„Holy shit! That just happened!"
The reality of the last few minutes finally landed, hitting Mario's mind with the force of a meteor. He brought his hands up to his face, his fingers splaying over his eyes and cheeks like a flustered schoolgirl, almost a squeal—escaping his lips. He fell back onto the pillows, his body sinking into the mattress as his mind whirled in a blissful, chaotic storm. He was restless, buzzing with a nervous energy that made his injuries feel distant and unimportant. He needed to move, to do something to ground himself, to dissipate the overwhelming heat he felt radiating from his own face.
Gritting his teeth against the dull ache in his side, he pushed himself upright and shuffled towards another door in the room, hoping it was a bathroom. He was right.
Pushing it open, he found a small, utilitarian space with a stone basin. He stumbled to the faucet, turning the cold water on full blast and cupping his hands under the icy stream before splashing it violently onto his face. The shock of the cold was a welcome anchor, scattering the giddy, feverish warmth that had taken root in his cheeks.
As the water dripped from his chin, he finally looked up, truly looking at his own reflection for the first time since arriving in this world. It was a strange realization; the Going Merry had no mirrors, and in the frantic pace of their journey, he'd never had the chance or the inclination to stop and truly see himself.
A somewhat surprised, embarrassed chuckle escaped him. „Huh. I am a bit handsome," he murmured to his reflection, reaching a hand up to touch his own cheek as if to confirm it was real.
The face looking back at him was his, yet… refined. He had short, raven-black hair, cropped close and neat like a brush top. His eyes, once a mundane shade in his old life, were now a deep, stormy blue, with flecks of gray that seemed to shift and dance in the dim light, giving his gaze an unexpected intensity. His features were sharper, more defined, the face of a man who lived under the sun and sailed on the open sea. His body was sturdy—not the bulky mass of a pure brawler like Zorro, nor the lean elegance of Sanji, but a balanced, functional strength born from relentless training and real combat. It was a body that spoke of resilience and capability.
But he knew, with absolute certainty, that Nami's feelings had nothing to do with any of this. It wasn't the set of his jaw or the color of his eyes. It was the small, unconscious things. The cup of coffee placed silently beside her chart table during a late night. The way he'd listen, truly listen, to her frustrations about the weather or Luffy's antics. The shared, quiet laughter over Usopp's failed attempts at fishing. It was the trust built in a thousand minor moments, the unspoken promise that he had her back.
That was what had tipped the scales.
And that realization made his heart swell with a feeling far warmer and more profound than any vanity ever could.
Mario collected himself finaly sure of his feelings and everything. He found his way not only his feelings but also the way towards the future. Mario walked out of the bathroom, the cool water still damp on his skin, and carefully lowered himself back onto the bed. Just as he settled, the door creaked open slowly, and Luffy's head popped around the frame, his eyes wide with a rare, comical nervousness as he scanned the room.
"Is the crazy doctor gone?" he whispered, the fear in his voice as genuine as if he were asking about a Sea King.
"Yeah, she's gone," Mario confirmed, his smile returning.
"Phew!" Luffy exhaled dramatically, slipping fully into the room and closing the door as if sealing a vault. "We almost ended up like shish kebabs back there! She's scarier than Grandpa Garp!"
He bounded over to the bed, his previous caution forgotten. "Mario! You were right! That mon—eh, reindeer—was AWESOME!" he exclaimed, his voice full of pure, unadulterated wonder. With a rubbery swoosh, he plopped himself down on the edge of the mattress, making the frame groan. "He transformed three times! He got all big and strong, then super fluffy and fast, and then just a normal, tiny reindeer! It was so cool!"
"I know, right?" Mario said, his smile widening at Luffy's infectious enthusiasm.
"But he's been running non-stop! It's so hard to catch him!" Luffy sighed, slumping his shoulders in momentary defeat.
"Ha ha, well, that's to be expected when you've spent your whole life being chased away," Mario said, his tone softening. "But you know, Luffy… the transformations aren't the only amazing thing about him."
Luffy's head snapped up, his eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Really?! Tell me more!" He sat bolt upright, cross-legged on the bed, his full attention fixed on Mario like a kid waiting for the best bedtime story ever told.
Mario's smile turned gentle. He leaned back and began to weave the tale. He spoke of a lonely, blue-nosed reindeer, an outcast from his own herd. He told him about the Human-Human Fruit, and how instead of making him human, it made him a monster in everyone's eyes. His voice grew somber as he described the day Dr. Hiriluk—the magnificent, foolish, kind-hearted quack—found him, saw the person within the monster, and gave him a name, a home, and a purpose. He spoke of Chopper learning medicine, of his desperate quest to find a cure for the doctor who was already dying, and finally, of Hiriluk's spectacular, final act—drinking a poison bomb to protect his dream and his son's future, dying before he could see his dream of sakura blossoms blooming over the snow come true.
By the end of the story, Luffy's eyes were swimming with comically large, wobbling tears. A massive sob wracked his body.
"UWAHHHHH!" he wailed, throwing his arms up in the air. "That's so SAD! UGH! POOR CHOPPER!"
"It is," Mario agreed, his own heart aching with the retelling. "That's exactly why we need to bring Chopper with us. He has hopes and dreams, just like we do. He wants to become a great doctor who can cure any disease and see the world. We can help make that dream come true. And he would be the perfect doctor for our crew."
Luffy shot to his feet, his tears instantly replaced by a burning, determined fire. All traces of the crying child were gone, replaced by the future Pirate King.
"Then I need to find him right now and make him come with us!" he declared, his fists clenched. "He can't stay here where it's so sad! He needs to see the world and have adventures with us!"
He bounded toward the door, a whirlwind of renewed purpose. He paused just before leaving, turning back to Mario with a brilliant, determined grin.
"Thanks, Mario! Get better fast! We're on a mission!"
And with that, he was gone in a flash, the door swinging shut behind him, leaving Mario alone with the quiet certainty that their crew was about to gain one of its most precious and beloved members.
***
It was finally night. A deep, crystalline quiet had settled over Drum Island, broken only by the crunch of snow underfoot. Mario was ready, having no possessions to gather beyond the clothes on his back and the renewed strength in his body. He felt remarkably better; the deep, fiery pain in his side had dulled to a manageable ache, and his movements were fluid again. He marveled at his own recovery—was it the potent medicine of this world, the rigorous training that had forged his body, or the nascent Haki knitting him back together from the inside? He didn't know, but he was profoundly grateful.
He met the rest of the crew in the main hall, a scene of controlled chaos as they bundled up in thick coats and scarves, their breath pluming in the frosty air. The mood was a mixture of urgency and excited anticipation for the "spectacular show" of their escape. They moved outside, gathering in the snow-blanketed clearing before the castle, their voices hushed but vibrant as they rehashed their adventures.
"Luffy and Sanji gave Wapol such a good beating," Vivi was saying with a relieved smile, pulling her coat tighter.
"Don't forget me and Zorro!" Usopp declared, puffing out his chest. "We defeated all his soldiers! If we hadn't, they would have had a much harder time!"
"You mean I defeated the soldiers while you provided 'moral support' from a safe distance?" Zorro corrected, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Nonsense! I was the perfect backup, providing crucial tactical distractions!" Usopp shot back, undeterred.
"Right…" Sanji drawled, lighting a cigarette. "So, what are we waiting for? The old hag could be here any minute."
"We're waiting for our friend!" Luffy announced, his voice buzzing with excitement, though a flicker of uncertainty shadowed his eyes.
"Ah, the reindeer you were chasing all day?" Zorro asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't he running from you because he doesn't want to join us?"
"No, no, no!" Luffy insisted, shaking his head vigorously. "He just doesn't get it yet! I just need to ask him again!"
"Are you sure about this?" Sanji asked, his own doubt evident.
"Ah, there he is…." Mario said softly, a knowing smile spreading across his face.
And there he was.
Half-hidden behind a large, snow-laden pine tree, Chopper stood, his small form trembling. He gasped, shocked to have been discovered.
"OIIII! RAINDEER! CHOPPER! THERE YOU ARE!" Luffy's whole face lit up, his earlier uncertainty vanishing in a blaze of pure joy. The others turned to look at the small, hesitant creature with curious interest.
Chopper slowly, reluctantly, emerged from his hiding spot, his head bowed. His voice was a soft, broken whisper that barely carried through the still night air.
"It's impossible," he said, his words heavy with a lifetime of sorrow.
"I'm a reindeer. I have horns, and a blue nose." He gestured weakly to his own features, as if presenting evidence for his own inadequacy. "I'm not a human… I'm a monster. So… I can't become a pirate with you." His voice cracked on the last word, thick with unshed tears.
"That's… that's why I came here. Just to say goodbye… and thank you. For saving this country. I…" he continued, his speech a soft, heartbreaking murmur of resignation.
But Luffy would hear no more of it.
"OH, SHUT UP ALREADY AND LET'S GO!" Luffy shouted, his voice not angry, but overflowing with a brilliant, unwavering warmth that cut through the cold and Chopper's despair like a sunbeam. His smile was a promise. "COME WITH US ALREADY!"
Mario's heart swelled, a hearty smile mirroring his captain's.
"Monster? Human?" he said, his voice calm and clear. "What does any of that matter in this crazy world we live in?" Around him, Nami, Usopp, Zorro, Sanji, and Vivi all nodded in firm agreement.
"What matters," Mario continued, his gaze locked on Chopper, "is what's in your heart. It's about having the courage to live freely, the way you want to. To make your dreams come true."
"That's why," Luffy said, his voice softening into something profound and sincere. He stretched his rubbery arm out, his open hand offered not as a command, but as an invitation. "Come with us. Let's sail together."
Chopper looked at the extended hand, then at the faces of the crew—faces not of fear or disgust, but of open acceptance and hope. The final, iron bars of the cage he had built around his own heart shattered. Tears, no longer of sadness but of overwhelming, liberating joy, streamed down his furry face. A genuine, radiant smile, the first of its kind, broke through.
"Okay," he whispered, the single word carrying the weight of a new beginning.
And with that, the Straw Hat Pirates' doctor was finally home.