The Going Merry cut through the floating ice, slowly docking beside a snow-covered riverbank. The cold wind howled, and goose-feather snow fell like a white curtain, enveloping the entire world in a desolate, biting chill.
"Quick! Get Nami down!"
Before the crew could even catch their breath, they jumped off the ship carrying the feverish, unconscious Nami, only to find themselves surrounded by a crowd that had been lying in wait.
Dozens of guards dressed in heavy winter gear stood with rifles raised. At their head was a tall man in a green coat—Dalton.
He had already activated the power of the Ox-Ox Fruit, transformed into a half-human, half-bison hybrid, his large blade glinting coldly.
"Pirates?" Dalton snorted a puff of white mist, his eyes filled with loathing and vigilance. "You aren't welcome here! Get out immediately! Pirates are nothing but looters! You only bring disaster to this country!"
The surrounding guards raised their rifles, the dark muzzles pointing directly at Luffy, who carried Nami, and the rest of the crew.
"Hey! What are you doing!" Seeing them point guns at the sick Nami, Luffy's temper flared instantly. He didn't care how many of them there were; he clenched his fists, muscles tensing. "My comrade is sick! You guys... are in the way! I'm gonna kick your asses!"
"Buzz—"
Standing beside him, Viktor slowly raised his head. Beneath his hood, those crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan spun slowly, appearing eerily beautiful in the frozen landscape.
"My apologies, everyone." Viktor took a step forward, his hand resting on his sword hilt. The gentle smile that usually graced his face was gone, replaced by a chilling indifference.
"We have urgent business and no time for games. If you won't move... we'll just have to use the pirate way to get through."
The atmosphere became deathly tense, a powder keg ready to explode. Zoro sighed, and though he hated bullying the weak, he moved his hand to his hilt. Sanji took a deep drag of his cigarette, his eyes sharp. Behind them, Usopp huddled with the shivering Klay, looking lost.
Click.
One young guard, gripped by nerves and suppressed by Viktor's killing intent, involuntarily pulled the trigger.
BANG!
A crisp gunshot shattered the silence of the snowfield. The bullet hissed through the air, heading straight for Vivi, who stood at the forefront.
"Hm?!" Viktor's eyes narrowed, the Sharingan instantly tracking the trajectory. He went to draw his sword to deflect it, but he was a fraction too late.
However, something unexpected happened. Vivi didn't dodge.
Spurt.
The bullet grazed her arm, and bright red blood instantly stained her white sleeve, dripping onto the snow in stark crimson spots.
"VIVI!!" Luffy, seeing Vivi injured, flew into a total rage, his fist pulling back. "YOU BASTARDS!!"
"STOP! LUFFY-SAN!"
Vivi suddenly reached out, firmly grabbing Luffy's arm to stop the attack.
"Vivi? What are you doing! They shot you!" Luffy yelled in confusion.
Vivi didn't explain. Despite the searing pain in her arm, she dropped to her knees on the frozen snow before the very people who had just fired at her.
Thump.
She pressed her forehead deep into the cold snow, her posture humble to the extreme, but her voice was unwavering.
"I beg of you..."
"Please save my friend."
"I don't blame you for the shot... we won't hurt you... and we won't loot this village..." Vivi looked up, tears in her eyes but carrying a moving strength. "Please let a doctor see her... I'm begging you!"
The wind and snow seemed to freeze in that moment. A deathly silence fell over the clearing. Luffy froze, his raised fist hanging in mid-air. Zoro's grip on his sword loosened. Viktor's hand also went still.
He looked down at the figure kneeling in the snow, watching the blood drip onto the white ground. His crimson pupils contracted slightly. This... is the princess of a nation? In the face of an attack, she didn't choose to strike back or flee; for the life of a comrade, she unhesitatingly discarded her pride and chose to bow.
I see... Viktor thought to himself, his killing intent receding like a tide. Possessing the courage to bow for the sake of the big picture... that is much harder than simple slaughter. You can't save people just by killing.
Viktor released his sword. He stepped forward, standing behind Vivi, and also bowed his head deeply. "Please."
Luffy looked at Vivi, then at Nami on his back. His simple, primal intuition made him cast aside his anger. "Please!!" he shouted, imitating Vivi and bowing low. "Save my comrade!!"
"Please!!" Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp followed suit, bowing their heads in request.
Seeing this group of pirates—who clearly possessed immense power—willingly bow for the sake of one companion, Dalton's hardened heart finally shattered. He reverted to his human form and sighed, his gaze softening.
"Follow me... I'll take you into the village."
Inside Dalton's house in Big Horn Village, the fireplace blazed, driving away the chill. After a brief examination, Dalton saw the red spots on Nami's skin, and his face turned grim.
"This is... Kestia."
"An ancient bacteria, commonly known as the 'Five-Day Disease'," Dalton said heavily. "If not treated in time, the persistent high fever and organ failure will kill her in five days. It's already the third day, isn't it? If we don't hurry, she won't survive another forty-eight hours."
"Then call the doctor!" Luffy yelled anxiously.
Dalton shook his head, a look of pain and helplessness crossing his face. "There are no doctors left."
"This country was once known as a medical powerhouse. But the tyrant Wapol, in order to make everyone subservient to him, exiled all the doctors, leaving only the 'Isshi-20' who serve him exclusively. Now that Wapol has fled... there are no doctors here."
"How can that be..." Vivi covered her mouth.
"However," Dalton turned and pointed out the window toward the towering, cylindrical snowy peak that pierced the sky. "There is one exception."
"In the castle atop that highest peak lives the last and only doctor in this country. Everyone calls her the 'Witch'—Dr. Kureha."
Dalton looked at the unconscious Nami. "If it's that witch with her extraordinary medical skills... perhaps this can be cured."
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