The ward was very quiet, with only the howling wind and snow outside the window.
Chopper was currently facing away from Zoro and Tomioka, who were lying on the bed, pretending to organize the bottles and jars on the medical cabinet.
But every now and then, he would glance over, watching to see what the two pirates would do.
Dr. Kureha sat in a chair not far from the fireplace, holding the bottle of wine she had just brought in, occasionally taking a sip and looking at Chopper.
Suddenly, this calm was broken.
Chopper, who had been somewhat distracted, immediately straightened up, his eyes widening instantly, and he looked cautiously towards the window, even the fur on his body seemed to bristle slightly.
"There's... there's movement!" His voice carried a clear tension.
Almost as soon as he spoke, Tomioka also felt it. It was a continuous vibration.
It came through the thick stone walls of the castle, different from the impact of wind and snow felt outside just now, more like a huge collapse and rolling had occurred in the distance.
Chopper rushed to the window in a few steps, trying hard to see what was happening outside, but the thick frost on the glass made it difficult to see clearly.
"It's... it's an avalanche! A very big avalanche!"
Chopper shouted in a panic, then turned and rushed out of the room, "I'm going outside to check!"
Dr. Kureha, sitting in the chair, paused with the wine bottle in her hand, her sunglasses tilted slightly towards the window, but quickly returned.
She said nothing, just took another sip of wine, even deliberately turning her body away, as if she didn't care about Chopper rushing out.
However, the moment she turned her head back, a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Almost without needing to communicate, Tomioka and Zoro exchanged glances. Zoro had already opened his eyes at some point, and there was no trace of sleepiness in his gaze.
Both of them simultaneously threw off the thin blankets covering them and got out of bed briskly.
Then, one after another, they quickly walked out of the ward, chasing in the direction of the corridor Chopper had left.
As soon as they stepped outside the castle, the wind and snow instantly engulfed them, and the cold sensation immediately made them feel refreshed.
Chopper's small figure stood on the edge of the cliff not far away.
"What's wrong??" Zoro shouted loudly at Chopper, his voice somewhat muffled in the blizzard.
Chopper didn't answer him immediately, but instead tilted his head back and let out a few short, incomprehensible chirps at the large birds in the sky.
A moment later, a large bird with thick snow covering its feathers flapped down onto a rock on the cliff edge, also chirping urgently at Chopper.
After listening, Chopper suddenly turned to Zoro and Tomioka, speaking with an urgent tone: "It says! Someone! Is climbing the cliff! It's a man wearing a Mugiwara! He's also carrying someone on his back! And... and biting someone!"
Luffy had just been carrying Nami on his back; if he was biting someone now, it should be Sanji. Had he also collapsed?
Tomioka and Zoro immediately rushed to the edge of the cliff, leaning out to look down. The wind and snow fiercely swept across the cliff face, making it difficult for the two men and the deer to see clearly.
But vaguely, dozens of meters below the cliff, there was a stubbornly moving figure, clinging tightly to the almost vertical cliff face, slowly climbing upwards.
Even through such a distance and the wind and snow, one could feel the difficulty. His every movement seemed exceptionally strenuous, as if he could collapse from exhaustion at any moment.
"That guy Luffy... carrying Nami and Sanji in this weather... climbing this kind of cliff..."
Zoro's voice was filled with incredible shock; at this moment, he was clearly stunned by the scene before him.
Tomioka silently watched the small figure wearing a Mugiwara below.
Luffy... to protect his companions, he could go to such lengths. His almost reckless willpower was unlike anyone he had ever seen.
Just then, Luffy, who was climbing below, also noticed the few people at the top of the cliff. He paused, trying hard to look up, as if to shout something.
"Hey! Lu—" Watching Luffy, Zoro had just opened his mouth.
Then, something unexpected suddenly happened!
Perhaps due to distraction, Sanji, whom Luffy was biting, suddenly slipped downwards! It looked like he was about to fall immediately!
In the nick of time, Luffy's neck stretched sharply downwards, and he accurately bit onto Sanji's clothes again, pulling him back to his side without incident.
But this also made Luffy's already precarious balance even more shaky; it was clear he was very tired.
"Luffy! Don't get distracted! Wait for us!" Zoro roared downwards, his fists clenched.
"Rope."
Seeing the situation, Tomioka immediately turned to Chopper, stating the most necessary item at hand.
Chopper also paused for a moment, then immediately reacted: "Rope! Right! Rope! There's some in the castle!"
He spoke so fast it was like he was talking to himself, then his form quickly changed, reverting to the reindeer form they had seen before in Cocoa Village.
"I'll be right back!"
Then he turned and immediately rushed back into the castle, his footsteps urgent in the snow.
The waiting time wasn't long, but every second felt stretched by the wind and snow.
Tomioka and Zoro stared intently at Luffy's struggling figure below, every one of his climbs tugging at their nerves.
"Hold on, Luffy!"
Soon, Chopper ran back, carrying a large coil of thick hemp rope in his mouth, then placed the rope at his feet.
"Find a sturdy place to secure it, I'll go down and meet them." Zoro said immediately, while his gaze scanned the surroundings, beginning to look for a place to tie the rope.
"I'm fine too." Tomioka stepped forward, picked up one end of the rope, and intended 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 resolute.
He stood in front of Zoro and Tomioka, his eyes filled with worry and determination, saying: "Your injuries aren't healed yet! Dr. Kureha also said you must rest well! Let me do it! I... I'm very strong!"
Then Chopper stepped back two paces, as if to prove himself.
In a more noticeable transformation, his body instantly swelled, and his muscles grew larger, turning him into a burly, giant humanoid creature in the blink of an eye.
The wind and snow ruffled his dark fur, giving off a strangely reassuring sense of reliability.
"So there's this form too..."
Zoro looked at the transformed Chopper, raising an eyebrow, marveling at the drastic change in form.
There was no time for hesitation or politeness. Tomioka quickly unfurled the rope in his hand, deftly wrapping it several times around Chopper's thick, sturdy waist and chest, then tying a secure knot.
"The rope is tied tight!"
Tomioka looked up at Chopper's eyes, which were now high up but still held some tension, and said, "Be careful."
Chopper took a deep breath of the cold air, as if to psych himself up.
He patted his huge chest with his hand, then nodded forcefully, his voice becoming firm:
"Mm... Mm! Leave it to me!"
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