The stone house fell into a deathly silence.
Only the crackling of firewood in the fireplace broke the stillness.
Ronan stood by the window, watching the snow swirl wildly outside.
"Don't waste any more time."
He suddenly spoke.
"Sanji, since she won't come down… then we'll send Vivi up."
After a brief but efficient discussion, the plan was quickly finalized.
Luffy would carry Vivi.
As a rubber man, his flexibility and explosive strength made him the best suited for navigating sheer vertical cliffs.
Sanji would carry a large pack filled with dried meat.
For those who had cultivated body-hardening techniques, high-quality energy intake was the key to endurance.
"Hey, Luffy."
Just as they were about to depart, Ronan called out.
Luffy turned around with a grin.
"What's up, Ronan? You coming too?"
"No."
Ronan shook his head slightly.
"I just want to remind you… a good pirate crew doesn't only need a captain, a swordsman, a cook, and a navigator."
"The most indispensable role… is a doctor who can save lives."
"If you find the right one…"
"Make sure you bring them back."
Luffy paused for half a second.
Then his signature grin returned.
"Heh heh! A doctor, huh? Leave it to me!"
He turned around and secured Vivi tightly onto his back.
"Let's go, Sanji!"
BOOM—!
The two figures shot out like arrows, instantly tearing through the gray-white snowstorm.
Zoro stood atop the stone house, watching the two shrinking silhouettes.
Though he said nothing, his grip on his sword tightened.
"Nami, don't worry."
Ronan turned to Nami, who still looked uneasy, and spoke gently.
"They'll cure Vivi and come back safely."
Nami stared into the blizzard for a moment—then smiled.
"Yeah. I believe in Luffy."
Drum Island remained as cold as ever.
But somehow, the biting wind felt just a little softer.
Inside the stone house in Big Horn Village, firewood crackled in the fireplace, casting a warm orange glow over Nami's slightly anxious face.
Outside, in the snow, Ronan, Zoro, and Usopp sat cross-legged.
Despite the freezing temperature that could crack stone, faint white mist rose from above their heads.
It was the manifestation of their blood and energy circulating at peak intensity.
"It's already been two days…"
Usopp shivered and rubbed his neck.
Staring at the towering Drum Mountains in the distance, he asked nervously:
"Do you think Luffy and the others are really okay?"
"They'll be fine."
Ronan opened his eyes. The sharp light within them faded, his voice calm and steady.
"Luffy and Sanji have already reached the 'Indestructible Vajra' state. That snow mountain might be a deadly obstacle to ordinary people, but to them, it's just a slightly taller stepping stone."
"And besides…"
Ronan cast a cold glance at Wapol, who was sprawled on the snow nearby, bruised and swollen, chewing on discarded iron ore.
"The only real obstacle has already been crushed beneath our feet."
"Those snow rabbits—the Lapahns—may be fierce, but before absolute strength, they're nothing more than bouncing chunks of meat."
Wapol shuddered violently.
His teeth clinked against the metal as he chewed.
The past two days had been pure hell.
The moment he slowed down even slightly, Ronan's ebony staff would land squarely on his iron jaw.
Just then—
A clear jingling sound echoed from the distant horizon, breaking the silence.
"They're back!"
Zoro shot to his feet, his hand gripping his sword.
Through the endless snow, a fast-moving figure appeared.
It was pulling a sled.
A strange reindeer with a blue nose and a pink top hat dashed across the snow, its hooves kicking up waves of white powder.
On the sled, a small red figure waved wildly.
"HEY!! Ronan! Zoro! Nami! Usopp—!! Get ready to set sail!!"
Luffy's powerful voice echoed through the valley, filled with excitement.
Beside him, Vivi had regained her color.
Her long blue hair fluttered in the wind.
Sanji stood nearby, gazing at her with a lovestruck expression.
"That's… a reindeer?"
Usopp rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Luffy actually found a deer to pull a sled?!"
Ronan stood up slowly, a faint smile forming on his lips.
Looking at the blue-nosed reindeer, he thought to himself—
"As expected of Luffy… he brought Chopper aboard."
Just as the Going Merry was about to leave Drum Island—
The sky suddenly underwent a shocking transformation.
BOOM—!! BOOM—!!
A series of deep explosions thundered from the peak of Drum Mountain.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
"What's happening?!" Nami gasped.
From the summit, strange pink particles burst into the air along with the cannon blasts.
Under the unique climate conditions, these particles mixed with the falling snow.
The once pure white snowflakes—
Turned into a dreamy, brilliant pink.
Billions of pink snowflakes swirled and danced in the sky.
Amid the rising smoke from the drum-shaped mountain peaks, an astonishing image formed.
A tree.
A massive cherry blossom tree—
Rooted in ice, reaching into the heavens, blooming above the clouds.
Under the glow of that pink radiance, the entire Drum Island transformed from a frozen grave into a fairytale paradise.
A belief that transcended life and death—
A miracle that transcended time—
Had manifested into a breathtaking spectacle that eclipsed heaven and earth.
Chopper stood on the deck in his small, blue-nosed form.
He stared blankly at the cherry blossom tree as tears streamed uncontrollably from his eyes.
He remembered the man who had been crazy—yet infinitely gentle.
The man who had been like a father to him.
And the doctor who taught him everything, silently caring for him all along.
"Go on, you foolish son…"
Far away, atop the mountain, the elderly Dr. Kureha held a bottle of liquor, tears flowing down her face as she watched Chopper leave.
Ronan stood silently, watching the scene.
Even though he had seen it countless times in another life, witnessing it in reality shook his heart all the same.
"Magnificent…"
He murmured softly.
"It's a thousand times more breathtaking than seeing it through a screen."
"Ronan, what did you say?"
Usopp, completely mesmerized by the view, asked absentmindedly.
"I said…"
Ronan smiled, patting his shoulder.
"This is the most beautiful sight I've ever seen in my life."
"Yeah… it really is…"
Luffy leaned against the railing, his eyes reflecting the sea of pink blossoms.
His tone was unusually calm.
Zoro rested his hand on his sword, silent—but his steady gaze spoke of agreement.
"So beautiful…"
Nami and Vivi stood hand in hand.
In the dreamlike snowfall of cherry blossoms, all their exhaustion seemed to melt away.
Amid this warmth and solemnity—
Chopper finally broke down.
His cry tore through the air.
It was the sorrow of farewell—
And the release before chasing his dream.
With his back to everyone, his shoulders trembled violently.
At that moment—
He was no longer just a child.
He was a man about to set sail.
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