CASTLE-DWELLING SNOW

The right half of the title spread, presented in full color. It shows the same scene as the previous page: Usopp sitting on the left looking at the machinery, while Nami, Karoo, and Zoro are on the right side among large tropical plants. The text reads, "CHAPTER 140 'CASTLE-DWELLING SNOW'", "One Piece", and "On a perfect day".

A small single panel shows Igaram wearing a curly wig and a dark dress with white trim. His face is visibly swollen and bruised. He touches his cheek with a confused expression and asks, "IS IT JUST ME OR IS MY FACE SWOLLEN A BIT...?" A sound effect reads "Boing".

The story begins with Luffy yelling enthusiastically, "PLEASE! JOIN MY CREW!" In a stone room inside the castle, Sanji and Luffy sit at a table while Kureha sits across from them. Nami is resting in a bed in the background. Luffy says, "COME ON, GRANNY!" Kureha looks at him and says, "SO YOUR NAME'S LUFFY..." Luffy replies, "YEAH." Suddenly, Kureha delivers a powerful kick directly to Luffy's face, sending him flying backward with a loud "OOF!" and "BAM!" Kureha yells angrily, "WELL WATCH YOUR DAMN MOUTH, LUFFY! I'M STILL IN MY YOUNG AND HIP 130S!" Sanji watches with a sweatdrop and thinks, "DAMN, THAT'S ONE STRONG GRANNY..."

Kureha continues to scold Luffy, "WHAT A WASTE OF MY YOUTH. I'VE GOT NO INTEREST IN THE SEAS AT ALL. YOU WANT ME TO BE A PIRATE? DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!" Luffy, recovering from the kick, insists, "OH, THAT DOESN'T MATTER! JUST COME ADVENTURING WITH US, GRANNY!" Kureha gets furious again, yelling, "DIDN'T I JUST TELL YOU TO WATCH YOUR MOUTH!?" Meanwhile, Chopper peeks out from behind a door, thinking, "SO THEY'RE PIRATES...!" Luffy notices Chopper and points at him, saying, "AH- AH- AH-". A voice bubble says, "I LOVE PIRATES...!" Chopper panics, screaming "GYAAAAAAAH!" as he runs away. Sanji immediately gives chase, yelling, "WAIT, REINDEER-MEAT! HEY, STOP RIGHT THERE, YOU BRATS!"

Luffy and Sanji run down the hallway, but Kureha is chasing them, throwing knives. She yells, "NOT IF I CAN HELP IT! I'LL SKIN AND EAT YOU ANNOYING BRATS ALIVE!" Sanji panics, "AGHHH! IT'S THAT OLD HAG AGAIN!" Luffy adds, "AND SHE'S CARRYING KNIVES!" Sanji calls back to the room, "REST EASY, NAMI! I'LL BE BACK IN A JIFFY WITH A DELICIOUS REINDEER STEAK!" Back in the room, Nami lies in bed and sighs, "I'D RATHER HAVE SOME PEACE AND QUIET THAN REINDEER MEAT..." She then hears the sound of wind blowing, "BLOWWWW". She notices a cold draft and wonders, "IS THAT... SNOW INSIDE THE CASTLE? BRR, IT'S COLD. I BETTER GO SHUT THE DOOR." As she starts to get up, Chopper appears in the doorway and tells her, "STAY PUT AND REST!"

Chopper walks into Nami's room and explains, "THE DOCTRESS' MEDICINE IS HIGHLY EFFECTIVE SO IT'S NATURAL FOR YOUR FEVER TO BE ALMOST GONE. BUT EVEN SO, YOUR BODY HASN'T COMPLETELY FOUGHT OFF THE BACTERIAL INFECTION YET." He adds, "YOU STILL HAVE A FEVER, YOU KNOW!" Nami replies, "NO I DON'T, IT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL GONE NOW." Chopper insists, "THE ANSWER'S STILL A NO. JEEZ... THAT'S WHY YOU STILL NEED TO STAY PUT AND RECEIVE ANOTHER DOSE OF ANTIBIOTICS. OTHERWISE-" Nami smiles warmly and says, "THANKS." Chopper pauses, "HM?" Nami continues, "YOU WERE THE ONE WHO NURSED ME BACK TO HEALTH, RIGHT?" Chopper suddenly gets extremely flustered. He does a happy, wiggling dance with a huge smile while yelling insults, "S-SHUT UP! I DON'T NEED TO HEAR ANY WORDS OF THANKS FROM A HUMAN! DON'T MESS WITH ME, Y'HEAR!?" Nami sweatdrops and thinks, "CAN'T HIDE HIS EMOTIONS AT ALL, HUH."

Sanji and Luffy are running through the castle corridors. Sanji notices the temperature, "SOMETHING'S STRANGE ABOUT THIS CASTLE... NOT ONLY IS IT FREEZING IN HERE, BUT THERE'S SNOW EVERYWHERE." Luffy replies, "OH..." Sanji shivers violently, "AHH! YOU'RE RIGHT, IT IS COLD!" Luffy yells back, "YOU'RE REALIZING THAT NOW!?" They look out over a balcony into the massive interior of the castle, which is completely covered in snow and ice. Sanji observes, "LOOK, THIS ENTIRE CASTLE'S COVERED WITH SNOW... THE DOORS OF ALL THE UNUSED ROOMS ARE FROZEN OVER TOO!"

Luffy and Sanji continue to flee from Kureha, who is throwing weapons at them and screaming, "DIE, YOU TWERPS!" Sanji yells, "AGHH!" and tells Luffy, "LUFFY, GIVE UP ON TRYING TO RECRUIT HER! SHE'S CLEARLY NO DOCTOR! SHE'S JUST A DERANGED LUNATIC!" Back in the bedroom, Nami asks Chopper, "...S-SO YOU'RE PIRATES...?" Chopper replies, "YUP." Nami asks, "R-REALLY...!?" Chopper confirms, "YES, REALLY." Nami asks, "D-DOES THAT MEAN YOU CARRY A FLAG WITH SKULL AND CROSSBONES...!?" Chopper says, "IT'S RIGHT ON OUR SHIP'S SAIL." Nami asks, "ARE YOU INTERESTED IN PIRATES?" Chopper suddenly gets angry and yells, "NO, OF COURSE NOT! YOU IDIOT!" Nami sweatdrops and says, "RIIIIGHT, OF COURSE YOU'RE NOT. MY BAD."

Nami smiles warmly at Chopper and asks, "BUT EVEN SO, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME ALONG WITH US?" Chopper is completely shocked, his eyes bulging as he exclaims, "WHAT!?" Nami clarifies, "TO THE SEAS, I MEAN! HOW ABOUT IT? IT'D REALLY HELP ME OUT A LOT. IF WE ONLY HAD A DOCTOR ONBOARD, I WOULDN'T NEED TO STAY HERE FOR 3 MORE DAYS, RIGHT? WE COULD LEAVE RIGHT AW-" Chopper angrily interrupts her, yelling, "D-DON'T BE STUPID! I'M A REINDEER! HOW COULD I EVER TRAVEL ALONG WITH HUMANS!?"

Chopper continues to explain his hesitation, "BESIDES... A-AREN'T YOU SCARED OF HOW I LOOK...? I'M A REINDEER BUT I TALK AND WALK ON TWO LEGS..." Nami smiles and teases, "HAHA, TRYING TO SCARE ME NOW?" Chopper adds, "AND MY NOSE IS BLUE TOO..." Suddenly, the door bursts open and Luffy and Sanji slide into the room, yelling, "FOUND YOU, REINDEER!" Chopper screams in terror, "GYAAAA!" and immediately runs away. Sanji yells, "STOP!" as they chase after him. Nami sighs and says, "FAST LITTLE BUGGERS, THOSE TWO..."

Kureha enters Nami's room and sits down near the bed. She says, "AND YOU'RE NO BETTER THAN YOUR ROWDY CREWMATES, MISSY... TRYING TO ABDUCT MY REINDEER WHILE I'M GONE, ARE YOU NOW...?" Nami replies confidently, "OH? SINCE WHEN DOES A LADY NEED PERMISSION, TO PRACTICE HER ART OF SEDUCTION?" Kureha laughs loudly, "HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE! WELL SAID! TAKE HIM AWAY IF YOU WANT!" Kureha's expression then turns serious as she warns, "BUT I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT MORE THAN A WARM SMILE AND AN INVITATION. HIS HEART'S STILL SEVERELY WOUNDED... A WOUND NOT EVEN A DOCTOR CAN FIX..."

Kureha begins to tell the story of Chopper's past. "FROM THE MOMENT OF HIS BIRTH, HE WAS ABANDONED BY HIS PARENTS WHO THOUGHT OF HIM AS REPULSIVE. ALL BECAUSE OF THAT BLUE NOSE OF HIS...! DESPITE BEING A NEWBORN BABY, HE WAS FORCED TO TAIL HIS HERD ALL ALONE AT THE BACK." A flashback panel shows a young Chopper walking sadly behind a herd of reindeer. Nami reacts, "WHAT!? THAT'S AWFUL..." Kureha continues, "AND ONE DAY, HE HAPPENED TO EAT A DEVIL FRUIT, WHICH SINGLED HIM OUT EVEN MORE AS AN ABOMINATION. HIS FELLOW REINDEERS SOON CHASED HIM AWAY FOR GOOD. HE COULDN'T EVEN CALL HIMSELF A REINDEER ANYMORE. EVEN SO, HE STILL DESIRED COMPANIONS..." The flashback shows Chopper in his Brain Point form being rejected by the herd. Kureha says, "SO HE THEN TRIED TO FIND ACCEPTANCE AMONG HUMANS IN A NEARBY TOWN... HOWEVER, HIS HUMANOID-FORM WASN'T QUITE HUMAN EITHER. A FACT MADE ONLY TOO CLEAR BY HIS BLUE NOSE." The flashback shows Chopper in his large Heavy Point form approaching a snowy town.

The flashback continues as the villagers see Chopper's Heavy Point form and react in terror. "WHAT IN GOD'S NAME IS THAT...?" "WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S GIVING ME THE CREEPS! GET THE CHILDREN SAFELY BACK IN THEIR HOMES!" "THAT MUST BE AN ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN!" The villagers grab their weapons and start shooting at him. "BRING THE GUNS! HURRY! SHOOT HIM!" "GO AWAY, YOU MONSTER!" Chopper runs away, bleeding and crying. Kureha narrates, "CLUELESS AS TO WHAT HE DID WRONG, AND CONFUSED AS TO WHAT HE COULD BLAME... ALL HE WANTED WERE FRIENDS TO LIVE AMONG, YET FOR THAT HE WAS CALLED A MONSTER. NEITHER A REINDEER NOR HUMAN... HE'S HAD TO ENDURE A LIFE OF LONELINESS SINCE THEN..." Back in the present, Kureha looks at Nami and asks, "CAN YOU PIRATES, POSSIBLY HOPE TO FIX THAT SCAR OF HIS HEART...?"

Sanji and Luffy are outside in a snowy courtyard. Sanji points to a large open door and says, "LOOK, LUFFY! THE MAIN DOOR'S BEEN LEFT OPEN! NO WONDER IT'S FREEZING IN HERE. LET'S GO CLOSE IT. OTHERWISE, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE BEING OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. SO THIS IS WHY THERE WERE GUSTS OF WIND COMING TO OUR ROOMS..." Chopper yells from behind them, "STOP! DONT TOUCH THAT DOOR!" Sanji dismisses him, "JUST IGNORE HIM, I'M FREEZING MY NIPS OFF IN HERE!" Luffy agrees, "YEAH, YOU SAID IT.." Suddenly, Chopper transforms into his muscular Heavy Point form and yells angrily, "HEY! I TOLD YOU TO STOP!"

Chopper, now in his massive Heavy Point form, stands tall and yells furiously, "ARE YOU TWO DEAF!?" Luffy and Sanji are startled by his sudden transformation. Sanji stammers, "W-WHOA, WHAT'RE YOU GETTING ALL ANGRY FOR?" Chopper points up towards the top of the open door and says, "COME LOOK AT THIS." Sanji notices something and says, "HM? HEY, LUFFY..."

Chopper looks up at the top of the door and says softly, "AH..." Resting on the top edge of the open door is a bird's nest filled with baby snowbirds chirping, "CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP". Chopper explains, "IT'S A SNOWBIRD'S NEST... IT'D FALL DOWN IF THE DOOR CLOSED..." Luffy realizes, "SO THAT'S WHY WE CAN'T CLOSE THE DOOR..." Having explained the situation, Chopper transforms back into his small Brain Point form and quietly walks away.

Sanji shivers in the cold wind, "BRRR, IT'S COLD!" Suddenly, Luffy and Sanji realize what just happened. Luffy asks, "WAIT A SEC... DID THAT REINDEER TALK JUST NOW!?" Sanji adds, "AH! AND WAS HE WALKING ON TWO LEGS...?" They both scream in shock, "IT'S A MONSTER!" Chopper continues walking away silently. Sanji stammers in confusion, "W-WHAT THE HECK IS HE? HE'S FLUFFY... WALKS ON TWO LEGS... LOOKS LIKE A REINDEER... CAN BE SMALL... OR GROW BIG INTO A MONSTER.."

Luffy's eyes sparkle with excitement as he yells, "THAT'S SO COOL! SANJI! LET'S GET HIM TO JOIN OUR CREW!" Back in the bedroom, Kureha continues her story to Nami, "THERE WAS ONE, HOWEVER... THERE WAS ONE PERSON WHO HE OPENED UP HIS WOUNDED HEART TO... BUT THAT WAS LONG AGO..." Outside, Luffy chases after Chopper, yelling, "WAIT RIGHT THERE, MONSTER! JOIN OUR CREW!" Chopper runs away in a panic, screaming, "GYAAAAAA!"

Wapol is seen riding his giant hippo, Robson, up the snowy mountain. Wapol laughs arrogantly, "MAHAHAHAHA! THOSE SCUM DARE THINK THEY CAN DEFY ME!?" Back at the castle, Chopper stops running and sniffs the air. "HM...!? THIS SCENT... IT'S WAPOL!" Kureha's narration continues over the scene, "THAT PERSON WAS DR. HILULUK, A MAN WHO ONCE LIVED HERE IN DRUM KINGDOM... HE WAS A QUACK DOCTOR WHO NOT ONLY GAVE CHOPPER HIS NAME BUT ALSO CALLED HIM HIS SON..."

No description for this page.