Cover
Color Spread. In the background are two large palm trees. Standing on a long telescope are Luffy and Sanji, as well as Vivi, who has sat on a gear. Usopp is eating sausages from a bowl, looking at the three of them, as is Zoro, who is eating a pear. Nami is also looking up, with Karoo standing next to her.
Storyline
Grand Line, Drum, Castle: Luffy asks Dr. Kureha to be ship’s doctor on his ship, but makes the mistake of calling her Grandma, whereupon she kicks him against the wall, saying she’s not 140 yet. She declines the offer, not wanting to waste her best years. Tony Tony Chopper hides in the doorway and hears that Luffy is a pirate and remembers a person who liked pirates. Luffy and Sanji discover the reindeer and resume their pursuit to cook a reindeer roast out of it. However, they are themselves pursued by Dr. Kureha, who is armed with scalpels. The door to Nami’s room has been left open and since there is a draft, she wants to close it. Chopper is back in the room and wants her to stay down because she still has a fever. While the medication is working, the bacteria is still in her system. He closes the door and Nami thanks him, also for taking care of her with the reindeer. Chopper yells at her not to need her thanks, but is outwardly happy about it.
Luffy and Sanji walk through the castle and wonder why there is snow everywhere inside, but before they can get to the bottom of it, they have to dodge Kureha’s knives. Chopper examines Nami, asking if they are really real pirates with skull and crossbones. Vehemently, he disagrees, liking pirates. Nami takes it that way, but asks him if he might want to join them. He could nurse Nami aboard for the three days. Chopper doesn’t understand why she isn’t afraid of him, after all he is a reindeer, can talk and walk on two legs, also his nose is blue. Through the door suddenly Sanji and Luffy come storming and Chopper has to flee again. Dr. Kureha is also back in Nami’s room and stops chasing the two Straw Hats. She accuses Nami of trying to kidnap her reindeer, but grins and says the Straw Hat gang can take him. But in order to do so, they must first heal Chopper’s wounded soul.
After his birth he was disowned by his family because his nose was blue. Alone, he followed the pack until one day he ate a devil fruit and was fully cast out by the pack. The devil fruit allowed him to become human, but his nose remained blue. When he sought contact with other humans, they attacked him because they saw him as the Yeti and a monster. All his life, Chopper only wanted friends, yet he remained alone. There was one person that Chopper once trusted. His name was Hiriluk and he lived in Drum. He gave Chopper his name.
Luffy and Sanji discover the main entrance with the gates open, which is the reason for the cold and snow inside. They want to close the gates, but are angrily yelled at by Chopper not to touch the gates. The two discover a snowbird nest with chicks on top of the gates. When the gate is closed, the chicks are crushed. The two suddenly notice that the reindeer has spoken and walked on two legs. Loudly, they shout that he is a monster. Chopper hears it and dejectedly walks away, not hearing Luffy, excited about the reindeer, trying to get him to join his crew. The two resume their pursuit. Chopper runs off again, suddenly noticing the smell of Wapol climbing up the mountainside with Robson.
| Manga volumes | Drum Arc (Manga) |
