zoro attacked for a coat.
Wapol's men, enraged by his boldness, charged together, threatening to kill him.
"Oh? You all really aren't afraid of death!" Zoro was delighted rather than startled, and a great battle began.
Sometime later, Tom woke from unconsciousness to Luffy's loud snoring. Sitting up, he shook his groggy head and moved his body. Though waves of pain remained, it didn't hinder movement.
Seeing Sanji wrapped in bandages but still breathing, Tom let out a sigh of relief. Remembering how Sanji jumped into the avalanche without flinching, surviving was a blessing among misfortune.
With Luffy and Sanji okay, but no sign of Nami, Tom went to find her.
We're in the castle... but this place is huge.
Tom dragged his slightly exhausted body and wandered the many rooms.
Nami was chatting with the "Witch Doctor," Kureha. Waking earlier, she saw a small figure with earth-yellow fur, a pink hat, antlers—like a reindeer—quietly tidying things up.
"Who are you?" Nami suddenly sat up, startling Chopper, who dropped medical tools and hurriedly hid outside the door.
But Chopper hid in the wrong direction, his body still exposed outside.
After Nami's reminder, he hurriedly hid inside, but it was too late.
Asked again, Chopper, wearing a generally panicked expression, shouted loudly: "Shut up! You human!"
He then asked if her fever broke. Nami, shocked the animal-like creature spoke, cried out in shock: "You can talk?!"
Nami's voice rose an octave, scaring Chopper into screaming, retreating nonstop, knocking over tables and chairs, causing a loud, chaotic noise.
Hearing the noise, Kureha, drinking, scolded Chopper for being too noisy. She entered with a bottle of plum wine, smiling kindly as she asked Nami if she was happy.
This old woman, her forehead full of wrinkles, was nevertheless energetic. She judged at a glance that Nami's condition had improved. Poking Nami's forehead with her finger, Kureha accurately knew her body temperature was 38°C—much better than over 42°C.
Pushing her sunglasses up, Kureha introduced herself as a doctor, asking if Nami wanted her youthful secret.
Learning she was at Drum Mountain's summit castle, Nami remembered Tom carrying her, hanging upside down on the rope. The wind and snow were fierce; looking down from hundreds of meters made her dizzy, and she soon passed out.
Waking in the castle, her condition improved, she hurriedly asked about Tom and Luffy's situation.
During the climb, she woke once but didn't see Luffy or Sanji. She couldn't imagine Luffy turning back.
"They're strong and resting in other rooms," Kureha said, letting Nami wake at ease. Remembering Tom's words—waking up healed, everything normal—she felt warm inside, her face flushing with a faint blush.
Taking a drink, Kureha sat by the bed. "Your illness cause is here." Lifting Nami's shirt, she pointed to light purple bruised spots on her abdomen, slightly fading.
According to Kureha, Nami was bitten by a "Castacia" insect, a poisonous flea in hot, humid dense forests. Its bite lets bacteria enter, lying dormant for five days before causing severe illness.
From the infection, it was Nami's fourth day.
"Someone helped reduce your fever earlier?" Kureha asked.
"Yes, but it seemed to get worse later," Nami replied.
"That must have been hard. But without that, you might have died," Kureha said. "Normally, after five days with this bacteria, you'd feel relief."
"Because after five days, you'd definitely die! Most wouldn't last past the fourth day."
Kureha's words shocked Nami—she had been so close to death.
Remembering Tom using garlic to reduce her fever—though rough—it wasn't useless; it bought her half a day.
Kureha found it strange the Castacia flea was extinct for a century. Luckily, she had antibiotics.
She joked if Nami had been walking around with her belly exposed in an ancient island jungle. Nami recalled in Little Garden, when Tom carried her through the jungle, jumping trees, their clothes torn by sharp branches.
But I got bitten, and the guy with me didn't. Must be his thick skin and flesh, bugs didn't want him, Nami thought.
Kureha pushed her back to bed, telling her to rest; treatment wasn't complete.
Thanking Kureha, Nami thought fever gone meant automatic recovery.
Kureha told her not to be too naive. The illness needed ten days to cure. If Nami wanted to suffer and die, that would be another matter.
Even with medicine, Nami needed three days of rest.
But Nami, eager to go to Alabasta, refused.
As she sat up, Kureha pointed a gleaming scalpel at her, pushing her down again. "Sick people leave me two ways: dead or cured. I won't let you go!"
Just as Kureha held Nami down, Tom found the room.
Pushing open the door, he saw a fashionably dressed old witch-like woman pinning Nami, a shining scalpel at her neck.
Seeing Nami's slightly frightened expression, Tom's first thought was the old witch wanting to do something bad—like being a lesbian.
From his angle, Kureha was very close to Nami, their posture ambiguous, like flirting.
But Tom couldn't stand it. Kureha, face full of wrinkles, old enough to be a great-grandmother, how could she be into this? Targeting a young girl?
An old woman and a young girl playing lesbians, with the old woman threatening with a knife... the image was too beautiful, Tom couldn't believe it.
"You disgraceful old hag, forcing her to do dirty things! I'll teach you a lesson!" Tom shouted angrily.
Nami, happy to see Tom, hadn't had time to greet him, saw him charging over with a dark face, saying nonsensical things, leaving her utterly confused.
"So? Did she do anything strange to you?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Like... groping you... Did she... kiss you?"
Rushing over, Tom and Nami whispered, the content unbearable to hear.
Kureha nimbly dodged aside.
"Are you an idiot?" Nami said, black lines covering her forehead.
"You seem fine. Maybe I overthought. An old woman wouldn't be interested in you, hahaha," Tom said, scratching his head, feeling he overreacted.
"You're still full of strange thoughts," Nami said, her mouth twitching in shock, almost punching him.
"You can move already," Kureha said, one hand on her waist, curling her finger.
"What?"
Tom, seeing her as if she had something to say, started over but hesitated, finding her weird, old yet dressed like a young girl.
As he hesitated indecisively, three figures smashed through the wooden door behind, flying in and crashing. Tom turned to see Luffy and Sanji clamping a small earth-yellow-furred dwarf as they crashed in, his jaw dropping in shock.
Before he could see clearly, he was sent flying toward Kureha.
"You brat, don't spout nonsense! I'm no old woman!" Kureha kicked Tom away. "Don't underestimate the charm of a 139-year-old youthful woman!"
Nami, happy to see Luffy and Sanji full of spirit, sat up before she could speak, the kicked-away Tom flew扑 over, crashing into her.
Now Nami was really pinned beneath him. Smelling her fresh, faint orange-scented hair, Tom tried to get up when crack—the bed collapsed in response.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
T/N :
Support me and Access 25 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/GodFic