Hiluluk's Cherry Blossoms

Outside the snowy castle, Sanji, Nami, Vivi, and Luffy are gathered. Sanji, smoking a cigarette, says, "IT'S JUST GONNA BE A BIG TEAR-FEST FOR THEM... JUST LET CHOPPER ALONE DO THAT." Nami adds, "THAT DOCTOR MIGHT SEEM CRUEL ON THE OUTSIDE BUT SHE'S A PRETTY SOFT-HEARTED PERSON ON THE INSIDE, YOU KNOW." Luffy asks, "HEY, WE SHOULD GO SAY GOOD BYE AS WELL, TO THE GRANNY DOCTOR AND THAT HUGE GUY SHAPED LIKE AN ACORN..." Sanji replies, "THEN SHOULD WE REALLY JUST GO LIKE THIS?" Nami confirms, "YES, AS SOON AS CHOPPER COMES BACK, WE'LL GO DOWN AND SAIL STRAIGHT FOR ALABASTA!" Vivi agrees, "THAT'S FINE WITH YOU TOO, RIGHT VIVI?" Sanji notes, "YES, ESPECIALLY SINCE A DOCTOR WILL BE COMING ABOARD." Luffy looks confused and asks, "DOCTOR?" Usopp then calls out from a nearby snowy ledge, "ALRIGHT... WE'LL SET UP THE ROPEWAY IN THE MEAN TIME. YO LUFFY, COME GIVE ME A HAND." Luffy excitedly responds, "AWESOME, I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THERE WAS A ROPEWAY!"

Inside the castle, Dr. Kureha opens a door and walks into a room. She looks around the empty beds and says, "OH...? IS IT JUST ME OR HAS THE NUMBER OF MY PATIENTS DECREASED...?" Dalton is sitting up in one of the beds, heavily bandaged. He tells her, "THEY RAN AWAY, 'IGNORING' THE WARNING YOU GAVE THEM..." Kureha smirks and replies, "I SEE... TROUBLESOME BUNCH..." She then takes a swig from a bottle she's holding. Suddenly, Chopper appears in the doorway behind her, calling out, "DOCTRESS!"

Chopper stands in the doorway, looking determined, and says, "DOCTRESS! I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!" Kureha, still holding her bottle, turns to him and asks, "WHERE'VE YOU BEEN, CHOPPER? COME DOWN AND HELP CARRY THE CANNONS OUTSIDE!" Chopper ignores her request and declares, "NO, LISTEN! I... I'M GOING TO BECOME A PIRATE! I'VE DECIDED TO LEAVE WITH THEM!" Kureha looks shocked for a moment, asking, "WHAT DID YOU SAY...?" Chopper continues, "I'M GOING OUT TO THE SEAS! I'LL BE TRAVELLING THE WORLD AS THEIR DOCTOR AND CREWMATE!" Kureha's expression quickly turns to intense anger as she yells, "THAT'S ENOUGH IDIOTIC NONSENSE!"

Kureha angrily confronts Chopper, pointing at him and yelling, "YOU'RE MY ONE AND ONLY ASSISTANT! WHO WAS IT THAT TAUGHT YOU ALL THINGS RELATED TO MEDICINE!? OR ARE YOU SAYING YOU DON'T FEEL THE SLIGHTEST BIT IN DEBT DESPITE ALL THAT!?" Chopper waves his hooves defensively, "N-NO, THAT'S NOT IT! I'M GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME! I CONSIDER MYSELF VERY FORTUNATE FOR HAVING MET WITH BOTH YOU AND THE DOC!" Kureha retorts, "THEN YOU BETTER STAY HERE. YOU'RE NOT GONNA FIND A CASTLE AS GRAND AS THIS PLACE TO LIVE IN NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO!" She takes another drink from her bottle and adds, "AND BEING A PIRATE AIN'T WHAT IT'S CRACKED UP TO BE! YOU COULD BE SAILING JUST FINE ONE DAY, AND BE A ROTTING CORPSE THE NEXT!" Chopper yells back, "I DON'T CARE!" Kureha scoffs, "DON'T PRETEND TO BE TOUGH! I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF A REINDEER VENTURING OUT TO THE SEAS BEFORE!" Chopper insists, "THAT'S RIGHT, I AM A REINDEER! BUT EVEN SO!"

Chopper screams at the top of his lungs, tears in his eyes, "I'M A MAN AS WELL!" Kureha's face contorts into a terrifying, furious grin. She yells, "CHEEKY LITTLE THING... I WON'T ALLOW IT! IF YOU STILL WON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND, THEN IT'LL HAVE TO BE OVER MY DEAD BODY!" She starts hurling various weapons—swords, axes, and maces—at Chopper. Chopper dodges frantically, crying out, "AGHH! DOCTRESS... WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND..." Kureha chases him, throwing more weapons and screaming, "A CRYBABY MIDGET LIKE YOU IS CALLING YOURSELF A MAN!? DON'T BE RIDICULOUS!" Chopper runs for his life, screaming in terror.

Outside the castle, Dalton's men are moving cannons through the snow. One of them asks, "WHAT'S WITH ALL THE YELLING?" Another replies, "JUST IGNORE IT. LET'S JUST FOCUS ON MOVING THESE CANNONS OUTSIDE THE CASTLE, UNLESS YOU WANT DR. KUREHA COMING AFTER US WITH KITCHEN KNIVES." Suddenly, Chopper bursts out of the castle doors, screaming in panic, with Kureha hot on his heels. She is throwing a massive barrage of weapons at him, yelling, "I WON'T LET YOU ESCAPE!" The men outside are startled, exclaiming, "HUH?" and "WHAT'S WITH ALL THE NOISE INSIDE?" Sanji, standing nearby with Nami and Vivi, remarks, "JEEZ... WHOEVER'S MAKING SO MUCH NOISE SHOULD SHOW SOME MORE CLASS. DON'T THEY KNOW OTHERS ARE TRYING TO MAKE A TEARFUL GOOD BYE...?"

Chopper is running through the snow, dragging a large wooden sled behind him. He looks back and cries, "I'M SORRY, DOCTRESS! BUT I WANT TO GO OUT AND SEE THE WORLD!" Kureha stands in the snow, holding a large weapon, with Hiluluk's pirate flag planted next to her. She yells after him, "JUST WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU CAN EVEN ACCOMPLISH BY GOING OUT TO THE SEAS!? ARE YOU GOING TO LIVE OUT YOUR DAYS AS DELUDED AS THAT QUACK DOCTOR!?" Chopper turns back, tears streaming down his face, and screams with fierce determination, "NO, YOU'RE WRONG...! DOC WASN'T DELUDED! HIS RESEARCH, WAS COMPLETED!"

The Straw Hats are waiting by the ropeway. Usopp calls out, "HEY, WE FINISHED SETTING UP THE ROPEW-" He is interrupted as Chopper comes barreling towards them, pulling the sled. Zoro points and asks, "HEY, ISN'T THAT HIM COMING TOWARDS US?" Sanji wonders, "WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Chopper yells frantically, "EVERYONE, GET ON! WE'LL BE GOING DOWN THE MOUNTAIN RIGHT NOW! I'M BEING CHASED!" The crew looks confused, saying "HM?" Suddenly, Kureha appears at the top of the castle wall, screaming, "STOP RIGHT THERE!" She throws a massive axe that lands right in front of the crew, startling them. They all scream in shock. Usopp points up and says, "HEY, LOOK! WHAT'S THAT UP THERE?" Zoro realizes, "IT'S THE WITCH...!"

A large, breathtaking panel shows Chopper in his reindeer form, pulling the sled with the Straw Hats aboard. They are flying through the night sky, silhouetted against a massive, glowing full moon. Snow is falling gently around them. Below, the towering drum-shaped mountains stand covered in snow. In a smaller panel, Dr. Kureha stands on the castle balcony, watching them fly away with a soft smile on her face.

Down in the village, the townspeople are looking up at the mountain. One says, "IT WAS DR. KUREHA'S REINDEER! HE CAME DOWN ON THE ROPEWAY HERE! AND THOSE PIRATES WERE RIDING ON THAT SLEIGH..." Another wonders, "I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED ON THE MOUNTAIN...? WHAT HAPPENED TO WAPOL...? AND IS DALTON SAFE!?" Meanwhile, at the bottom of the ropeway, the Straw Hats have crash-landed in a heap of snow. Luffy cheers, "WOO HOO! THAT WAS AWESOME! DO IT AGAIN!" Usopp yells, "DON'T BE STUPID! WE HAVE TO HURRY UP AND SET SAIL!" Sanji, waking up from his unconscious state, groans, "I... I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA DIE... HUH!? W-WHERE AM I?" Nami asks, "OH, DID YOU WAKE UP, SANJI?" Back at the castle, Kureha and Dalton stand on the balcony looking out. Kureha asks, "ARE YOU FINE, WITH A GOOD BYE LIKE THAT?" Dalton replies, "HEE HEE HEE... NOW I WON'T HAVE TO FEED A PET THAT I WAS FORCED TO TAKE CARE OF!"

Kureha smiles gently and says, "I'M NOT ONE, FOR SAD GOOD BYES..." She then remembers Chopper's words: "DOC! THAT WAS REAL, RIGHT...? YOUR RESEARCH WAS COMPLETED BACK THEN, RIGHT!?" She turns to her men and orders, "NOW FOLLOW ME! WE HAVE TO MAKE IT IN TIME BEFORE THEY SET SAIL!" She remembers another conversation with Chopper, where he asked, "OR WAS THAT ANOTHER LIE AS WELL!? DID YOU LIE TO ME ABOUT THAT AS WELL BECAUSE YOU THOUGHT IT'D MAKE ME SAD WHEN YOU DIED...? YOU TOLD ME THERE WAS NO IMPOSSIBLE FOR THOSE WHO BEAR THEIR CONVICTIONS ACROSS A PIRATE FLAG!...SAY IT ONE MORE TIME, DOC!" Kureha thinks to herself, "WE DID IT, CHOPPER! MY RESEARCH IS COMPLETE AT LAST! THIS IS IT...! THIS IS THE REACTION I'VE BEEN WAITING OVER 30 YEARS FOR...!"

Kureha stands triumphantly on the castle balcony and yells, "ARE THE PREPARATIONS COMPLETE!?" Her men respond, "YES, MA'AM!" She commands, "THEN FIRE!" Dalton asks, "WHAT'RE YOU EXACTLY PLANNI-" Kureha cuts him off, "JUST SHUT UP AND WATCH." She holds up a small bag and says, "LISTEN, KUREHA. THIS POWDER..." The cannons positioned around the castle fire simultaneously with massive "BOOM" sound effects. The shots echo across the snowy peaks of the drum mountains.

Down in the village, the loud booms of the cannons startle the townspeople. They look around in confusion. One asks, "IT CAME FROM UP BY THE CASTLE! IS WAPOL LIGHTING FIREWORKS OR SOMETHING...?" Another yells, "DON'T BE STUPID, THOSE WERE CANNON SHOTS!" The booming continues to echo. A man shouts, "SOMETHING BIG IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN! DAMN IT! AND IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TOO! I WANT EVERYONE TO WATCH OUT FOR INCOMING SHELLS!" Back at the castle, Kureha's men report, "ALL SHOTS FIRED, DR. KUREHA!" Kureha, grinning widely, orders, "THEN LIGHT'ER UP!"

The Straw Hats are walking through the snowy forest, pulling the sled. Suddenly, they stop and look up in amazement. Nami's eyes widen as she says, "IT'S SO PRETTY..." Zoro agrees, "YOU SAID IT..." The sky above them is filled with falling snow, but it looks different. Chopper, walking ahead, looks up and his eyes fill with tears. He begins to bawl loudly, "AAAAAAA- AHHHHH! UUU..." He cries out, "DOCTRESS... DOCTOR..." as he howls into the snowy night.

Dalton looks up at the sky in awe, saying, "IT'S LIKE I'M SEEING A DREAM..." Kureha laughs, "HEE HEE HEE...IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO UNDERSTAND HOW A FOOL THINKS..." She remembers Dr. Hiluluk, who said, "AFTER 30 YEARS OF RESEARCH, THIS IS THE ANSWER I CAME UP WITH!" In the flashback, Kureha had yelled at him, "GET OUT, YOU QUACK! DAMN IT! I THOUGHT THE LIZARD'S EYE WOULD WORK FOR SURE!" Hiluluk had explained, "LISTEN...! THIS RED POWDER ISN'T ANY ORDINARY POWDER! IF YOU SHOOT THIS INTO THE ATMOSPHERE, IT'LL... DYE THE SNOWFLAKES PINK!" In the present, Kureha smiles warmly and says, "NOW THEN..." Chopper's loud, emotional howling echoes through the air: "UOOOH HHHH!"

A magnificent double-page spread reveals the result of the cannons. The sky above the drum-shaped mountains is filled with glowing pink snow, illuminated against the dark night. The pink snow falls around the towering peaks, making the entire island look like a cluster of giant, blooming cherry blossom trees. The sight is breathtaking and magical. In a small panel, Kureha says softly, "GET GOING NOW, MY FOOLISH SON." On the right side, Chopper is shown howling at the sky, tears streaming down his face, deeply moved by the realization of Dr. Hiluluk's dream.

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