Chapter 41: Drum Island – Nami's Recovery, Intimate Moments & Chopper's Shyness
"Am I really that scary?" Sol leaned down slightly, offering Chopper a gentle smile from where the little reindeer hid in the corner.
"N-No, it's not that…" Chopper nervously rubbed his hooves together, voice barely a whisper. "Don't you think… a reindeer with a blue nose who can talk is… really weird? Like a monster…"
"Weird?" Sol blinked, then burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha! You mean this adorable little reindeer?"
"And the 'monster' you mentioned…" Before Chopper could react, Sol appeared behind him in a flash, lightly patting his hat. "…do you mean a monster in strength…" His arm suddenly burst into blazing flames. "…or a monster in ability?"
"Aaaah! Fire! Fire!" Chopper panicked and hopped around wildly, hat crooked. "Doctor! Quick—emergency treatment!"
Sol extinguished the flames with a grin and lifted the flailing reindeer up to eye level. "Listen, Chopper," his tone suddenly serious. "Want to join us? Luffy's not here right now, but as vice-captain—I can say everyone on the ship would love having you."
"Y-You guys are pirates?" Chopper's eyes widened. Before he could answer, Kureha's roar thundered from the treatment room:
"Chopper! Where the hell are you?! I told you to wait outside—not go take a nap!"
"C-Coming, Dr. Kureha!" Chopper hurriedly wriggled free, stumbling and tripping as he ran toward the room—stealing one last peek back at Sol.
Watching Chopper disappear down the hallway, Sol stretched lazily and decided to explore the castle.
He wandered through snow-covered stone corridors, fingertips trailing along icy walls, until he followed the scent of food to the kitchen.
Surveying the abundant ingredients, he rolled up his sleeves, hummed a tune, and began preparing dinner—making a special medicinal porridge especially for Nami.
When Sol returned to the room carrying steaming dishes, Nami's treatment had just finished. Kureha was wiping her hands. She glanced at the tray: "Well, well—you're pretty good at taking care of people. The little lady's fine. A couple days of rest and she'll be bouncing around again."
Nami sipped the medicinal porridge slowly; her complexion had already improved noticeably. She looked up at Chopper and Kureha with sincere gratitude: "Thank you both for treating me."
Kureha sliced off a thick steak and grinned: "Want to know the secret to my eternal youth?"
"No one asked," Sol and Nami said in perfect unison—even their hand-waving dismissal was perfectly synchronized.
Kureha didn't mind at all. She grabbed a nearby bottle of plum wine and chugged several gulps, exhaling contentedly: "Ha! Actually, the treatment was all this kid's doing. I just helped change her clothes." She laughed and patted Chopper's head. The little reindeer—mouth stuffed with noodles—nearly choked.
Nami blinked, then smiled gently at Chopper: "Thank you, Doctor Chopper."
"Ugh—!" Chopper's face instantly turned bright red. He slammed his hooves on the table: "Damn it! Don't think praising me will make me happy!" Even as he shouted, his body twisted uncontrollably with joy; the chair creaked loudly under him. His wide grin completely betrayed how thrilled he was.
Sol couldn't hold back his laughter. He reached over and ruffled Chopper's hat: "This guy is way too easy to read."
After dinner, Kureha took Chopper off to who-knows-where to rest. When Sol finished washing dishes and returned, Nami had already bathed and was lying comfortably in bed, gazing at the snowy scenery outside the window.
The night was quiet. Snowflakes fell silently beyond the glass. The fireplace cast a warm orange glow across the room. When Sol came out of his bath, hair still dripping, he found Nami lying on her side, one hand propping her cheek, watching him.
"Come here." She spoke softly, crooking her finger and patting the empty space beside her.
Sol raised an eyebrow but said nothing—just lay down facing her. Close enough to count each other's eyelashes, their breaths mingled, carrying a faint citrus scent.
"You smell like oranges, Nami." Sol suddenly chuckled, lifting her hand to his nose and inhaling lightly.
"B-Baka!" Nami's face flushed scarlet like a ripe tangerine—even her ear tips turned pink. She instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but Sol held it firmly. Usually bold in dress and personality, the navigator—who had zero romantic experience—couldn't handle this direct affection at all.
Before she could stammer out a full sentence, a familiar warmth suddenly flowed from their joined hands, spreading gently through her body. Sol's fingertips glowed softly; healing magic once again soothed her system.
"I figured it'd be better to reinforce it one more time." His voice was low; his dark eyes looked exceptionally gentle in the warm light.
When the glow faded, Nami suddenly propped herself up. Under Sol's surprised gaze, she closed her eyes and kissed him. The kiss carried the sweet tang of oranges—and unspoken fluttering feelings. After a long moment, she pulled back slightly, forehead resting on his shoulder, voice muffled but crystal clear:
"I like you the most, Sol."
"Me too," Sol wrapped his arms tightly around the girl in his embrace.
"Hey, Nami," Sol's voice came again.
"Hm?" Nami looked up.
"Can I kiss you again? I was too nervous earlier and didn't really feel it," Sol cupped her face earnestly.
Her face burned red. She mumbled softly: "…Idiot… you don't have to ask that kind of thing…"
(One million words of content automatically omitted…)
Early the next morning, Sol woke up refreshed. Seeing the clothes scattered haphazardly across the floor and recalling last night's wildness, he looked down at the sleeping Nami in his arms—her messy orange hair spread across the pillow, bare shoulders marked with a few faint red traces, lashes trembling gently with each breath. Even in sleep her brows were slightly furrowed, as if still protesting last night's "violence."
"Mmm… Sol you big idiot…" Nami mumbled in her sleep, unconsciously burrowing deeper into his chest; her hair tickled against his skin.
"…Morning already?" Nami's hoarse voice sounded. She instinctively tried to roll over—then sucked in a sharp breath and froze. The dull ache in her lower abdomen instantly woke her fully. Memories of last night flooded back like a tide.
"Does it hurt?" Sol hurriedly sat up, palm glowing with healing magic as he gently rubbed her stomach.
Nami buried her burning face in the pillow: "It's all your fault! You said 'just one more time'… and then…" Her voice grew smaller; the ear tips peeking out from the blanket were red enough to drip blood.
Nami let out a startled yelp as she was suddenly lifted into the air—Sol scooped her up securely in his arms.
"W-Wait! I can walk by myself…" Her protest was cut short as he carried her straight into the steamy bathroom.
Warm water cascaded over them both. Nami's sleepy mind gradually cleared—but she quickly realized Sol's hands were wandering again. Hot droplets slid down his toned chest; those smiling eyes sparkled especially bright in the steam.
"You…!" Nami grabbed a bath sponge and threw it at him in embarrassment. "Wasn't last night enough?!"
Sol caught it easily and used the momentum to pull her closer: "Who told my Nami-chan to be so cute…" Before he finished, Nami's fists rained down like a storm.
Moments later, the bathroom door burst open. Nami stormed out wrapped in a towel, cheeks puffed in anger. Behind her came a muffled thud—a certain overreaching idiot lay sprawled on the wet tiles, a fresh, prominent lump swelling on his head.
After getting dressed, Nami returned to tidy the bed. She suddenly noticed a conspicuous stain on the sheets—her cheeks instantly burned again.
"That idiot…" she muttered under her breath while rubbing her sore waist, biting her lip and whispering to herself: "Looks like I really need to consider finding a few more sisters to help… otherwise I'll break sooner or later."
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