[Flashback No Jutsu]
"Catch him!" a man screamed, wielding a machete as he ran after a boy wearing a familiar straw hat. "He's a devil!" shouted a woman, chasing the boy with a stick. "Kill him before he kills us!" shouted another man. "Demon!" "Monsters!" "Strange people!" they all shouted as they chased the boy through the village streets.
The little boy ran for his life, tears streaming down his face, and screamed at the top of his lungs.
He knew that all he needed to do was return to their camp, and he would be safe, but he was starting to think that he wouldn't make it.
Looking straight ahead, he saw his mentor and crew running towards him. Upon recognizing his mentor, the boy shouted his name. "SHANKS!" he screamed before making a big leap into the arms of none other than Red-Haired Shanks.
"Luffy!" Shanks shouted frantically as he caught his student. Luffy then started bawling loudly into Shanks' chest.
Shanks hugged him tightly before looking at the crowd chasing Luffy with a cold and emotionless glare, stopping them in their tracks.
Then, he turned to his crew and spoke. "Get this done," he said coldly before walking away. "Aye, Captain," replied Ben Beckman, before turning to the men chasing Luffy. The last thing Luffy heard before falling asleep were gunshots and screams filling the air.
[Flashback No Jutsu 🔚]
Luffy then opened his eyes and poured himself a drink before looking at Chopper. "So, have you ever thought about becoming a pirate?" Luffy asked before downing a glass of whiskey.
"Did you slip and hit your head on the ice or something?" Chopper asked, backing away from Luffy.
"Listen, I don't want to be a pirate," he said. "Oh, come on, you would be a great pirate. We can have many adventures and you can see the world on the high seas," said Luffy, trying to convince the little raindeer.
"We will become good friends, and my crew will like you," said Luffy as he took a few steps forward towards Chopper, causing him to run.
Why would I want to be friends with you?" Chopper screamed as he ran from Luffy, causing Luffy to smile before chasing after the little deer.
"Hahaha! Come back here! Let's be friends!" Luffy said, giving chase through the castle. "AHHH! Doctorine, save me from this madman!" Chopper shouted as he ran into the room where Nami was resting.
Luffy was right behind him, still in pursuit. "Come on, let's be friends and have lots of adventures!" Luffy said while chasing Chopper around the room.
Nojiko and Sanji heard the commotion and entered the room with a plate of food to see what was going on, only to find their captain acting very childishly, chasing the chibi raindeer around with a big grin on his face.
"Umm, what happened?" Nojiko asked, looking confused. "This little one will join our crew and be our doctor," Luffy declared, causing both of them to look at the little deer.
"I didn't say that; he lied!" Chopper shouted. "Yeah, you said it," Luffy teased, prompting the deer to flee from the room.
"You know, I don't appreciate you trying to kidnap my student," Dr. Kureha said, causing Luffy to laugh. He then straightened up and removed his captain's coat, placing it in front of the fireplace to warm up.
"I didn't know I needed your permission to recruit someone for my crew," Luffy said as he sat on Nami's side of the bed.
"I don't think so, but it's not easy to do," Dr. kureha replied, taking a swig from the bottle of plum sake in her mouth.
"I know," Luffy said, surprising her. "How is she doing?" he asked, looking at Nami.
"Her temperature has dropped a few degrees, and she is out of immediate danger for now, but she still needs at least three days of rest for the bacteria to fully leave her body," she explained, causing Luffy and the others to smile and nod.
"That's great news," Sanji said as he walked over to Luffy and handed him a plate of food. "This is it, captain," he said, prompting Luffy to pick up the plate. "Thank you," Luffy said as he sat down and started eating.
"Why is the reindeer so afraid of us?" Nojiko asked Dr. Kureha, who swallowed a mouthful of plum sake before she began telling them Chopper's story.
She told them about him being born with a blue nose and being treated like a foreigner, as well as how he ate a Devil Fruit that made him even more of an outcast, both to his own kind and to humans.
Dr. Kureha then revealed Chopper's relationship with the only human who saw him as more than a monster, a man named Dr. Hiriluk.
She tells them about his dream to make cherry blossoms bloom on Drum Island, in an attempt to save the country and cure all medical ailments. Unfortunately, the fairy tale of the two outcasts does not have a happy ending.
"I taught him everything I know, including medicine," she said with a sad voice. Luffy and Sanji looked on with grave expressions, while Nojiko wiped the tears from her eyes. Although Luffy didn't notice, they sat there, listening to the doctor's story for about three hours.
Just as Luffy was about to say something, Chopper's panicked voice and his Observation Haki stopped him.
"Doctorine! Doctorine!" Chopper shouted as he burst into the room, causing Luffy to jump to his feet and glance out the window. "So the bastard survived," Luffy commented, peering down at the three figures standing in front of the castle.
"Doctorine, there's a problem!" Chopper spoke, his voice filled with anger, in his medium-sized deer form. "Wapol is back," he informed them. Kureha, standing up, asked, "Is it true?" She then walked out the door, with Chopper following closely behind.
Luffy wore a serious expression as he walked over to the fireplace, retrieved his coat, and put it on. He then began to stride towards the door.
"Sanji, come with me," he commanded, prompting Sanji to nod and obediently follow Luffy. "Nojiko, you stay here and protect Nami," he instructed, earning a nod from her as she retrieved her three sectional staffs.
Resolute expressions adorned the faces of both Sanji and Luffy as they descended the stairs. Stepping outside, they witnessed Chopper and Dr. Kureha engaged in a conversation with Wapol and his two underlings.
Luffy decided to forgo any pleasantries and get straight to the point. "Now, I don't mean to interrupt, but Wapol is mine," Luffy declared, purposefully walking between Kureha and Chopper. His face held an unwavering composure, with his captain's coat billowing in the wind.
"He owes me a beating for wrecking my ship," Luffy retorted as dark clouds began to gather in the sky, and blue sparks of electricity crackled across his body. "How dare you!" bellowed the clown-clad man
. "How dare you address Wapol-sama like he's some commoner! He is the king!" he exclaimed, causing Luffy to chuckle and stride over to them. "I'm sorry," Luffy stated sarcastically.
"Then I'll give him a king-sized punch," he declared before turning to Chopper and saying, "Chopper, listen up. You're not a monster. Let me show you what a real monster looks like," Luffy spoke in a menacing tone, his eyes piercing as he glared daggers at Wapol, with thunder rolling ominously in the background.
Luffy then transformed his body into lightning, swiftly teleporting right in front of Wapol with his right hand infused with Haki. With a forceful strike, he plunged his fist deep into Wapol's stomach, propelling him upwards approximately fifty feet into the sky.
In a seamless sequence of movements, Luffy reappeared to Wapol's right while he remained suspended in the air, retaliating with a powerful combination of Haki and lightning-infused kicks to his midsection.
The impact was devastating, sending Wapol hurtling towards the ground at a terrifying speed. As he crashed onto the earth's surface, an enormous crater, approximately five meters in diameter, materialized with Wapol prominently situated at its center, bearing the brutal aftermath of the assault. Witnessing the ease with which their leader was dismantled, his two men cried out in shock and concern, shouting, "Wapol-sama!".
"And this is for Dr. Hiriluk and the people of this country!" Luffy's resounding declaration echoed through the air as he rapidly descended towards the crater with his feet powerfully charged with Haki. The onlookers strained to catch Luffy's words, and in an instant, he vanished from view, only to reappear within the gaping abyss.
Without hesitation, both of Luffy's feet crashed down upon Wapol's prone form with the force of a thundering spear, resulting in a sickening symphony of ribs snapping under the impact.
The sound reverberated throughout the area, leaving everyone in stunned silence. Chopper, his eyes wide with astonishment, could only whisper in disbelief, "He... he just defeated Wapol as if it was nothing," as he marveled at the sheer might displayed by Luffy.
"I can't believe he invited me here, only to have all the fun himself," Sanji expressed with seething anger.
"Extraordinary!" Chopper exclaimed, awe evident in his voice.
"You fool! Wapol is affiliated with the World Government! They'll hunt you down for this!" the clown urgently warned.
Luffy's gaze turned icy cold as he regarded the two of them, then his middle finger and index finger extended, unleashing two crackling tendrils of lightning that swiftly coiled around their necks.
With a firm grip on the electrified ropes, Luffy pulled, intensifying the voltage, causing their heads to detach from their bodies and soar through the air.
Nonchalantly, Luffy stated, "I don't care," as their lifeless bodies collapsed to the ground.
He began walking back to Chopper and his friend before abruptly stopping, turning around, and gazing at Wapol's disfigured body. Luffy then pivoted and swiftly sprinted towards Wapol's motionless form, his right leg engulfed in crackling lightning.
With a thunderous kick, he propelled the unconscious Wapol soaring off the island, though it should be noted that Wapol miraculously survived the attack. Luffy then turned around and proceeded to walk towards Sanji once again. As he passed Dr. Kureha, Luffy paused and addressed her.
"This country is now under my protection," he boldly declared, before resuming his steady stride into the castle.
[The End]