Chopper carefully began backing away.
Then suddenly, a ringing sound broke the silence, making him freeze.
"Buru buru buru..."
A Den Den Mushi.
"Gacha!"
"Moshi moshi..."
Hearing the call connect, Chopper slowly stopped retreating and pressed his ear against the door again.
"How are things over there?" A low voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"The situation is still difficult to judge. However, the Beast Pirates have already begun falling into a disadvantage. There are simply too many people here who want Kaido defeated."
"Our operation may also encounter some obstacles. Fire Fist Ace, Drake, and Straw Hat Luffy have all gathered in Wano."
"Kaido has gained some support as well, since Big Mom has arrived."
"But overall, the samurai side currently holds a slight advantage."
"Not only is Fire Fist Ace here, but Marco, First Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, has also come to Wano."
A moment later, a voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Capture Nico Robin."
"Yes, sir!"
This time, Chopper heard the voice on the other end clearly.
They wanted to capture Robin!
His teeth clenched tightly, blood vessels surfacing in his eyes.
Rob Lucci!
The man who had once plunged the Straw Hat crew into darkness.
That pigeon-loving bastard again.
Why?
Why was he always trying to take Robin away?
"Why!?"
Chopper suddenly roared and slammed headfirst through the door.
Bang!
"Who goes there!?"
Several masked figures inside the room immediately sprang to their feet.
As the dust settled, a reindeer slowly emerged before them.
Chopper glared at them through gritted teeth.
Masks.
Again with the masks.
Back in Water 7, masked men had taken Robin away.
This time, he would never let them get what they wanted.
"I'm Tony Tony Chopper of the Straw Hat crew! I'm a doctor, so remember that! Robin... she's never going with you!"
As he spoke, Chopper leaped into the air.
"Heavy Point!"
A massive fist crashed toward one of the masked men.
Bang!
The masked man casually raised a hand and blocked it.
After the blow, Chopper flipped through the air and landed smoothly.
"Kung Fu Point..."
"Hyaa!"
He struck a martial artist's pose.
The expressions of the three masked men immediately turned cold.
The Den Den Mushi spoke again.
"Useless trash! Finish him already!"
"Gacha!"
The line went dead.
The leader of the masked men slowly walked toward Chopper.
To him, Chopper was nothing more than a pet.
The strength Chopper had just displayed amounted to very little in his eyes.
They all knew Lucci's temper.
Normally he rarely got angry.
But when he did, he wasn't human.
He was a monster.
And Lucci had clearly been angry just now.
"Reindeer, you're asking for death."
The lead masked man instantly appeared in front of Chopper and thrust out a finger.
"Finger Pistol!"
Chopper's pupils contracted.
"Guard Point!"
Bang!
The finger struck him directly.
Chopper was blasted backward at once.
"Hmph."
The masked man snorted disdainfully and flicked his hand.
The next moment, a reindeer with enormous antlers appeared before him.
Those powerful antlers slammed straight into his chest.
Boom!
"Urgh—!"
The masked man cried out in pain as his body folded like a bent bow.
Chopper shifted forms again.
Kung Fu Point appeared before them, fists and feet flying in a relentless barrage.
Bang bang bang bang!
"Hyaa!"
Finally, Chopper drove a kick into the masked man's face and sent him flying.
The man smashed through a section of wall.
Chopper landed steadily, maintaining his stance.
"What!?"
The two remaining masked men stared at him in disbelief.
Chopper looked smug.
His hands moved continuously through various forms and stances. He looked every bit the real deal.
No one could afford to underestimate him.
With a blur, the two masked men vanished.
Chopper's heart tightened.
He knew these techniques well. He had seen them two years ago.
But knowing them didn't mean he could beat them.
"Hyaa!"
Chopper kept attacking.
Before long, however, the two men overwhelmed him and slammed him to the ground.
Bang!
"Ah!"
Chopper cried out as a bloody hole appeared in his body.
Pinned down by the two agents, he couldn't move at all.
A noise came from nearby.
The masked man Chopper had sent flying earlier emerged from the rubble, his posture visibly ugly.
Well... Chopper couldn't see his face, but he could imagine it.
"Move aside. I'll deal with this reindeer myself."
The lead masked man instantly appeared before Chopper.
At the critical moment, Chopper suddenly shrank back into his small form, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Then he shoved a Rumble Ball into his mouth.
"Come on!!"
His body instantly swelled.
A beastlike roar shook the entire area.
One enormous hand swept through the air and smashed into the masked man's face.
Boom!
The force shattered the mask instantly.
Even the man's face warped from the impact.
Blood streamed down his head.
The power of that strike was terrifying.
At the same time, Chopper surged to his feet.
Walls around him shattered.
In a corner of Onigashima's castle, Chopper's gigantic form suddenly burst into view as surrounding buildings collapsed.
Another step landed.
Rumble...!
"Chopper!"
Usopp stared in surprise.
He hadn't expected Chopper to be over there.
Then he spotted two white-clad figures racing toward Chopper.
"Huh!? Who are they?"
Before he could think further, the pair had already reached Chopper.
Chopper swung another giant palm.
This time, however, they dodged and kicked simultaneously in midair.
"Tempest Kick!"
"Oh... that's that move!"
Usopp's eyes widened.
He knew that technique.
Wasn't it one of the moves those CP9 guys had used back at Enies Lobby?
Who were these people?
And why were they here?
Could they be...
"Everyone!"
Struggling to block the flying slashes with his hooves, Chopper suddenly threw back his head and shouted:
"They want to take Robin away!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, every member of the Straw Hat crew stopped fighting.
Their eyes locked onto the two men in white.
Boom!
Suddenly, a meteor-like figure shot through the air.
Before everyone's eyes, it crashed directly into Chopper.
"Urgh—!"
Chopper cried out in pain.
His enormous body was blasted away and slammed heavily into the ground.
A figure landed.
Fury covered his face, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes as he stared at Chopper.
"Chopper!"
Usopp shouted in panic and scrambled down from the Sunny.
"H-Hey! You bastard!"
Tears welled at the corners of his eyes as he continuously fired ammunition from his weapon.
Boom boom boom boom!
But it accomplished nothing.