'Gogogogogogogogogogogo...'
"...Hmm? What's that sound?"
I was finally feeling much better, my appetite fully recovered. As I enjoyed a warm doria for lunch, I heard a low, heavy rumble, like the earth itself was groaning.
But it wasn't just a sound. I could feel a subtle tremor. Wait, was this an earthquake?
"This is... Sue-chan, you absolutely can't go outside!"
"E-eh? Okay... Not that I was planning to anyway... What's going on? An earthquake?"
"Probably an avalanche. Given its size, it might even reach the town."
"What?!"
An avalanche?! And it could reach the town?! Is that even safe?!
"The houses in this town—well, in this country—are built strong to withstand things like this. You'll be fine. Though... shoveling the snow afterward will be absolute hell."
As the innkeeper spoke, the sound grew louder—no, closer.
Suddenly, the noise, which had been coming from only one direction, now surrounded us. 'Crap! Has the avalanche already reached the town?! So soon?! That was fast!'
'Maybe it's because the town's so close to the mountains,' I thought. 'But an avalanche reaching us this quickly? That's terrifying... Winter Island is truly a harsh place.'
After a while, the sound died down.
The innkeeper sighed in relief. "Looks like it's over."
"Does this happen often?" I asked.
"No, nothing like this. Avalanches probably happen all the time in the mountains, but they rarely reach inhabited areas. I wonder what happened up there...?"
"What do you mean, 'what happened'?"
"If I knew, I wouldn't be so worried."
'She has a point.'
An avalanche... I've heard they become more common in spring when the snow and ice in the mountains melt and loosen. But this island doesn't feel like spring at all. It's freezing everywhere.
Maybe it was just a natural collapse from too much snow... a coincidence?
Wait, I think I remember something.
In the One Piece original work, the Lapahn—those giant, carnivorous rabbits—worked together to trigger avalanches, and those avalanches were huge, big enough to reach the town...
Could this avalanche be the same? But if so, it means the Lapahn must have done it to drive off some kind of enemy. They're supposed to be the most ferocious creatures on this island. Would they really bother with wild animals in the mountains?
Or... did some kind of enemy from outside trespass on their territory?
Well, there's no point dwelling on it now...
***
"I... I thought I was going to die..."
"To be chased by those Lapahn, and then they triggered an avalanche on top of that... What a disaster..."
"If Prince Wapol hadn't eaten through the snow and helped us escape, we might have suffocated or frozen to death... Thank you so much, Prince Wapol..."
"Hahaha! Don't mention it! It was nothing... Anyway, where are we?"
"The avalanche swept us quite a ways down the mountain... We're near the town now."
"We were lucky to escape those Lapahn. How about we head straight to town and figure out how to get back to the castle from there?"
"Ah, let's do that... Ugh, this cold is unbearable. I'll ask for some hot soup or something when we reach the town."
***
After the avalanche, the town was naturally buried under a thick blanket of snow. The residents were hard at work clearing the streets.
True to their snow country roots, they were skilled at this demanding task. They used both manual labor and livestock to efficiently move the snowdrifts and create pathways.
When I tentatively offered to help, they brushed me off with a "You're still recovering. Stay inside."
Taking them at their word, I settled into a warm spot indoors.
I knew they were right, but watching everyone else work while I did nothing... it felt a bit awkward.
Still, it seemed like the townspeople could handle the snow removal just fine on their own. That was a relief.
But there seems to be another problem brewing, and honestly, it worries me even more.
I overheard some chatter earlier... Apparently, someone might have been caught in an avalanche on the outskirts of town.
The Defense Force and Self-Defense Corps went to investigate, but they haven't returned yet.
That probably means someone's trapped, and they're working on a rescue. I'm really worried.
Just as I was thinking this, I spotted a familiar face outside the window—or rather, someone I've grown accustomed to seeing lately.
(Dalton-san...?)
Dalton-san, who always patrols the area and keeps an eye on things, was walking by with his shoulders stiff and an absolutely furious expression on his face.
...Something about his demeanor gave me a bad feeling, so I stopped him and asked what was wrong.
It was cold outside, so I invited him inside the inn.
I hesitated to interrupt him while he was probably working, but Dalton-san seemed like he needed someone to talk to. That was unusual.
What he told me next was... unbelievable.
***
A few minutes earlier, on the outskirts of town, Dalton confronted Prince Wapol, his anger barely contained.
"What are you saying?! Do you even realize the gravity of our situation, Prince Wapol?!"
"Hey, Dalton, you insolent swine! How dare you speak to me, your Prince, like that, you hippopotamus-faced fool!"
Dalton's fury made it clear he couldn't care less about Wapol's princely status. He treated the Prince's rank with complete disregard, his anger like a sword drawn and ready to strike.
Despite Dalton's aggressive approach, Wapol showed no sign of backing down, maintaining his arrogant and insolent demeanor. Whether it was sheer audacity or an unshakable belief that Dalton wouldn't dare lay a hand on him, his composure remained unshaken.
Flanking him were his two closest retainers, Chess and Kuromarimo, his usual sycophantic entourage.
Of course, Dalton wasn't confronting Wapol without good reason. The reason, when revealed, would satisfy anyone—a reason so compelling that even the usually composed Dalton had momentarily forgotten all decorum.
So, what exactly had happened?
Just minutes earlier, Dalton and the Defense Force, in collaboration with the town's Self-Defense Corps, had been searching for survivors buried by the avalanche.
Being engulfed by an avalanche posed multiple life-threatening risks, including suffocation, trauma, and hypothermia. The longer rescue efforts were delayed, the greater the danger.
It's said that if someone buried in an avalanche is rescued within fifteen minutes, their survival rate is over ninety percent. But after that, the odds plummet drastically with each passing minute. After thirty-five minutes, the survival rate drops below forty percent.
Knowing this, Dalton and his team were searching frantically.
Unfortunately, the victims had been caught in the avalanche in an open area, so they might have been swept some distance by the force of the snow. The search party gradually expanded their area, desperately seeking any sign.
"We'll find them. We'll save them, no matter what," Dalton vowed inwardly as they pressed on relentlessly.
They had no idea their desperate rescue efforts would soon be disrupted.
It happened shortly after the search began.
Suddenly, Wapol and his entourage appeared at the scene, covered head-to-toe in snow and looking as if they'd just descended from the mountains.
Naturally, the Defense Force soldiers were startled and immediately moved to protect Prince Wapol and his two retainers. But then, Wapol stunned everyone by ordering all the soldiers present to abandon their posts and escort him to safety, effectively halting the ongoing search for the missing persons.
Dalton and the other Defense Force members were shocked. They tried to explain that they were in the middle of a life-saving operation, but Wapol refused to listen. He stubbornly insisted that a Lapahn attack might be imminent and refused to release the troops.
Despite the fact that Lapahn rarely ventured beyond their territory, and people were generally safe as long as they stayed within populated areas like the town and its surroundings, Wapol wouldn't relent.
Wapol, the prince of this country, couldn't possibly be ignorant of something so basic. Yet, he and his men cowered in fear, as if they knew an enraged Lapahn might attack them at any moment.
"Fine, I'll concede to sending guards," Wapol grumbled, "but there's no need to take them all at once! We're still searching for avalanche victims! Every minute we waste here diminishes their chances of survival!"
"Let the commoners handle that!" Wapol snapped. "Why can't you understand that my safety as prince takes priority?"
"Lives are at stake!" Dalton retorted.
"Whose life do you think matters more, you blubbering idiot?" Wapol sneered. "Mine or some peasant's?"
"Now, now, Prince Wapol, calm down," Chess said, stepping between the two men as their argument threatened to escalate. He gently restrained Wapol before turning to Dalton, his voice even and measured. "I understand what you're trying to say, Dalton, but in this situation, acting with composure is crucial."
"We don't yet know what triggered this avalanche," Chess continued, "but its scale is significant. Those caught in it could have been swept quite far from here."
"Exactly! That's why we need to hurry—"
"Haste makes waste," Chess interrupted. "The avalanche damage isn't limited to the highway near town; it seems to extend into the mountains as well. If we recklessly expand the search area without a proper plan, we risk secondary accidents. We need to establish a proper strategy before acting."
Chess's argument held merit, and Dalton couldn't dismiss it without careful consideration. He fell silent, contemplating.
But then he remembered that with each passing moment, the victims' chances of survival dwindled. He struggled to find the right words before finally speaking.
"We can roughly determine their location based on the avalanche's path. If we strictly order everyone to stay within that area..."
"Even then, the risk of accidents is significant," Chess countered. "After all, this avalanche struck without warning. And given its scale, wild animals in the mountains might be agitated by the disruption to their territory. While sticking to the highway is one thing, venturing into the mountains requires extreme caution."
"That's right, Dalton! Prince Wapol, why don't you take command of the troops and oversee the rescue operation? The soldiers could protect you while carrying out the rescue—killing two birds with one stone!"
"Oho, what a brilliant idea, Kuromarimo! Very well, I, Prince Wapol, shall take charge of this rescue operation! No objections, Dalton, I presume? Don't worry, just leave it to me! Mwahahaha!"
***
"So... did the rescue operation resume smoothly?"
"Well, Prince Wapol said they needed to 'hold a strategy meeting to decide how to proceed,' and then he went inside the house with his entourage. He even told me I was getting in the way and ordered me to go back to town and patrol instead..."
*Oh dear. So he just kicked you out.*
"Just as I was leaving, unless I was imagining things—and I really hope I was—Prince Wapol seemed to say something like, 'It'd be so much cooler to rescue them at the last possible moment.'"
"Ehhh..."
'This is terrible...' What's terrible? Everything about it is terrible!
I thought so when I first got here, but now I'm convinced: he's a total idiot, oozing future-tyrant vibes already. There's no redeeming him.
He's getting in the way of people desperately trying to save lives, and all he cares about is his own glory and self-satisfaction. No wonder Dalton-san snapped.
It makes sense why he agreed to talk to me—he must have needed someone to hear him out.
But this is no joke... If we don't get rid of that little tyrant immediately and resume the rescue efforts full-force, the lives of those buried in the avalanche...
"What if we consulted the King, like we did this morning, and asked him to reprimand Prince Wapol? That might get us back in command here."
"This avalanche destroyed all the ropeways to the nearby castles. Repairs will take hours, and even if we used ropeways from other locations, we wouldn't make it in time."
"Then what about a Den Den Mushi?"
"Sue-kun... Den Den Mushi don't work in this country because the climate's unsuitable. Didn't anyone tell you that when we landed?"
Ah, right. I'd almost forgotten.
Den Den Mushi and Small Den Den Mushi exist practically everywhere in the world, but since they're living creatures, they can't survive in extreme environments, or their communication abilities are suppressed even if they do.
The extreme cold is one of the main reasons.
In frigid places like Winter Island, Den Den Mushi simply can't survive, so they're practically nonexistent. Even if you bring them from elsewhere, they struggle to adapt. They might go into hibernation, temporarily lose their communication abilities, or, worst case, die.
My Den Den Mushi has been hibernating in its heated cage ever since we arrived on this island.
As a result, there's no Den Den Mushi culture here—or rather, no environment where they can thrive.
You won't find a single one anywhere, not in ordinary homes, not in town halls, nowhere.
The only exception is the castle, where they supposedly have one for communicating with the outside world. Apparently, the Royal Castle is the only place that can maintain a consistently comfortable temperature. But what's the point of a Den Den Mushi if there's no one to call?
Even if I went back to my ship to use the Den Den Mushi there, it would take just as long.
That's why I couldn't just tattle... or rather, contact the King with a Den Den Mushi.
It seemed like we were completely stuck. Dalton-san certainly felt that way, simmering with anger and despair.
(...But wait, there might still be one option. A risky, brute-force method, though...)
"Dalton-san... So basically, as long as we can get the King informed about the situation and receive his orders, we're good, right? Like, with a letter or something?"
"? That's right, but... how on earth would we deliver a letter? Even if we used messengers on horseback, it would still take hours!"
"Don't worry. If things go well... I have a way to get it there in minutes."
"Wh-what? Is that... is that true?"
'Oh, he's hooked.'
I quickly explained the method. Dalton-san seemed a little skeptical, but with no time to spare, we decided to give it a shot. It was now or never.
First, I had Dalton-san quickly write a handwritten letter to the King on ordinary stationery.
Once he finished, I took the letter from him and placed it in the palm of my hand. Then...
"Alright... *Origami*!"
The power of my Devil Fruit flowed from my body into the paper. The stationery in my palm began to move on its own, folding and creasing.
Before we knew it, it had transformed into the shape of a bird. It flapped its wings and took flight, just like a real one.
I opened the window, and with a powerful flap of its wings, the paper bird soared out, heading straight for the Royal Castle atop Drum Rock, visible in the distance.
So, as you can see, this is the communication method I proposed.
It's one of the abilities granted by the Paper-Paper Fruit: Origami.
Just as the name suggests, I can create origami animals from a single sheet of paper, imbue them with temporary life, and control them as if they were real creatures.
It's not exactly a powerhouse ability, so its uses are limited. Still, it's surprisingly versatile. Depending on how I use it, it can be quite effective in combat or for other purposes.
Like now, turning a letter into a bird and sending it flying, delivering the message to its destination in just a few minutes.
"A Devil Fruit..." I mused. "They truly grant extraordinary abilities."
"I'm truly impressed," Dalton murmured, his gaze fixed on the direction the paper bird had flown, now long out of sight.
*If all goes well,* he thought, *this will reach the King, and he'll understand our situation. He'll surely take action. All we can do now is wait.*
***
To put it simply, what followed was this:
Dalton's letter reached the Royal Castle safely and landed in the King's hands.
Having grasped the gravity of the situation, the King swiftly initiated countermeasures, dispatching reinforcements from the Castle at breakneck speed to assist with the rescue efforts.
Furthermore, he sent a reply letter (sealed with the royal crest) back with Origami. This letter authorized the deployment of soldiers for the rescue operation and contained a sharp reprimand for Wapol: "Don't meddle, you fool!"
With that settled, we swiftly resumed our rescue operation while simultaneously managing to get rid of Wapol.
Naturally, Wapol was furious, but he couldn't defy the King's orders and reluctantly returned. Word had it he was in for a royal scolding upon his arrival.
"You made me look like a hippo, you bastards!" he roared, throwing one last dramatic line over his shoulder as he stormed off.
Afterward, we hurried to find and rescue the victims. Thanks to our frantic efforts, we managed to save everyone from the ship.
Though some were slightly hypothermic, all survived without any lasting aftereffects.
Thank goodness for that.
Two days later...
My cold had completely cleared up, and with the doctor's all-clear, I was finally discharged. Though "hospital stay" was really more like an extended hotel visit.
The very next day, I successfully departed the Drum Kingdom, my unplanned week-long extension to my visit finally over.
As I left, the innkeeper, Dalton-san, fans of my novel, and even some avalanche survivors who indirectly owed their rescue to my actions came to see me off.
Their heartfelt farewells and gratitude were almost overwhelming.
Well, for better or worse... this country had certainly given me some truly irreplaceable experiences. Yes, it had.
To be continued...